Photo: Kyu9 / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Kyū Sakamoto was born on December 10, 1941 in Kawasaki-ku, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan and was credited as an actor, singer and tarento. Kyū Sakamoto died on August 12, 1985, aged 43. Notable works include Ue o muite arukō.
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
- さかもと きゅう
- Born
- December 10, 1941 – August 12, 1985
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Snake
- Origin
- Kawasaki-ku, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
- Occupation
- actor / singer / tarento
2. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Ue o muite arukō | — |
3. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.kyu-sakamoto.com/
- Xhttps://x.com/kyusakamoto9
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyu%20Sakamoto
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9D%82%E6%9C%AC%E4%B9%9D
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313081
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-20
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Kyū Sakamoto born?
Born December 10, 1941.
When did Kyū Sakamoto die?
Died August 12, 1985, aged 43.
Where was Kyū Sakamoto from?
Kyū Sakamoto was from Kawasaki-ku, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
What did Kyū Sakamoto do?
Kyū Sakamoto worked as actor, singer, tarento.
What was Kyū Sakamoto known for?
Notable works include Ue o muite arukō.
Actor — see all → · Singer — see all → · More people from Japan →