Native name	/ ''Mǎnzhōuguó'' ''Manshū-koku'' (1932–1934) / ''(Dà) Mǎnzhōu Dìguó'' ''(Dai) Manshū Teikoku'' (1934–1945)
Conventional long name	Manchu State (1932–1934) (Great) Empire of Manchuria (1934–1945)
Common name	Manchukuo
Continent	moved from Category:Asia to East Asia
Region	East Asia
Country	Manchuria
Era	World War II
Status	Puppet state of Japan
Empire	Japan
Government type	Constitutional Monarchy(Puppet state)
Year start	1932
Year end	1945
P1	Republic of China
Flag p1	Flag of the Republic of China.svg
S1	Republic of China
Flag s1	Flag of the Republic of China.svg
Image coat	Emblem_of_the_Emperor_of_Manchukuo.svg
Symbol type	Imperial Seal
Image map caption	Location of Manchukuo (Red) within the Japanese sphere (Pink)
National anthem	National Anthem of Manchukuo (de jure)Kimigayo (de facto)
Capital	Hsinking
Common languages	Japanese (by officials, forced learning), Mandarin Chinese (de facto), Mongolian, Manchu (discouraged)
Religion	Shinto, Buddhism, Taoism
Title leader	Chief Executive / Emperor
Leader1	Pu-Yi (Datong)
Year leader1	1932–1934
Leader2	Pu-Yi (Kāngdé)
Year leader2	1934–1945
Title deputy	Prime Minister
Deputy1	Zheng Xiaoxu
Year deputy1	1932–1935
Deputy2	Zhang Jinghui
Year deputy2	1935–1945
Legislature	Legislative Council
Currency	Manchukuo yuan
Footnotes	}}

Manchukuo (, lit. ''Manchu state'') or Manshū-koku (Japanese: ) was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Dynasty of China. In 1931, the region was seized by Japan following the Mukden Incident and in 1932, a sympathetic government was established, with Puyi, the last Qing emperor, installed as the nominal regent and emperor. Manchukuo's government was abolished in 1945 after the defeat of Imperial Japan at the end of World War II. The territories formally claimed by the puppet state were first seized in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in August 1945, and then formally transferred to Chinese administration in the following year.

Manchus formed a minority in Manchukuo, whose largest ethnic group were Han Chinese. There were also Koreans, Japanese, Mongols, White Russians and less numerous minorities. The Mongol regions of western Manchukuo were ruled under a slightly different system in acknowledgement of the Mongolian traditions there. The southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula was ruled by Japan as the Kwantung Leased Territory.

History

Background

After Manchu tribes conquered China they replaced the Ming Dynasty with the Qing. However, the Manchu emperors did not fully integrate their homeland into China. This legal and, to a degree, ethnic division continued until the Qing dynasty began to fall apart in the 19th century.

As the power of the court in Beijing weakened, many outlying areas either broke free (like Kashgar) or fell under the control of Imperialist powers. In the 19th century, Imperial Russia was most interested in the northern lands of the Qing Empire. In 1858, Russia gained control over a huge tract of land called Outer Manchuria thanks to the Supplementary Treaty of Beijing that ended the Second Opium War. But Russia was not satisfied and, as the Qing Dynasty continued to weaken, they made further efforts to take control of the rest of Manchuria. Inner Manchuria came under strong Russian influence in the 1890s with the building of the Chinese Eastern Railway through Harbin to Vladivostok.

Origins

As a direct result of the Russo-Japanese War (1904/05) Japanese influence replaced Russia's in Inner Manchuria. In 1906, Japan laid the South Manchurian Railway to Port Arthur (Japanese: Ryojun). Between World War I and World War II Manchuria became a political and military battleground between Russia, Japan, and China. Japan moved into Outer Manchuria as a result of the chaos following the Russian Revolution of 1917. A combination of Soviet military successes and American economic pressure forced the Japanese to withdraw from the area, however, and Outer Manchuria returned to Soviet control by 1925.

During the warlord period in China, the warlord Zhang Zuolin established himself in Inner Manchuria with Japanese backing. Later, the Japanese Kwantung Army found him too independent, so he was assassinated in 1928.

After the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, Japanese militarists moved forward to separate the region from Chinese control and to create a Japanese-aligned puppet state. To create an air of legitimacy, the last Emperor of China, Pu-Yi, was invited to come with his followers and act as the head of state for Manchuria. One of his faithful companions was Zheng Xiaoxu, a Qing reformist and loyalist.

On 18 February 1932 the ''Manchu State'' (Manchukuo, Pinyin: ''Mǎnzhōuguó'') was proclaimed and recognized by Japan on 15 September 1932 through the Japan-Manchukuo Protocol. The city of Changchun, renamed Hsingking (Pinyin: Xinjing) (新京, literally "New Capital"), became the capital of the new entity. Chinese in Manchuria organized volunteer armies to oppose the Japanese and the new state required a war lasting several years to appease the country.

The Japanese initially installed Puyi as Head of State in 1932, and two years later he was declared Emperor of Manchukuo with the era name of ''Kangde'' ("Tranquility and Virtue"). Manchukuo thus became the Great Manchurian Empire, sometimes termed Manchutikuo (Pinyin: ''Mǎnzhōu Dìguó''). Zheng Xiaoxu served as Manchukuo's first prime minister until 1935, when Zhang Jinghui succeeded him. Puyi was nothing more than a figurehead and real authority rested in the hands of the Japanese military officials. An imperial palace was particularly built for the emperor. All of the Manchu ministers served as front-men for their Japanese vice-ministers, who made all decisions.

