Composer Ryuichi Sakamoto has Died, Aged 71

The Oscar-winning Japanese composer was a founding member of the well known Japanese group, Yellow Magic Orchestra

Ryuichi Sakamoto, one of Japan's foremost composers, has passed away aged 71 after undergoing cancer treatment. Sakamoto was the founder of the innovative Japanese electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra. He was also a renowned film composer — producing soundtracks for The Last Emperor, The Sheltering Sky, and The Revenant, among others.

Born in Tokyo in 1952, Sakamoto learned the piano from the age of 6 and also began to compose around this time. He studied composition and ethnomusicology at Tokyo University of the Arts, and continued to nurture his two musical interests: twentieth-century composers such as Debussy, Boulez, and Cage, and the local pop scene.

In 1978, Sakamoto founded Yellow Magic Orchestra alongside Haruomi “Harry” Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi. Although the band never developed an especially large profile outside of Japan, the trio was deeply popular at home. Their incorporation of elements such as sequencers, drum machines, and sampling meant that for some time they were almost as popular in Japan as the Beatles.

Sakamoto will also be remembered for his film soundtracks. He collaborated with director Bernardo Bertolucci on two films, and received an Academy Award for his work on The Last Emperor (1987). Other titles include Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and Minimata.

A statement on his website reads "While undergoing treatment for cancer discovered in June 2020, Sakamoto continued to create works in his home studio whenever his health would allow. He lived with music until the very end."

Sakamoto is survived by his wife, Norika Sora, and their two children, as well as a daughter from his first marriage and another daughter from his second.

Our condolences to Mr. Sakamoto's family, friends, and colleagues.