‘I’m always pushing boundaries’: Ryuichi Sakamoto wins Oscar for ‘The Last Emperor’ score
Japanese composer and pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto died in Tokyo on March 28, 2023, at the age of 71.
Sakamoto’s soundtrack work spans Japan and abroad, and his background score for the 1987 film “The Last Emperor” is one of his best-known works. The film won nine Oscars in 1988, including Best Picture and Best Original Film Score.
Having suffered from throat cancer, he said in 2021 that he had rectal cancer and was undergoing treatment. During his lifetime, Sakamoto actively paid attention to social events, especially environmental and anti-nuclear issues. He continued to write to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike until March of this year to protect trees and oppose a reconstruction project.
He held an online piano concert in December 2022 by recording in batches in advance, which attracted nearly 40,000 people to watch. He said at the time that the performance “may be the last”.