Photo/Illutration Ryuichi Sakamoto with members of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra in Fukushima in 2019 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Ryuichi Sakamoto did not shy away from speaking out against things he considered unacceptable as he monitored the absurdities of society.

He also did not hesitate to act as a citizen to correct injustices. 

He willingly offered a helping hand to whoever was suffering and committed himself to long-term support for such people. Sakamoto’s life was marked by dedicated efforts to improve the fate of humanity.

Sakamoto died at the end of March. In the 1970s, he sprang to international fame as a member of the pioneering techno-pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO).

Since the 1980s onward, he cemented his reputation as a prominent composer by scoring the films “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” and “The Last Emperor.”

The news about his premature death at 71, after years of battling cancer, quickly spread around the world. Western, Chinese and South Korean media described him as a Japanese citizen known globally and praised his works that connect both Eastern and Western arts. 

Comments mourning his death and paying tribute to his memory still continue appearing in social media. His original music transcended borders, which underscores how he lived a life as the “world citizen” he tried hard to be.

Also to be remembered is Sakamoto’s role in Japan’s sphere of public debate.

“Thinking about politics and society has nothing to do with positions or statuses,” he said in speaking about his philosophy. “That is something every living person does and should be accepted as a matter of course in Japan as well.”

In Japan, a society that tends to be critical of celebrities making political remarks, Sakamoto was a unique and precious artist who, despite being aware of his established reputation, continued seeing things from the viewpoint of an ordinary citizen and sending out messages about the importance of dialogue based on free speech involving all people.

In 2001, after he moved to the United States, Sakamoto saw firsthand the Sept. 11 terror attacks. He called on the United States not to go to war, arguing that retaliation would only generate more hatred.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in 2011, Sakamoto confronted the threat posed by a nuclear accident and called for the top priority to be placed on protecting life.

In 2020, when it was ensured that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons would enter into force, Sakamoto celebrated what he called “a historic achievement.”

He expressed “sadness and indignation” about Japan’s decision not to join the treaty despite being the only country that has ever suffered nuclear attacks in a war.

Sakamoto also continued down-to-earth social activities. He formed the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, composed of children in the Tohoku region, and acted as the director for the orchestra for about 10 years.

Two days before his death, Sakamoto watched the live broadcast of the orchestra’s performance from his sick bed.

Sakamoto tried to be “a canary in a coal mine” that serves as an early warning about a crisis in the making. His attitude echoed the vision of the “amateur intellectual” advocated by the writer Kenzaburo Oe, who died shortly before Sakamoto.

Oe’s amateur intellectuals are people who are concerned about society and willing to step out of their fields of expertise as they think and work together with others.

Last year, Sakamoto composed a piece of music with a violinist from Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia. It was performed on a battlefield.

It is difficult to create and enjoy music as usual without peace. Cultures and the arts are fragile.

Sakamoto thought that was why it was so important to protect people’s lives and livelihoods so that cultures and the arts can be passed along to future generations. We all should share his thoughts about peace and music.

--The Asahi Shimbun, April 6

Related News