Lauded Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto died on March 28 at the age of 71, recording company Avex announced on Sunday. “While undergoing treatment for cancer discovered in June 2020, Sakamoto continued to create works in his home studio whenever his heath would allow,” the statement read. “He lived with music until the very end.”
In the 1970s, Sakamoto was a member of the influential electronic music group Yellow Magic Orchestra, which released hit songs including “Yellow Magic (Tong Poo)” and “Technopolis.”
He made his film composing debut with 1983’s “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” and later composed the score for Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 film “The Last Emperor,” for which he earned the Best Original Score Oscar. His other film scores included Pedro Almodóvar’s “Tacones Iejanos,” Brian De Palma’s “Snake Eyes” and “Femme Fatale,” Oliver Stone’s “Wild Palms,” Oshima’s “Gohatto” and Alejandro G. Iñàrritu’s “The Revenant.”
A documentary about Sakamoto’s life and work, “Coda,” was released in 2018.
“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to his fans and all those who have supported his activities, as well as the medical professionals in Japan and the U.S. who did everything in their power to cure him,” Avex’s statement continued.
“We would like to share one of Sakamoto’s favorite quotes: ‘Ars longa, vita brevis.’ Art is long, life is short,” the statement said.
