Actor and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, one of the most renowned and brilliant artists of the 20th century, passed away on March 28, at the age of 71. The musician had been battling stage 4 cancer since 2022 and today his family shared the sad news.

Sakamoto first emerged as a keyboardist for the legendary electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra, known as YMO and as a solo artist, he wrote some of the most beautiful film soundtracks such as Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, and, most famously, The Last Emperor, for which he won an Oscar and a Grammy.

An activist and humanist, he used his Art to position himself politically and was still performing until recently. It’s a heavy loss in 2023. Reign in Peace, Mr. Sakamoto.