We commemorate the legacy of Japanese Oscar-winning music maestro, Ryuichi Sakamoto
Oscar-winning Japanese composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto, died on March 28, 2023, at the age of 73. As one of Japan’s most prominent composers, Sakamoto was famed for his work in electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra and his scores for various films including Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence and The Last Emperor.
The latter is his most celebrated work, a 1987 film in which his score won an Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe. Almost 40 years later, his score continues to touch the lives of many.
His team had announced his passing with a post highlighting the date of his death on his Instagram account (@skmtgram). While they did not provide any further details on the post, Sakamoto himself revealed that he received a rectal cancer diagnosis in January 2021 and was undergoing treatment.
In the wake of his passing, we look back on the iconic composer’s life and share some facts about the talented musician.
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1. His instrumental number, Energy Flow, made history
His track Energy Flow topped Japan’s Oricon Charts in 1999, making it the first instrumental number one single in Japan’s Oricon charts history. The arrangement was originally written for a vitamin drink commercial and only released after viewers called in to ask about the music.