Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本 龍一, Sakamoto Ryūichi, January 17, 1952 - March 28, 2023) was a Japanese composer, record producer, and actor who had pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto influenced and pioneered a number of electronic music genres.
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Biography from TMDB.
- January 17, 1952
- March 28, 2023 (aged 71)
- Tokyo, Japan
- Composer and actor
- 43 on MovieCove · 117 credits in all
What are Ryūichi Sakamoto's films like?
Across their 36 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 3 · Earnest 32
A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 10 · Dark 16
Grounded 12 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 12
A split, not a type: Gentle 8 · Charged 11 · Intense 17
Steady 21 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 2
Straight-faced 33 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0
Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 3
Casual 8 · Engaged 20 · Full focus 8
A split, not a type: Easy watch 10 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 18
A split, not a type: Resolved 21 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 10
Roles they play
- Shapeshifteras Captain Yonoi in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)
- Shadowas Amakasu in The Last Emperor (1987)
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet19
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous10
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Ryūichi Sakamoto's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 43 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).
- Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011) · composer · free
- Minamata (2020) · composer · free
- Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) · actor, composer · free
- Tony Takitani (2004) · composer · free
- After Yang (2021) · composer · free
- Proxima (2019) · composer · free
- Femme Fatale (2002) · composer · free
- New Rose Hotel (1998) · actor · free
- Shout! TV, show their 2 titles on Shout! TV
- Strand Releasing, show their 2 titles on Strand Releasing
- BFI Player, show their title on BFI Player
- Cinemax, show their title on Cinemax
- CJ ENM Selects, show their title on CJ ENM Selects
- Dekkoo, show their title on Dekkoo
- Howdy, show their title on Howdy
- Kino Film Collection, show their title on Kino Film Collection
Subscription and free streaming for Ryūichi Sakamoto's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
117 credits, 43 with a MovieCove page; 25 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
A Flower of Forgetfulness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
Zi(2026)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Sons of the Neon Night(2025)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Black Ox (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Ryuichi Sakamoto's Last Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus(2023)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Monster(2023)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Stalingrad - Voices from the Ruins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano 2022 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
exception (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Piano Cinéma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
After Yang(2021)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Love After Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Moskau 1941 - Stimmen am Abgrund (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Beckett(2021)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Brilliant Trees Sessions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Apausalypse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
NHK MUSIC SPECIAL (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Incomplete (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Improvisation for Sonic Cure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
OKINA: Dance of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Adult Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Ryuichi Sakamoto Playing the Piano for the Isolated (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Minamata(2020)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Proxima(2019)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Agniyogana (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Paradise Next (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
The Staggering Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Your Face (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
A Gentle Glow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda(2017)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Fortress(2017)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Fullmoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Star Sand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Haiku On A Plum Tree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
async - first light (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Ryuichi Sakamoto + Alva Noto: The Glass House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Rage(2016)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Thirteen Talks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
The Ferryman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
The Revenant(2015)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Nagasaki: Memories of My Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Ryuichi Sakamoto | Trio Tour 2012 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Nuclear Nation II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Psychedelic Afternoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Yae's Sakura (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
I Have to Buy New Shoes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Future Past Perfect Pt. 02 (Cité Radieuse) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Light Up Nippon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Nuclear Nation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Black Mirror(2011)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Utau Live in Tokyo 2010 - A Project of Taeko Onuki & Ryuichi Sakamoto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Tripitaka Koreana Special ‘Dharma’ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Dhobi Ghat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Women Without Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto with Ensemble Modern: utp_ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Silk(2007)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films100年インタビュー (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Babel(2006)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto: Insen Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Zarin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Tony Takitani(2004)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Appleseed(2004)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The Blonds(2003)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Life Is Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
VisualYMO:the Best (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Miki Nakatani: AIR POCKET (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
My Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Femme Fatale(2002)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Derrida(2002)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Alexei and the Spring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
To the Backstreet: The Films Kenji Nakagami Left Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Miki Nakatani: BROKEN HEART (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Ryuichi Sakamoto Trio World Tour 1996 - Complete Version (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Taboo(1999)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Madonna: The Video Collection 93:99 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
New Rose Hotel(1998)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Snake Eyes(1998)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Jounetsu Tairiku (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Wild Side(1995)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Little Buddha(1993)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Technodon in Tokyo Dome (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Wild Palms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Today's Close-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Wuthering Heights(1992)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Hurrah: Yellow Magic Orchestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Tokyo Decadence(1992)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
High Heels(1991)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Peachboy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
The Sheltering Sky(1990)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Infinite Escher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
The Handmaid's Tale(1990)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
SAKAMOTO PLAYS SAKAMOTO (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
NEO GEO ～1987.7.19 NHKホール～ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
The Last Emperor(1987)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Ryuichi Sakamoto – Media Bahn Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Adelic Penguins(1986)
TV WAR (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
On the Beach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
All Star Video (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
A Human Tube (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Preparations For A Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
YMO JAPAN TOUR at Nippon Budokan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Where the Toys Come From (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
YMO: Winter Live '81 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
It's All Right, My Friend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Career shape
A full career of 116 titles from 1983 to 2026.