In this manner, Japan formally detached Manchukuo from China in the course of the 1930s. With Japanese investment and rich natural resources, the area became an industrial powerhouse.

In 1935, Manchukuo bought the Chinese Eastern Railway from the Soviet Union.

Diplomatic recognition

China did not recognize Manchukuo but the two countries established official ties for trade, communications and transportation. In 1933, the League of Nations adopted the Lytton Report, declaring that Manchuria remained rightfully part of China, leading Japan to resign its membership. The Manchukuo case persuaded the United States to articulate the so-called Stimson Doctrine, under which international recognition was withheld from changes in the international system created by force of arms.

In spite of the League of Nations' approach, the new state was diplomatically recognised by El Salvador (3 March 1934) and the Dominican Republic (1934), the Soviet Union (de facto 23 March 1935; de jure 13 April 1941), Italy (29 November 1937), Francoist Spain (2 December 1937), Germany (12 May 1938) and Hungary (9 January 1939).

(It is commonly believed that the Holy See established diplomatic relations with Manchukuo in 1934. In fact, the Holy See never did so. This is partly due to the erroneous reference in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1987 film ''The Last Emperor'', that the Holy See diplomatically recognised Manchukuo. Bishop Auguste Ernest Pierre Gaspais was appointed as "representative ''ad tempus'' of the Holy See and of the Catholic missions of Manchukuo to the government of Manchukuo" by the Congregation De Propaganda Fide [a purely religious body responsible for missions] and not by the Secretariat of State responsible for diplomatic relations with states.)

After the outbreak of World War II, the state was recognised by Slovakia (1 June 1940), France (12 July 1940), Romania (1 December 1940), Bulgaria (10 May 1941), Finland (18 July 1941), Denmark (August 1941), Croatia (2 August 1941)—all controlled or influenced by Japan's ally Germany—as well as by the China's Wang Jingwei government (30 November 1940), Thailand (5 August 1941) and the Philippines (1943)—all under Japanese control.

World War II and aftermath

Before World War II, the Japanese colonized Manchukuo and used it as a base from which to invade China. In the summer of 1939 a border dispute between Manchukuo and the Mongolian People's Republic resulted in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. During this battle, a combined Soviet-Mongolian force defeated the Japanese Kwantung Army (''Kantōgun'') supported by limited Manchukuoan forces.

On 8 August 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, in accordance with the agreement at the Yalta Conference, and invaded Manchukuo from outer Manchuria and Outer Mongolia. This was called Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation. During the Soviet offensive the Army of Manchukuo, on paper a 200,000-man force, performed poorly and whole units surrendered to the Soviets without firing a single shot; there were even cases of armed riots and mutinies against the Japanese forces. Emperor Kangde had hoped to escape to Japan to surrender to the Americans, but the Soviets captured him and eventually extradited him to the communist government in China, where the authorities had him imprisoned as a war criminal along with all other captured Manchukuo officials.

From 1945 to 1948, Manchuria (Inner Manchuria) served as a base area for the People's Liberation Army in the Chinese Civil War against the Kuomintang (KMT). With Soviet encouragement, the Chinese Communists used Manchuria as a staging ground until the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. Many Manchukuo army and Japanese Kantogun personnel served with the communist troops during the Chinese Civil War against the Nationalist forces. Most of the 1.5 million Japanese who had been left in Manchukuo at the end of World War II were sent back to their homeland in 1946-1948 by U.S. Navy ships in the operation now known as the Japanese repatriation from Huludao.

Politics

Historians generally consider Manchukuo a puppet state of Imperial Japan because of the Japanese military's strong presence and strict control of the government administration. Chinese historians generally refer to the state as 'Wei Manzhouguo' ('illegal Manchukuo'). Some historians see Manchukuo as an effort at building a glorified Japanese state in mainland Asia that deteriorated due to the pressures of war.

The independence of Manchuria was proclaimed on 18 February 1932, and renamed to Manchukuo. The Japanese military commander appointed Puyi as regent (reign name Datong) for the time being and would become Emperor of Manchukuo but that he could not reign using the title of Emperor of China. Manchukuo was proclaimed a monarchy on 1 March 1934, with Puyi assuming the throne under the reign name of Emperor Kang-de. Puyi was assisted in his executive duties by a Privy Council (), and a General Affairs State Council (). This State Council was the center of political power, and consisted of several cabinet ministers, each assisted by a Japanese vice-minister.

The commanding officer of the Kwantung Army in Manchukuo was additionally Japanese ambassador to Manchukuo. He functioned in a manner similar to that of a British resident officer in British overseas protectorates, with the power to veto decisions by the emperor. The Kwangtung Army leadership placed Japanese vice ministers in his cabinet, while all Chinese advisors gradually resigned or were dismissed.

The Legislative Council () was largely a ceremonial body, existing to rubber-stamp decisions issued by the State Council. The only authorized political party was the government-sponsored Concordia Association, although various émigré groups were permitted their own political associations.

When the Japanese surrender was announced on 15 August 1945, Puyi was "asked" to abdicate, which he did.

+ Manchukuo 1932–1945
! Personal Names	! Period of Reigns	Chinese era name>Era names (年號) and their corresponding range of years
	March 1932 – August 1945	Datong (大同 Dàtóng) 1932–1934Kangde (康德 Kāngdé) 1934–1945

Administrative division of Manchukuo

:''See List of administrative divisions of Manchukuo for a complete list of prefecture-level divisions.''

