Ryuichi Sakamoto, a great figure in the Japanese music world, has passed away. Age 71.
According to Japanese media such as Sponichi on the 2nd, Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away on the 28th of last month. Ryuichi Sakamoto's agency Cap said, "It is true that he passed away."
Ryuichi Sakamoto is a renowned composer not only in the Japanese music world but also internationally. He is the first Asian to win the Academy Award for Composition through the 'The Last Emperor' OST. It has also won awards at the Golden Globe and Grammy.
In Korea, he made his name known through songs such as ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’ (OST from the movie ‘Christmas on the Battlefield’) and ‘Rain’ (OST from ‘The Last Emperor’). In addition, he participated in the Korean film 'Namhansanseong' and the animation 'Hello, Tyrannosaurus: Forever, Together', and received the 'Asian Filmmaker of the Year' award at the 2018 Busan International Film Festival.
Ryuichi Sakamoto's cause of death was fighting cancer for several years. Following pharyngeal cancer in 2014, he was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2020. Although he underwent six surgeries in about a year, he showed his passion for music by releasing his full-length solo album '12' earlier this year.
Meanwhile, as news of the death of the world-renowned music master broke, tributes continued. BTS' Suga prayed for the soul of the deceased, saying, "I hope you are safe on your long journey, teacher."
Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr