Photo: Joi Ito / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Honestly, "Professor" might be the most fitting nickname anyone's ever earned. Sakamoto was that rare guy who could invent the synth-pop future with Yellow Magic Orchestra one decade, then turn around and make the whole planet cry with the pianos of Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and The Last Emperor — the first Japanese composer to win the Academy Award for Best Original Score, by the way. What gets me is the range: he had this effortless cool and a relentless curiosity, always chasing the next sound. Late in life, battling illness, he started treating rain, traffic, and ambient noise as music itself, and somehow it felt more intimate than ever. When he passed in 2023, the tributes poured in worldwide. He left, but the sound just keeps playing.
Story
Overview
Ryuichi Sakamoto (January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023) was a Japanese composer, pianist, and music producer born in Nakano, Tokyo. He co-founded the electronic group Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978 and launched a parallel solo career that spanned over four decades. He became the first Japanese composer to win the Academy Award for Best Original Score, receiving the honor in 1988 for The Last Emperor alongside BAFTA and Golden Globe wins for the same film. He continued composing and recording until his death from cancer at the age of 71.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ryuichi Sakamoto
- Name (Japanese)
- 坂本龍一
- Reading
- さかもとりゅういち
- Born
- January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Dragon
- Origin
- Nakano, Tokyo, Japan
- Height
- 171 cm
- Agency
- (Passed away March 28, 2023)
- Agency history
- commmons / Avex
CAB Inc. - Active years
- 1978–2023
- Occupation
- Composer / Pianist / Music Producer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Soshigaya Elementary School, Setagaya
- Junior high
- Chitose Junior High School, Setagaya
- High school
- Tokyo Metropolitan Shinjuku High School
- University
- Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Music, Composition (B.A. and M.A.)
- Debut
- 1978: solo album Thousand Knives; co-founded Yellow Magic Orchestra the same year
Awards & achievements
- 1984 BAFTA Award for Best Original Score (Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence)
- 1988 Academy Award for Best Original Score (The Last Emperor; first Japanese recipient)
- 1988 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score (The Last Emperor)
- 1989 Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album (The Last Emperor)
- 1991 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score (The Sheltering Sky)
Timeline
- 1978Released solo debut album Thousand Knives and co-founded Yellow Magic Orchestra
- 1983Composed the score for and appeared in the film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
- 1987Composed the score for the film The Last Emperor
- 1988Became the first Japanese composer to win the Academy Award for Best Original Score
- 1999Album Ura BTTB sold over one million copies; 'energy flow' sparked a cultural phenomenon
- 2006Founded music label commmons
- 2020Diagnosed with cancer
- 2023Passed away on March 28 from cancer at the age of 71
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Akiko Yano (married 1982, divorced 2006), and others
- Children
- Miu Sakamoto (musician), Neo Sora (film director), and others
4. Personality
Hobbies
- Reading
- Environmental conservation activities
Specialties
- Composition
- Piano performance
- Arrangement
- Music production
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Album | Thousand Knives | Composer / Performer | 1978 |
| Film Score | Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence | Composer / Actor | 1983 |
| Film Score | The Last Emperor | Composer | 1987 |
| Film Score | The Sheltering Sky | Composer | 1990 |
| Album | Ura BTTB | Composer / Performer | 1998 |
| Album | async | Composer / Performer / Producer | 2017 |
| Album | 12 | Composer / Performer | 2023 |
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.sitesakamoto.com/
- Xhttps://twitter.com/ryuichisakamoto
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/坂本龍一
Frequently asked questions
When was Ryuichi Sakamoto born?
January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023.
Where is Ryuichi Sakamoto from?
Ryuichi Sakamoto is from Nakano, Tokyo, Japan.
What does Ryuichi Sakamoto do?
Ryuichi Sakamoto works as Composer, Pianist, Music Producer.
How tall is Ryuichi Sakamoto?
Ryuichi Sakamoto is 171 cm.
What agency is Ryuichi Sakamoto with?
Ryuichi Sakamoto is with (Passed away March 28, 2023).
How long has Ryuichi Sakamoto been active?
1978–2023.
What is Ryuichi Sakamoto known for?
Notable works include Thousand Knives, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, The Last Emperor.
Composer — see all → · Pianist — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
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.