During its short-lived existence, Manchukuo was divided into between five (in 1932) and 19 (in 1941) provinces, one special ward of Peiman () and two Special cities which were Hsinking () and Harbin (). Each province was divided into between four (Hsingan-tung) and 24 (Fengtien) prefectures. Peiman lasted less than 3 years (1 July 1933 – 1 January 1936) and Harbin was later incorporated into Binkiang province. Lungkiang also existed as a province in the 1932 before being divided into Heiho, Lungkiang and Sankiang in 1934. Antung and Chinchow provinces separated themselves from Fengtien while Binkiang and Chientao from Kirin separated themselves in the same year.

Demographics

right|thumb|250px|Map of ManchukuoIn 1908, the number of residents was 15,834,000, which rose to 30,000,000 in 1931 and 43,000,000 for the Manchukuo state. The population balance remained 123 men to 100 women and the total number in 1941 was 50,000,000.

In early 1934, the total population of Manchukuo was estimated as 30,880,000, with 6.1 persons the average family, and 122 men for each 100 women. These numbers included 29,510,000 Han Chinese, 590,760 Japanese, 680,000 Koreans, and 98,431 of other nationality White Russians, Mongols, etc. Around 80% of the population was rural. Other statistics indicate that in Manchukuo the population rose by 18,000,000.

From Japanese sources come these numbers: in 1940 the total population in Manchukuo of Lungkiang, Jehol, Kirin, Liaoning (Fengtien) and Hsingan provinces at 43,233,954; or an Interior Ministry figure of 31,008,600. Another figure of the period estimated the total population as 36,933,000 residents.

Around the same time the Soviet Union was advocating the Siberian Jewish Autonomous Oblast across the Manchukuo-Soviet border, some Japanese officials investigated a plan (known as the Fugu Plan) to attract Jewish refugees to Manchukuo as part of their colonisation efforts which was never adopted as official policy.

Population of main cities

Yingkow or Yingkou or Newchwang (119,000 or 180,871 in 1940)

Mukden or Shenyang (339,000 or 1,135,801 in 1940)

Hsinking or Changchun (126,000 or 544,202 in 1940)

Harbin (405,000 or 661,948 in 1940)

Dairen or Dalian (400,000 or 555,562 in 1939)

Antung or Dandong (92,000 or 315,242 in 1940)

Kirin or Jilin (119,000 or 173,624 in 1940)

Tsitsihar or Qiqihar (75,000 in 1940)

Japanese population

In 1931–2, there were 100,000 Japanese farmers; other sources mention 590,760 Japanese inhabitants. Other figures for Manchukuo speak of a Japanese population 240,000 strong, later growing to 837,000. In Hsinking, they made up 25% of the population. The Japanese government had official plans projecting the emigration of 5 million Japanese to Manchukuo between 1936 and 1956. Between 1938 and 1942 a batch of young farmers of 200,000 arrived in Manchukuo; joining this group after 1936 were 20,000 complete families. When Japan lost sea and air control of the Yellow Sea, this migration stopped.

When the Red Army invaded Manchukuo, they captured 850,000 Japanese settlers. With the exception of some civil servants and soldiers, these were repatriated to Japan in 1946–7. Many Japanese orphans in China were left behind in the confusion by then Japanese government and were adopted by Chinese families. Many, however, integrated well into Chinese society. In the 1980s Japan began to organise a repatriation programme for them but not all chose to go back to Japan.

Economy

Manchukuo experienced rapid economic growth and progress in its social systems. Its industrial system was among the most advanced making it one of the industrial powerhouses in the region. Manchukuo's steel production exceeded Japan's in the late 1930s. Many Manchurian cities were modernised during Manchukuo era. However, much of the country's economy was often subordinated to Japanese interests and, during the war, raw material flowed into Japan to support the war effort. Traditional lands were taken and redistributed to Japanese farmers with local farmers relocated and forced into collective farming units over smaller areas of land.

See also:

Central Bank of Manchou

Manchukuo yuan

Manshukoku Hikoki Seizo KK

Manshukoku Koku KK

Showa Steel Works

Manchurian Industrial Development Company

Manchukuo Film Association

Manchukuo National Labour Corps

Transport

Manchukuo built an efficient and impressive railway system that still functions well today.

Military

Manchukuo Imperial Army

The Manchukuo Imperial Army was the armed force of Manchukuo.

Manchukuo Police Service

Manchukuo Intelligence Agency

Manchukuo Imperial Guards

The Manchukuo Imperial Guards was the elite unit of the Manchukuo armed forces created in 1933. It was charged with the protection of the Kangde Emperor Puyi, and senior members of the Manchukuo civil government. Its headquarters was in the capital of Hsinking, near the Imperial Palace in the centre of the city.

Manchukuo Imperial Navy

The Manchukuo Imperial Navy (''Manshu Teikoku Kaigun'') was the navy of the Japanese state of Manchukuo. As Manchukuo was a largely land-locked state, the leadership of the Japanese Kwantung Army regarded the development of a navy to have a very low military priority, although it was politically desirable to create at least a nominal force as a symbol of the legitimacy of the new regime.

Manchukuo Imperial Air Force

The Manchukuo Imperial Air Force (''Dai Manshū Teikoku Kūgun'') was established in February 1937, initially with 30 men selected from the Manchukuo Imperial Army and trained at the Japanese Kwantung Army aircraft arsenal in Harbin. The official air force's predecessor was the Manchukuo Air Transport Company (later re-named the Manchukuo National Airways) a paramilitary airline formed in 1931, which undertook transport and reconnaissance missions for the Japanese military.

War crimes in Manchukuo

According to a joint study of historians Zhifen Ju, Mitsuyochi Himeta, Toru Kubo and Mark Peattie, more than 10 million Chinese civilians were mobilized by the Kwangtung Army for slave work in Manchukuo under the supervision of the Kōa-in.

The Chinese slave laborers often suffered illness due to high-intensity manual labor. Some badly ill workers were directly pushed into mass graves in order to avoid the medical expenditure and the world's most serious mine disaster, at Benxihu Colliery, happened in Manchukuo.

Bacteriological weapons were experimented on humans by the infamous unit 731 located near Harbin in Beinyinhe from 1932 to 1936 and to Pingfan until 1945. Victims, mostly Chinese, Russians and Koreans, were subjected to vivisection, sometimes without anesthesia.

Drug trafficking

In 2007, an article by Reiji Yoshida in the ''Japan Times'' argued that the Japanese investments were partly financed by selling drugs. According to the article, a document found by Yoshida shows that the Kōa-in was directly implicated in providing funds to drug dealers in China for the benefit of the puppet governments of Manchukuo, Nanjing and Mongolia. This document corroborates evidence analyzed earlier by the Tokyo tribunal which stated that

Education

Manchukuo developed an efficient public education system. The government established many schools and technical colleges, 12,000 primary schools in Manchukuo, 200 middle schools, 140 normal schools (for preparing teachers), and 50 technical and professional schools. In total the system had 600,000 children and young pupils and 25,000 teachers. Local Chinese children and Japanese children usually attended different schools, and the ones who did attend the same school were segregated by ethnicity, with the Japanese students assigned to better-equipped classes.

Confucius's teachings also played an important role in Manchukuo's public school education. In rural areas, students were trained to practice modern agricultural techniques to improve production. Education focused on practical work training for boys and domestic work for girls, all based on obedience to the "Kingly Way" and stressing loyalty to the Emperor. The regime used numerous festivals, sport events, and ceremonies to foster loyalty of citizens. Eventually, Japanese became the official language in addition to the Chinese language taught in Manchukuo schools.

Stamps and postal history

Manchukuo issued postage stamps from 28 July 1932 until its dissolution following the final defeat of the Japanese Empire in August 1945. The last issue of Manchukuo was on 2 May 1945.

In popular culture

Bernardo Bertolucci's 1987 film, ''The Last Emperor'', presented a controversial portrait of Manchukuo through the memories of Emperor Puyi, during his days as political prisoner in the People's Republic of China.

Haruki Murakami's 1995 novel ''The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'' deals greatly with Manchukuo through the character of Lieutenant Mamiya. Mamiya recalls, in person and in correspondence, his time as an officer in the Kwangtung Army in Manchukuo. While the period covered in these recollections extends for many years, the focus is on the final year of the war and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria.

The 2008 South Korean western ''The Good, the Bad, the Weird'' is set in the desert wilderness of 1930s Manchuria.

Anthem

1933 Anthem

{|border="0" !Traditional Chinese !Pinyin !English translation |- |天地內 有了新滿洲 |Tiān dì nèi, yǒu liǎo xīn mǎnzhōu |(Now) there is the new Manchuria on Earth, |- |新滿洲 便是新天地 |Xīn mǎnzhōu, biàn shì xīn tiān dì |and the new Manchuria is our new land. |- |頂天立地 無苦無憂 造成我國家 |Dǐng tiān lì dì, wú kǔ wú yōu, zào chéng wǒ guójiā |Let us make our country to be upright and free of sadness, |- |只有親愛竝無怨仇 |Zhǐ yǒu qīn'ài bìng wú yuànchóu |with only love and no hate. |- |人民三千萬 人民三千萬 |Rénmín sān qiān wàn, rénmín sān qiān wàn |Thirty million people, thirty million people, |- |縱加十倍也得自由 |Zòng jiā shí bèi yě dé zìyóu |at ten times more we should still be free. |- |重仁義 尚禮讓 使我身修 |Zhòng rényì, shàng lǐràng, shǐ wǒ shēn xiū, |With virtue and ''li'', rectified am I; |- |家已齊 國已治 此外何求? |Jiā yǐ qí, guó yǐ zhì, cǐwài hé qiú? |with family in order and with the state well-ruled, there are nothing I want. |- |近之則與世界同化 |Jìn zhī, zé yǔ shìjiè tónghuà |For now, may we assimilate with the world; |- |遠之則與天地同流 |Yuǎn zhī, zé yǔ tiāndì tóng liú |for the future, may we follow the ways of the Heaven and Earth. |}

1942 Anthem

{|border="0" |- !Traditional Chinese !Pinyin !English translation |- |神光開宇宙 表裏山河壯皇猷 |Shén guāng kāi yǔzhòu, biǎolǐ shānhé zhuàng huáng yóu |With the Universe created in God's Light, the vast land strengthens the Emperor's rule; |- |帝德之隆 巍巍蕩蕩莫與儔 |Dì'dé zhī lóng wēiwēi dàngdàng mò yǔ chóu |So full is His virtue, so wide that it is beyond compare |- |永受天祐兮 萬壽無疆薄海謳 |Yǒng shòu tiān yòu xī, wànshòuwújiāng bó hǎi xú |May He always receive divine guidance, with his years surpassing the sea; |- |仰贊天業兮 輝煌日月侔 |Yǎng zàn tiān yè xī, huīhuáng rì yuè móu |[Let us] worship the divine work, its glory equals the sun and moon. |- !Japanese !Hepburn romanization !English translation |- |大御光　天地に充ち |Ohomi-hikari ametsuchi ni michi |Filling the world with Divine light, |- |帝徳は　隆く　崇し |Teitoku wa takaku totoshi |The Emperor's virtue is noble and worshipped. |- |豊栄の　万寿ことほぎ |Toyosaka no banju kotohogi |Let us salute him with long life and prosperity |- |天つ御業　仰ぎまつらむ |Ametsumiwaza aogimatsuramu |and we revere the Emperor's deeds |}

See also

Battle of Khalkhin Gol

Battle of Lake Khasan

Collaborationist Chinese Army

Evacuation of Manchukuo

History of the Republic of China

Kuomintang

List of East Asian leaders in the Japanese sphere of influence (1931–1945)

Marco Polo Bridge Incident

Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army

Mengkukuo

Mukden Incident

Nomonhan

Soviet invasion of Manchuria

Unit 731

References

Sources

Toshihiko Kishi. "Manchuria's Visual Media Empire (Manshukoku no Visual Media): Posters, Pictorial Post Cards, Postal Stamps", Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 10 June 2010. ISBN 9784642080361

Reginald Fleming Johnston. "Twilight in the Forbidden City". Soul Care Publishing, 18 March 2008. ISBN 978-0-9680459-5-4.

