Photo: Kyu9 / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Kyū Sakamoto holds a place in music history that needs no defending. "Ue o Muite Arukō," known abroad as "Sukiyaki," topped the American charts and sold over thirteen million copies, an almost unthinkable feat for a song sung entirely in Japanese. What moves me most isn't the statistics but the warmth in his slightly smiling, utterly unguarded delivery. Singing about looking upward so the tears won't fall hits harder in that voice. Losing him at forty-three in the 1985 crash remains a genuine tragedy, yet his recording still comforts strangers around the world. I hold deep respect for artists whose voices simply refuse to fade.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Kyū Sakamoto
- Name (Japanese)
- 坂本九
- Reading
- 不明
- Born
- December 10, 1941 – August 12, 1985
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Snake
- Origin
- Kawasaki-ku, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / singer / tarento
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Ue o muite arukō | — |
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.kyu-sakamoto.com/
- Xhttps://x.com/kyusakamoto9
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9D%82%E6%9C%AC%E4%B9%9D
Frequently asked questions
When was Kyū Sakamoto born?
December 10, 1941 – August 12, 1985.
Where is Kyū Sakamoto from?
Kyū Sakamoto is from Kawasaki-ku, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
What does Kyū Sakamoto do?
Kyū Sakamoto works as actor, singer, tarento.
What is Kyū Sakamoto known for?
Notable works include Ue o muite arukō.
Actor — see all → · Singer — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-20
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.