1952
Sakamoto is born in Tokyo, Japan.
Sakamoto is born in Tokyo, Japan.
Sakamoto attends the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts. There he began to experiment with electronic music equipment like synths.
Sakamoto graduates with a B.A. in music composition and a M.A. with emphasis on electronic and ethnic music composition.
Sakamoto formed the internationally successful trio, Yellow Magic Orchestra with bandmates Huruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi.
Sakamoto releases his first solo album
"Thousand Knives"
Sakamoto composes his first movie soundtrack for Merry Christmas
Mr. Lawrence.
Sakamoto begins to collaborate with other artists and creating albums with them. In 2001, he teams up with cellist Jaques Morelenbaum and singer Paula Morelenbaum and creates the album Casa which was the first in a series of top selling collaboration albums for Sakamoto.
Sakamoto took a year-long hiatus after he was
diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer.
On January 21, 2021, Sakamoto shared a letter on his website announcing that though his throat cancer had gone into remission, he was now diagnosed with rectal cancer, and that he was currently undergoing treatment after a successful surgery.
Sakamoto died from cancer on March 28, 2023, at the age of 71.