External links

Manchukuo Imperial Army

Manchu Money Museum

Education in Mongolia and Manchukuo

Manchukuo Flags

"On Macro-economic Statistics for Manchukuo" by Yuzo Yamamoto

"Toshiro Matsumoto s research over Manchukuo"

"Vaticano-Manchukuo no sirve de mea culpa" by Gianni Valente

"Manchukuo National Anthem"

JAPAN-MANCHOUKUO PROTOCOL

"References over Manchukuo"

Zionism and the Japanese East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

Japanese references to Mantetsu Railway Company

Mukden Incident photos

* World War II database (1)

* World War II database (2)

Category:1945 disestablishments * Category:Military history of China during World War II Category:Japanese puppet states Category:Short-lived states of World War II Category:Second Sino-Japanese War Manchukuo Category:Former countries in East Asia Category:States and territories established in 1932

ar:مانشوكو zh-min-nan:Boán-chiu-kok bs:Mandžukuo bg:Манджоугуо ca:Manxukuo cs:Mandžukuo da:Manchukuo de:Mandschukuo et:Mandžukuo es:Manchukuo eo:Manĉukuo eu:Mantxukuo fr:Mandchoukouo ko:만주국 hr:Mandžukuo id:Manchukuo os:Маньчжоу-го it:Manciukuò he:מנצ'וקוו hu:Mandzsukuo ms:Manchukuo my:မန်ချူး nl:Mantsjoekwo ja:満州国 no:Mandsjukuo oc:Manchokuò pl:Mandżukuo pt:Manchukuo ro:Manciukuo ru:Маньчжоу-го simple:Manchukuo sl:Mandžukuo fi:Mantšukuo sv:Manchukuo tl:Manchukuo th:ประเทศแมนจู tr:Mançukuo uk:Маньчжурська держава vi:Mãn Châu quốc zh-yue:滿洲國 zh:满洲国

name	Ryuichi Sakamoto坂本龍一
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
born	January 17, 1952Tokyo, Japan
instrument	Keyboard, piano
genre	Classical, Electronic (dance, electro, electronica, house, progressive, techno), Experimental (avant‑garde, rock), J‑pop, New Wave, Soundtrack, Synthpop, World
occupation	Musician, composer, record producer, actor
years active	1977–present
label	Columbia Music Entertainment (1978–1979)Alfa Records (1979–1983)MIDI (1984–1986)Sony Music Entertainment Japan (1986–1987)EMI (1989–1991,1993)For Life Records (1994–1997)Warner Music (1998–2006)commmons (2006–present)A&M; RecordsRestless Records
associated acts	Yellow Magic Orchestra, Akiko Yano, Chris Mosdell, Sandii, Japan, David Sylvian, Kiyoshiro Imawano, Michael Jackson, Mari Iijima, David Bowie, Youssou N'Dour, Madonna, Talvin Singh, Sketch Show }}

is a Japanese musician, composer, record producer, writer, singer, and actor, based in Tokyo and New York. He began his career in 1978 as a member of the pioneering electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), where he played the keyboards and occasionally sang the vocals. The band was an international success, with worldwide hits such as "Computer Game / Firecracker" (1978) and "Behind the Mask" (1978), the latter written and sung by Sakamoto. At around the same time, he began pursuing a solo career in pop music, debuting with an experimental electronic fusion album ''The Thousand Knives of Ryūichi Sakamoto'' (1978), and later released the pioneering electro music album ''B-2 Unit'' (1980), which included the electro classic "Riot in Lagos". After YMO disbanded in 1983, he produced more hit solo records, including collaborations with various international artists, through to the 1990s.

He began acting and film composing with ''Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence'' (1983), which he starred in and composed the score for; the song "Forbidden Colours" which he composed for it became a worldwide hit and he won a BAFTA Award for the film's score. He later won an Academy Award and Grammy Award for scoring ''The Last Emperor'' (1987), and has also won two Golden Globe Awards for his work as a film composer. In addition, he also composed music for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics opening ceremony. In the early 1990s, he briefly reunited with YMO, playing an instrumental role in the techno and acid house movements of the era, before parting ways again shortly afterwards. His 1999 musical composition "Energy Flow", also known as the alternative title of the single disc ''Ura BTTB'', was the first number-one instrumental single in Japan's Oricon charts history. He has also occasionally worked on anime and video games, as a composer as well as a scenario writer. In the late 2000s, he reunited once again with YMO, while continuing to compose film music. In 2009, he was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France's Ministry of Culture for his musical contributions.

