Japan’s Ryuichi Sakamoto, Composer of ‘The Last Emperor’ Score, Dies Aged 71

Composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and member of the jury for the upcoming 68th Berlinale International Film Festival attends a news conference in Berlin on Feb. 15, 2018. Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

TOKYO—Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Oscar-winning Japanese composer famed for his scores for “The Last Emperor,” “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” and other epic films, has died aged 71.

Sakamoto was also known for his acting, and for his work with the pioneering electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) which he co-founded.