As a pioneering force in Japanese music since the late-1970s, Ryuichi Sakamoto –
born on January 17, 1952, in Tokyo, Japan - composed soundtracks for Academy
Award-winning films, best-selling video games and the Olympic Games opening
ceremony in Barcelona, while building a body of work that spanned a variety of
genres from experimental, hyperactive synth-pop to graceful, classical melodies.
Raised in Tokyo, he started learning piano at the age of three and played in
jazz bands in high school, before studying at the National University of Fine
Arts and Music and working as a sessi...