Biography

Early years and Yellow Magic Orchestra

Sakamoto entered the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1970, earning a B.A. in music composition and an M.A. with special emphasis on both electronic and ethnic music. He studied ethnomusicology there with the intention of becoming a researcher in the field, due to his interest in various world music traditions, particularly the Japanese (especially Okinawan), Indian and African musical traditions. He was also trained in classical music and began experimenting with the electronic music equipment available at the university, including synthesizers such as the Buchla, Moog, and ARP. One of Sakamoto's classical influences was Claude Debussy, who he described as his "hero" and stated that “Asian music heavily influenced Debussy, and Debussy heavily influenced me. So, the music goes around the world and comes full circle.”

After working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as electropop/technopop, synthpop, cyberpunk music, ambient house, and electronica. The group's work has had a lasting influence across genres ranging from hip hop and techno to acid house and general melodic music.

Sakamoto was the songwriter and composer for a number of the band's hit songs, including "Yellow Magic (Tong Poo)" (1978), "Technopolis" (1979), "Nice Age" (1980), "Ongaku" (1983), and "You've Got to Help Yourself" (1983), while playing the keyboards for many of their other songs, including international hits such as "Computer Game / Firecracker" (1978) and "Rydeen" (1979), and singing in several songs such as "Kimi ni Mune Kyun" (1983). He also wrote "Technopolis" (1979), which contributed to the development of techno, and the international hit "Behind the Mask" (1978), a synthpop song for which he sang the vocals through a vocoder and which would later be covered by a number of international artists, including Michael Jackson and Eric Clapton.

Solo career

Sakamoto released his first solo album in mid-1978, ''Thousand Knives of Ryūichi Sakamoto'', with the help of Hideki Matsutake, who would later be the "fourth member" of Yellow Magic Orchestra, and with the band's founding member Haruomi Hosono also contributing to the song "Thousand Knives". The album experimented with different styles, such as "Thousand Knives" and "The End of Asia" fusing electronic music with traditional Japanese music, while "Grasshoppers" was a more minimalistic piano song. The album was recorded from April to July in 1978 using a variety of electronic equipment, including various synthesizers such as the KORG PS-3100 polyphonic synthesizer, Oberheim Eight-Voice, Moog III-C, Polymoog, Minimoog, and Micromoog, as well as the Korg VC-10 vocoder, KORG SQ-10 analog sequencer, and Syn-Drums electronic drum kit. It was also the earliest known record to utilize the microprocessor-based Roland MC-8 Microcomposer music sequencer, which was programmed by Matsutake. Sakamoto would later remix his song "Thousand Knives" using the Roland TR-808 drum machine as "1000 Knives" for his band's album ''BGM'' (1981). His song "Grasshoppers" would also later be sampled in Ghostface Killah's "Baby" (2009).

In 1980, he released the solo album ''B-2 Unit'', which is considered to be his "edgiest" record. It is known for the electronic classic "Riot in Lagos", which is considered an early example of electro music (electro-funk), for having anticipated the beats and sounds of electro. Ryuichi Sakamoto, particularly his song "Riot in Lagos", had an influence on early electo and hip hop artists such as Afrika Bambaata, and was cited by Kurtis Mantronik as a major influence on his electro hip hop group Mantronix. The song was later included in Playgroup's compilation album ''Kings of Electro'' (2007), alongside later electro classics such as Hashim's "Al-Nafyish" (1983). According to ''Dusted Magazine'', Sakamoto's use of squelching bounce sounds and mechanical beats was later incorporated in early electro and hip hop music productions such as “Message II (Survival)” (1982) by Melle Mel and Duke Bootee, “Magic’s Wand” (1982) by Whodini and Thomas Dolby, Twilight 22’s “Electric Kingdom” (1983), and Kurt Mantronik's ''Mantronix: The Album'' (1985). The 1980 release of "Riot in Lagos" was listed by ''The Guardian'' in 2011 as one of the 50 key events in the history of dance music.

Also in 1980, Sakamoto released the single "War Head / Lexington Queen", an experimental synthpop and electro record. That same year, Sakamoto began a long-standing collaboration with David Sylvian when he co-wrote and performed on the Japan track "Taking Islands In Africa". In 1982, Sakamoto worked on another collaboration with Sylvian, a single entitled "Bamboo Houses/Bamboo Music". That same year, his collaboration with Kiyoshiro Imawano, "Ikenai Rouge Magic", topped the Oricon singles chart. In 1983, he produced Mari Iijima's debut album ''Rose''.

Following the disbanding of Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1983, Sakamoto released a number of solo albums during the 1980s. While primarily focused on the piano and synthesizer, this series of albums boasted a roster of collaborators that included David Sylvian, David Byrne, Thomas Dolby, Nam June Paik, and Iggy Pop, among others. Sakamoto would alternate between exploring a variety of musical styles, ideas, and genres – captured most notably in his groundbreaking 1983 album ''Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia'' – and focusing on a specific subject or theme, such as the Italian Futurism movement in ''Futurista'' (1986). At times, Sakamoto would also present varying interpretations of technology's intersection with music: He would present some pieces, such as "Replica", with Kraftwerkian rigidity and order, while he would infuse humanity and humor into others – "Broadway Boogie Woogie", for example, liberally lifts samples from Ridley Scott's film ''Blade Runner'' and pairs them with a raucous, sax-driven techno-pop backdrop.

As his solo career began to extend outside Japan in the late 1980s, Sakamoto's explorations, influences, and collaborators followed suit. ''Beauty'' (1989) boasted a tracklist that combined pop and traditional Japanese and Okinawan songs, yet featured guest appearances by Jill Jones, Brian Wilson, and Robbie Robertson. ''Heartbeat'' (1991) and ''Sweet Revenge'' (1994), meanwhile, looked to international horizons and worked with a global range of artists such as Roddy Frame, Dee Dee Brave, Marco Prince, Arto Lindsay, Youssou N'Dour, David Sylvian, and Ingrid Chavez. 1996 saw the appearance of two notable albums: ''Smoochy'', which fused pop and electronica with bossa nova and other South American forms, and ''1996'', which featured a number of previously released pieces arranged for solo piano, accompanied with violin and cello.