Biggest box office
Snake Eyes (1998)
Highest rated
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus (2023)
Most popular right now
Monster (2023)
Film career
- 1983Screen debut· Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
- 1987Oscar win· The Last Emperor
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
Awards
an Oscar, 2 Golden Globes, a BAFTA Award and 2 other major awards from 13 major nominations, 1984–2025.
- Grammy Award, nominated · Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album
- Grammy Award, nominated · Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Original Music
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Score
- Venice award, won · Best Contemporary Actor
- Grammy Award, nominated · Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television
- Golden Globe, won · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Score
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Grammy Award, won · Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television
- Oscar, won · Best Music, Original Score
- Golden Globe, won · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Show 1 earlier yearShow fewer
- BAFTA Award, won · Best Score
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Ryūichi Sakamoto's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of the 41 of 42 with a score; across their 36 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 71st percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up21
- 50th to 74th11
- 25th to 49th10
Shape of the crowd
21 of their 42 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved7
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser21
- Broadly Agreed5
- Mixed8
Reviewers score the sound and music 72/100 in their films, across 29 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Ryūichi Sakamoto's work okay for kids?
Across up to 17 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and profanity run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Ryūichi Sakamoto work with?
People who share at least 2 of Ryūichi Sakamoto's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jeremy Thomas shares the most, 7.
Directors
- Bernardo BertolucciShared titles: Little Buddha (1993), The Sheltering Sky (1990), The Last Emperor (1987)See all 3 shared titles with Bernardo Bertolucci
- Brian De PalmaShared titles: Femme Fatale: An Appreciation (2003), Femme Fatale (2002), Snake Eyes (1998)See all 3 shared titles with Brian De Palma
- Stephen Nomura SchibleShared titles: Ryuichi Sakamoto: async at the Park Avenue Armory (2018), Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Stephen Nomura Schible
- Nagisa ŌshimaShared titles: Taboo (1999), Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)See all 2 shared titles with Nagisa Ōshima
Writers
- Mark PeploeShared titles: Little Buddha (1993), The Sheltering Sky (1990), The Last Emperor (1987)See all 3 shared titles with Mark Peploe
Actors
- Takeshi KitanoShared titles: Taboo (1999), Tokyo melody: un film sur Ryuichi Sakamoto (1985), Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)See all 3 shared titles with Takeshi Kitano
- Eita NagayamaShared titles: Monster (2023), Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011)See all 2 shared titles with Eita Nagayama
- Mitsuki TakahataShared titles: Monster (2023), Rage (2016)See all 2 shared titles with Mitsuki Takahata
- Tadanobu AsanoShared titles: Minamata (2020), Taboo (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Tadanobu Asano
Cinematographers and editors
- Vittorio StoraroShared titles: Little Buddha (1993), The Sheltering Sky (1990), The Last Emperor (1987)See all 3 shared titles with Vittorio Storaro
- Neo SoraShared titles: Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus (2023), Ryuichi Sakamoto: async at the Park Avenue Armory (2018), Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Neo Sora
- Hisayo KushidaShared titles: Ryuichi Sakamoto: async at the Park Avenue Armory (2018), Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Hisayo Kushida
- Tom RichmondShared titles: Ryuichi Sakamoto: async at the Park Avenue Armory (2018), Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Tom Richmond
Producers
- Jeremy ThomasShared titles: Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus (2023), Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011), Taboo (1999), Little Buddha (1993), The Sheltering Sky (1990), The Last Emperor (1987), Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)See all 7 shared titles with Jeremy Thomas
- Eric NyariShared titles: Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus (2023), Ryuichi Sakamoto: async at the Park Avenue Armory (2018), Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Eric Nyari
- Norika Sky-SoraShared titles: Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus (2023), Ryuichi Sakamoto: async at the Park Avenue Armory (2018), Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Norika Sky-Sora
- Tatsumi YodaShared titles: Monster (2023), Silk (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Tatsumi Yoda
Mixed roles
- Tarak Ben AmmarShared titles: Femme Fatale: An Appreciation (2003), Femme Fatale (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Tarak Ben Ammar
- Thierry ArbogastShared titles: Femme Fatale: An Appreciation (2003), Femme Fatale (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Thierry Arbogast
