Japanese musician and film composer Ryuichi Sakamoto died during a battle with cancer on March 28, according to recording company Avex.
Sakamoto was initially diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, and revealed in 2022 that he had terminal cancer. His cancer diagnosis that was disclosed in 2022 came one year after saying that he suffered from rectal cancer.
He was considered a pioneer of electronics music in the late 1970s, and founded Yellow Magic Orchestra with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi.
In the statement from Avex, a spokesperson said that Sakamoto worked on music when he was feeling well despite being ill.
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"To his final days, he lived with music," the statement reads.
Sakamoto released a full-length album in January titled "12," and he said composing music had a "small healing effect on my damaged body and soul," a statement made along with the album's release states.
The famed musician's work for the 1987 movie "The Last Emperor" won an Oscar and Grammy. He also starred in the movie "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence," which won a BAFTA Award for Best Film Music.
He was born in 1952 in Tokyo, Japan, and began studying music at the age of 10, being influenced by the Beatles and Debussy.
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The statement from Avex expressed gratitude to the medical team which treated him both in the U.S. and Japan, also thanking his fans worldwide.
"Ars longa, vita brevis," the statement read, referencing words Sakamoto loved, referring to the longevity of art, no matter the shortness of human life.
In addition to his legacy as a musician and film composer, he was also a pacifist and spoke against nuclear power after the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdowns in 2011, which were caused by an earthquake and tsunami.
Funeral services for Sakamoto were held with close friends and family, the statement from Avex read.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