Following ''1996'', Sakamoto simultaneously delved into the classical and "post-techno" genres with ''Discord'' (1998), an hour-long orchestral work in four parts. Here he evoked the melodic qualities of his film score work, imbued with the influence of 20th century classical composers and spoken word. The Sony Classical release also featured an interactive CD-ROM component and website that complemented the work. Shortly thereafter, the Ninja Tune record label released a series of remixes of various sections, produced by a number of prominent electronica artists, including Amon Tobin, Talvin Singh and DJ Spooky.

The next album, ''BTTB'' (1998) – an acronym for "Back to the Basics" – was a fairly opaque reaction to the prior year's multilayered, lushly orchestrated ''Discord''. The album comprised a series of original pieces on solo piano, including "Energy Flow" (a major hit in Japan) and a frenetic, four-hand arrangement of the Yellow Magic Orchestra classic "Tong Poo." On the ''BTTB'' U.S. tour, he opened the show performing a brief avant-garde DJ set under the stage name DJ Lovegroove.

1999 saw the long-awaited release of Sakamoto's "opera" ''LIFE''. It premiered with seven sold-out performances in Tokyo and Osaka. This ambitious multi-genre multi-media project featured contributions by over 100 performers, including Pina Bausch, Bernardo Bertolucci, Josep Carreras, His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Salman Rushdie.

Sakamoto later teamed with cellist Jaques Morelenbaum (a member of his ''1996'' trio), and Morelenbaum's wife, Paula, on a pair of albums celebrating the work of bossa nova pioneer Antonio Carlos Jobim. They recorded their first album, ''Casa'' (2001), mostly in Jobim's home studio in Rio de Janeiro, with Sakamoto performing on the late Jobim's grand piano. The album was well received, having been included in the list of New York Times's top albums of 2002.

Sakamoto collaborated with Alva Noto (an alias of Carsten Nicolai) to release ''Vrioon'', an album of Sakamoto's piano clusters treated by Nicolai's unique style of digital manipulation, involving the creation of "micro-loops" and minimal percussion. The two produced this work by passing the pieces back and forth until both were satisfied with the result. This debut, released on German label Raster-Noton, was voted record of the year 2004 in the electronica category by British magazine The Wire. They later released ''Insen'' (2005) – while produced in a similar manner to Vrioon, this album is somewhat more restrained and minimalist.

Meanwhile, Sakamoto continues to craft music to suit any context: In 2005, Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia hired Sakamoto to compose ring and alert tones for their high-end phone, the Nokia 8800. A recent reunion with YMO pals Hosono and Takahashi also caused a stir in the Japanese press. They released a single "Rescue" in 2007 and a DVD "HAS/YMO" in 2008. Sakamoto's latest album, ''Out Of Noise'', was released on March 4, 2009 in Japan. In July 2009 Sakamoto was honored as Officier of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres at the French Embassy in Tokyo.

Film composer and actor

Moviegoers may recognize Sakamoto primarily through his score work on two films: Nagisa Oshima's ''Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence'' (1983), including the title theme and the duet "Forbidden Colours" with David Sylvian, and Bernardo Bertolucci's ''The Last Emperor'' (1987), the latter of which earned him the Academy Award with fellow composers David Byrne and Cong Su. In that same year he composed the score to the cult-classic anime film ''Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise''.

Frequent collaborator David Sylvian contributed lead vocals to "Forbidden Colours" – the main theme to ''Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence'' – which became a minor hit. Sixteen years later, the piece resurfaced as a popular dance track called "Heart of Asia" (by the group Watergate).

Other films scored by Sakamoto include Pedro Almodóvar's ''Tacones lejanos (High Heels)'' (1991), Bertolucci's ''The Little Buddha'' (1993), Oliver Stone's ''Wild Palms'' (1993), John Maybury's ''Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon'' (1998), Brian De Palma's ''Snake Eyes'' (1998) and ''Femme Fatale'' (2002), Oshima's ''Gohatto'' (1999), and Kiran Rao's ''Dhobi Ghat'' (2011). He also composed the score of the opening ceremony for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, telecast live to an audience of over a billion viewers.

Several tracks from Sakamoto's earlier solo albums have also appeared in film soundtracks. In particular, variations of "Chinsagu No Hana" (from ''Beauty'') and "Bibo No Aozora" (from ''1996'') provide the poignant closing pieces for Sue Brooks's ''Japanese Story'' (2003) and Alejandro González Iñárritu's ''Babel'' (2006), respectively.

Sakamoto has also acted in several films: perhaps his most notable performance was as the conflicted Captain Yonoi in ''Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence'', alongside Takeshi Kitano and British rock singer David Bowie. He also played roles in ''The Last Emperor'' ( as Masahiko Amakasu) and Madonna's "Rain" music video.

Personal life

Sakamoto has been married twice. His first marriage took place in 1972 but ended in divorce two years later. Sakamoto has a daughter from this relationship. Sakamoto then married popular Japanese pianist and singer Akiko Yano in 1982, having collaborated with her on some of her recordings. Yano was also a regular touring member of Yellow Magic Orchestra. They finally divorced in August 2006, 14 years after a mutual decision to live separately. They had one daughter, J-pop singer Miu Sakamoto.

In 1998, Italian ethnomusicologist Massimo Milano published ''Ryuichi Sakamoto. Conversazioni'', a collection of essays and conversations.

