Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, known for scoring films like The Last Emperor and The Revenant, has passed away at the age of 71. The news was confirmed by his family members, who took to his social media handles to inform the public. The composer won the Oscar award for best original score for his work in The Last Emperor.

According to reports, he was suffering from cancer for more than seven years, which ultimately led to his death. He went public with his throat cancer diagnosis in 2014. While that was effectively treated, he was again diagnosed with rectal cancer. Keeping his fans informed about his health through the years, he went on to play his final show in 2022.

Eventhough he was a classically trained musician, he later gravitated towards electronic music, pioneering a genre known as City Pop. He was part of the Japanese electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra. The composer also went on to star in the 1983 war drama Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. 

Sakamoto is also known for films like Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise, The Sheltering Sky, Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, and Little Buddha.