Musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto has been diagnosed with throat cancer. The Yellow Magic Orchestra founder has cancelled all of his upcoming appearances as he concentrates on treating the illness and "regaining my health".
"The first wealth is health, and hence this bitter decision," the 62-year-old wrote on his official website. "I would like to apologise for all of the burden I will undoubtedly be casting upon everyone who has been working with me on various other projects ... I promise to return after a full recovery."
Doctors identified the cancer in June, Sakamoto wrote, just weeks before he was due to inaugurate the first annual Sapporo International Art Festival. As guest director, he has been working on the 2014 festival for "the past two painstaking years". "Although I will be absent, all of the programs will be of highest quality - this I promise. I would like nothing more than for everyone to enjoy the festival in my place."
Sakamoto has also been forced to pull out of a concert in Tokyo on 30 July. That show, in honour of the 20th anniversary of the Park Hyatt Tokyo, would have incorporated a purpose-commissioned piece of music titled Timeless. "It deeply upsets me to have to cancel this concert during a time of celebration," Sakamoto wrote. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Sakamoto's managers said their client is "dedicating all his time to treatment".
Beginning with Yellow Magic Orchestra in the late 1970s, Sakamoto has released dozens of albums ranging from synthpop to minimal classical music to re-imagined bossa nova. He has collaborated with artists including Brian Wilson, David Byrne, Aztec Camera and Iggy Pop, and received an Academy Award for scoring 1987's The Last Emperor. In recent decades, Sakamoto has been an important spokesperson for copyright reform and Japan's anti-nuclear movement.
Sakamoto released three albums in 2013, including a collaboration with techno musician Taylor Deupree.
