Who Is Ryuichi Sakamoto? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Ryuichi Sakamoto was born on January 17, 1952, in Tokyo, Japan. He was renowned as a composer, musician, and producer, recognized globally for his pioneering work in electronic music, film scores, and contemporary classical music. Sakamoto's career spanned several decades, during which he sought to bridge genres and countries with his innovative sound. In 2025, his legacy continues through his influential compositions and collaborations.
| Occupation | Activists |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | January 17, 1952 |
| Age | 71 Years |
| Birth Place | Nakano, Tokyo, Japan |
| Horoscope | Capricorn |
| Country | Japan |
| Date of death | 28 March, 2023 |
| Died Place | Tokyo, Japan |
Popularity
Ryuichi Sakamoto's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While exact measurements can be challenging to ascertain for public figures, Ryuichi Sakamoto was known to stand at approximately 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) tall. His weight fluctuated throughout his life, fitting the common profile of many artists who maintain a slim build. In later years, Sakamoto is remembered more for his impactful presence and talent than physical attributes.
Sakamoto began his career as a session musician, producer, and arranger while he was at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in the mid 1970s. His first major success came in 1978 as co-founder of YMO.
He pursued a solo career at the same time, releasing the experimental electronic fusion album Thousand Knives in that year, and the album B-2 Unit in 1980. B-2 Unit includes the track "Riot in Lagos", which had a significant influence on the development of electro, hip hop and dance music.
He went on to produce more solo records, and collaborate with many international artists, including David Sylvian, DJ Spooky, Carsten Nicolai, Youssou N'Dour, and Fennesz.
Sakamoto composed music for the opening ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games, and his composition "Energy Flow" (1999) was the first instrumental number-one single in Japan's Oricon charts history.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Throughout his life, Ryuichi Sakamoto kept much of his personal life private. He was married to the artist and actress Akiko Yano from 1972 to 1982. Sakamoto has children, but details about his family remain largely undisclosed. Speculations about his relationships post-marriage have emerged, but Ryuichi tended to focus more on his art than his romantic life. In 2025, his affection for his late partner is fondly remembered, as well as his close relationships with fellow musicians.
His father, Kazuki Sakamoto, was a well-known literary editor, and his mother, Keiko (Shimomura) Sakamoto, designed women's hats. He began taking piano lessons at age 6, and started to compose at age 10.
His early influences included Johann Sebastian Bach and Claude Debussy — whom he once called "the door to all 20th century music." He also said, "Asian music" (Javanese Gamelan) "heavily influenced Debussy, and Debussy heavily influenced me. So, the music goes around the world and comes full circle."
Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, Ryuichi Sakamoto's estimated net worth was $30 million. This fortune stems from his extensive career as a multi-faceted musician and composer. He earned significant income from his film scores, including his Academy Award-winning work on "The Last Emperor." Sakamoto also enjoyed earnings from concerts, collaborations, and various artistic endeavors, maintaining a lifestyle that blended artistic exploration with the fruits of his labor.
Career, Business, and Investments
Ryuichi Sakamoto's career began in the 1970s with the influential electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), which played a crucial role in shaping the synth-pop genre. Beyond YMO, Sakamoto collaborated with global artists across genres and created memorable film scores, including acclaimed works for "The Last Emperor" and "The Sheltering Sky." In 2025, he continued to inspire the music world with his innovative projects and collaborations.
Sakamoto was also known for his activism, especially regarding climate change, and used his platform to advocate for environmental issues. His business ventures included various collaborations with tech companies, exploring the fusion of music and technology. His creativity extended to sound installations and multimedia projects that enriched the world of contemporary art.
In mid-1978, Sakamoto released his first solo album Thousand Knives of Ryūichi Sakamoto, with the help of Hideki Matsutake—Hosono also contributed to the song "Thousand Knives".
The album experimented with different styles, such as "Thousand Knives" and "The End of Asia"—in which electronic music was fused with traditional Japanese music—while "Grasshoppers" is a more minimalistic piano song.
The album was recorded from April to July 1978 with a variety of electronic musical instruments, including various synthesizers, such as the KORG PS-3100, a polyphonic synthesizer; the Oberheim Eight Voice; the Moog III-C; the Polymoog, the Minimoog; the Micromoog; the Korg VC-10, which is a vocoder; the KORG SQ-10, which is an analog sequencer; th
e Syn-Drums, an electronic drum kit; and the microprocessor-based Roland MC-8 Microcomposer, which is a music sequencer that was programmed by Matsutake and played by Sakamoto.
Social Network
Ryuichi Sakamoto maintained a significant online presence, engaging with fans and fellow artists through various social media platforms. His interactions often showcased his artistic process, thoughts on music and art, and advocacy for social and environmental causes. Following his passing, tributes from fans and fellow musicians filled social media, highlighting his profound influence across generations.
Several tracks from Sakamoto's earlier solo albums have also appeared in film soundtracks. In particular, variations of "Chinsagu No Hana" (from Beauty) and "Bibo No Aozora" (from 1996) provide the poignant closing pieces for Sue Brooks's Japanese Story (2003) and Alejandro González Iñárritu's Babel (2006), respectively.
In 2015, Sakamoto teamed up with Iñárritu to score his film, The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. The film Monster by director Hirokazu Kore-eda, released in 2023, was Sakamoto's final score; the film is dedicated to his memory.
Education
Sakamoto studied at the National University of Fine Arts and Music in Tokyo, where he honed his skills in classical music alongside contemporary techniques and innovative composition. His educational background contributed significantly to his later work, allowing him to fuse traditional and modern elements into his music.
Sakamoto entered the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1970, earning a B.A. in music composition in 1974 and a M.A. in 1976, with special emphasis on both electronic and ethnic music.
He studied ethnomusicology there with the intention of becoming a researcher in the field, due to his interest in various world music traditions, particularly the Japanese, Okinawan, Indian, Indonesian and African musical traditions.
He was also trained in classical music and began experimenting with the electronic music equipment available at the university, including synthesizers such as the Buchla, Moog, and ARP.
