World-renowned Japanese new-age pianist and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto has passed away at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer.

According to Japanese media, Sakamoto died on March 28th in a hospital in Tokyo. His management company, KAB, announced that even while receiving treatment for his cancer, Sakamoto continued to create music on days when he felt well. "He was with music until his last moments," the statement read.

Born in Tokyo in 1952, Sakamoto began his career as a studio musician while studying at the Tokyo University of the Arts. He made his debut in 1978 with the release of "Thousand Knives" and later gained fame as a member of the Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO).

After the band's disbandment in 1983, Sakamoto branched out into various fields, notably entering the world of film scores with "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence." His work in this area garnered significant success, including a British Academy Award for the aforementioned film and an Academy Award and Grammy for his score for "The Last Emperor" (1986).

Sakamoto continued to dominate the film music industry, earning Golden Globe and British Academy Awards for his work on "Sheltering Sky" (1990) and "Little Buddha" (1993). His battle with cancer began in 2014, but he did not let it slow him down. His comeback project, "The Revenant" (2015), saw him nominated for a Golden Globe and a Grammy.

In 2021, Sakamoto revealed his cancer had metastasized to his colon and underwent surgery. Despite this setback, his passion for music remained strong. On December 11th of last year, Sakamoto held an online piano recital, "Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano 2022," where he performed 13 songs, including the soundtrack of "The Last Emperor." The recital was streamed in over 20 countries, including South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, and received explosive popularity.

Sakamoto also continued to work on albums, releasing his latest original album, "12," on January 17th, which happened to be his 71st birthday. The album was a compilation of 12 music sketches created during his ongoing battle with cancer.

Tributes have poured in from around the world, including from South Korean musicians and fans. BTS's Suga expressed his condolences on the global community platform Weverse, writing, "I wish you a peaceful journey, Teacher." Sakamoto mentioned his meeting with Suga in a cancer battle essay, remembering him as "a serious young man about music."

Sakamoto's work will continue to be released posthumously, with a documentary containing footage from his online concert last year set to premiere on April 14th. Additionally, Sakamoto composed the score for Hirokazu Kore-eda's new film, "Kaiju," which is scheduled for release in Japan in June.