Famed Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto mourned across the world

Sakamoto, who died on March 28 at the age of 71, led a multifaceted career in which he played keyboard for the legendary electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra and won an Oscar and Grammy for scoring the 1987 movie «The Last Emperor.»

Haruomi Hosono, 75, the last surviving member of the futuristic techno-pop band YMO, posted a wordless, gray image to his Instagram account, with fans in the comments writing of their grief. The response was similar to a tweet by Sakamoto when the other member of the trio, Yukihiro Takahashi, died aged 70 in January this year.

Hosono later wrote on his account, «The news always comes unexpectedly. I have no words.»

Comedian, film director and actor Takeshi Kitano, who appeared with Sakamoto in the 1983 World War II film «Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,» said that key members in the film had all passed away, referring to co-starring British musician David Bowie and Japanese director Nagisa Oshima.

«After all of my friends passed away, I'm the only one left in 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,'» 76-year-old Kitano said in a statement.

Sakamoto's frequent collaborator David Sylvian, who fronted British New Romantic band Japan and worked with him on projects including «Forbidden Colours,» a song in the film, uploaded three posts to Instagram in tribute to Sakamoto.

Among them was a blank image with the closing lines to American poet Jack Gilbert's poem «Failing and Flying,» quoting, «I believe Icarus was not failing as he fell, but just coming to the end of his triumph.»

Contemporary stars also paid tribute to Sakamoto, with Suga from K-pop boy band BTS writing to fans that he is «praying that his long journey will be peaceful.»

Sakamoto revealed in June 2022 that he was battling stage IV cancer, and previously went public about his throat cancer diagnosis in 2014 and a rectal cancer diagnosis in 2021