'Japanese Music Maestro' Sakamoto Ryuichi Passes Away at 71 Years Old
Passed away on the 28th of last month after battling illness
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Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto (71, 坂本龍一) passed away on the 28th of last month after battling colorectal cancer. He was 71 years old.
His agency announced the news of his passing along with Sakamoto's favorite phrase, "Art is long, life is short."
The online concert "Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano 2022," recorded at the NHK studio in Tokyo on December 11 last year, became the late artist's final moment connecting with his audience.
Born in Tokyo in 1952, he graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts and began his music career by forming the trio "Yellow Magic Orchestra." In 1987, he rose to global fame as the first Asian to win both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Score with the soundtrack of the film "The Last Emperor," including the theme song "Rain." He established ties with the Korean film industry by composing the soundtrack for the 2017 film "The Fortress (Namhan Sansong)." Through his concerts in Korea, he engaged in various communications with his domestic fans.
Known for expressing his views on environmental and social issues, he raised his voice at protests in August 2015 against the security legislation promoted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
After being diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in 2014, he endured a long battle with cancer following its recurrence in June 2020. His agency stated, "Even while undergoing cancer treatment, he continued creative activities on days when his condition was good, staying with music until the very end." They also revealed that, according to his will, the funeral will be attended only by close relatives.
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He publicly disclosed the metastasis of his colorectal cancer last year and continued to communicate with the public while undergoing surgery. He shared updates on his condition by serializing an essay about his cancer battle titled "How Many More Full Moons Will I See?" in the Japanese literary magazine Shincho (新潮).
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