Ryuichi Sakamoto, Oscar-winning composer and musician, dies at 71

Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Oscar-winning composer famous for his scores for The Last Emperor and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, among others, died March 28 at the age of 71.

Sakamoto's management company shared the news Sunday that he died from cancer. The artist previously revealed his throat cancer diagnosis in 2014 and rectal cancer diagnosis in 2021. While undergoing treatment, Sakamoto "continued to create works in his home studio whenever his health would allow," his management said in a remembrance. "He lived with music until the very end."

Sakamoto gained prominence as a member of Japanese electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra, which he co-founded in 1978 with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi. Their self-titled debut album, released in Japan in 1978 and in the U.S. in 1979, included the much-sampled tracks "Firecracker" and "Computer Magic" and helped set the stage for the synth-pop sounds of today, also influencing early hip-hop and techno.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty for Tribeca Film Festival Ryuichi Sakamoto

As a solo artist, Sakamoto collaborated with the likes of Iggy Pop, Thomas Dolby, and David Sylvian. He released his most recent album, 12, in January.

The artist made his big-screen acting debut in 1983's Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, starring opposite David Bowie and also providing the war drama with its BAFTA-winning score. He'd later go on to star in and score 1987's The Last Emperor, which earned him an Oscar and a Golden Globe alongside his collaborators David Byrne and Cong Su. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his score for 2015's The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

In December, Sakamoto held a livestreamed concert broadcast around the globe, which he said "may be my last" after his cancer diagnosis. It featured Sakamoto revisiting scores from The Last Emperor and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, among other works, solo on a piano.

"My strength has really fallen," the composer said, "so a normal concert of about an hour to 90 minutes would be very difficult."

Related content:

• Stars we've lost in 2023