He is also known as a critic of copyright law, arguing that it is antiquated in the information age. He argued that in "the last 100 years, only a few organisations have dominated the music world and ripped off both fans and creators" and that "with the internet we are going back to having tribal attitudes towards music." He is a member of anti-nuclear organization Stop Rokkasho and demand the abolition of Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant.

Awards

Ryuichi Sakamoto has won a number of awards for his work as a film composer, beginning with his score for ''Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence'' (1983) winning him the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music. His greatest award success was for scoring ''The Last Emperor'' (1987), which won him the Academy Award for Best Original Score, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, and Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, as well as a BAFTA nomination.

His score for ''The Sheltering Sky'' (1990) later won him his second Golden Globe Award, and his score for ''Little Buddha'' (1993) received another Grammy Award nomination. In 1997, his collaboration with Toshio Iwai, ''Music Plays Images X Images Play Music'', was awarded the Golden Nica, the grand prize of the Prix Ars Electronica competition. He also contributed to the Academy Award winning soundtrack for ''Babel'' (2006) with several pieces of music, including the "Bibo no Aozora" closing theme. In 2009, he was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France's Ministry of Culture for his musical contributions.

The music video for "Risky", written and directed by Meiert Avis, also won the first ever MTV "Breakthrough Video Award". The ground breaking video explores transhumanist philosopher FM-2030's (Persian: فریدون اسفندیاری) ideas of "Nostalgia for the Future", in the form of an imagined love affair between a robot and one of Man Ray's models in Paris in the late 1930s. Additional inspiration was drawn from Jean Baudrillard, Edvard Munch's 1894 painting "Puberty", and Roland Barthes "Death of the Author". The surrealist black and white video uses stop motion, light painting, and other retro in-camera effects techniques. Meiert Avis shot Sakamoto while at work on the score for "The Last Emperor" in London. Sakamoto also appears in the video painting words and messages to an open shutter camera. Iggy Pop, who performs the vocals on "Risky", chose not to appear in the video, allowing his performance space to be occupied by the surrealist era robot.

Selected discography

Original studio albums

Several albums exist in 2 versions, the original Japanese version and the international version, each having differences in tracklistings.

''Thousand Knives'' (1978)

''Tokyo Joe'' (1978, with Kazumi Watanabe, more a compilation than a proper album, featuring an odd mix of tracks from ''Thousand Knives'' and from the eponymous album by Watanabe's short lived Kylyn band)

''Summer Nerves'' (1979, with The Kakutogi Session)

''B2-Unit'' (1980)

''Left-Handed Dream'' (1981) (Tracklistings differ between Japanese and international issues)

''The Arrangement'' (1981, with Robin Scott) (originally released as an EP, later expended into a full album containing the complete sessions)

''The End of Asia'' (1982, with Danceries)

''Ongakuzukan'' (1984) with the single ''Replica'' (the international release from 1986 is titled ''Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia'', and has a different tracklisting)

''Esperanto'' (1985)

''Futurista'' (1986)

''Coda'' (1986)

''Neo Geo'' (1987)

''Playing the Orchestra'' (1989)

''Undo #1'' (1989)

''Beauty'' (1989)

''Heartbeat'' (1991)

''Benedict Beauty'' (1992)

''Soundbytes'' (1994, compilation of tracks recorded 1981–1986)

''Sweet Revenge'' (1994)

''Smoochy'' (1995)

''1996'' (1996)

''Discord'' (1997)

''BTTB'' (1999)

''Cinemage'' (1999)

''Intimate'' (1999, with Keizo Inoue)

''L I F E'' (2000)

''In The Lobby''

''Comica'' (2002)

''Elephantism'' (2002)

''Moto.tronic'' (2003, Compilation of tracks recorded between 1983 & 2003)

''Love'' (2003)

''Chasm'' (2004)

''/04'' (2004)

''/05'' (2005)

''Cantus omnibus unus; for mixed or equal choir'' (2005)

''Bricolages'' (2006)

''Out of Noise'' (2009)

''Playing the Piano'' (2009)

Original soundtracks and event scores

''Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence'' (1983)

''Works I – CM'' (released in 2002, featuring commissioned works from 1981–1984)

''Koneko Monogatari (A Kitten's Story)'' (1986)

''Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise'' (''Ôritsu uchûgun Oneamisu no tsubasa'') (1987)

''The Last Emperor'' (1987) (Won Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA)

''Fantasy of Light and Life'' (1989)

''Black Rain'' (1989) – featuring his song "Laserman"

''Tengai Makyo Ziria'' (1989) – video game

''The Sheltering Sky'' (1990)

''The Handmaid's Tale (1990)

''Peachboy (Momotaro)''

''High Heels'' (1992)

''Wuthering Heights'' (1992)

"El Mar Mediterrani" (composition for Barcelona Olympics opening ceremony) (1992)

''Topazu / Tokyo Decadence'' (1992)

''Wild Palms'' (1993)

''Little Buddha'' (1993)

''Music for Yohji Yamamoto Collection 1995''

''Stalker'' (1997)

''Snake Eyes'' (1998)

''Love is the devil'' (1998)

DreamCast (1998) – start-up sound for video game console

''Gohatto'' (1999)

''Poppoya ''(Main theme) (1999)''

''L.O.L.: Lack of Love'' – Dreamcast video game (2000), for which he was also the scenario writer

''Zero Landmine'' (2001)

''Minha Vida Como Un Filme'' (2002)

''Femme Fatale'' (2002)

''Century Of Reform'' (2002)

''Derrida'' (2002)

''Japanese Story'' (2003) – featuring "Chinsagu No Hana" (from ''Beauty'')

''Seven Samurai 20XX'' – PlayStation 2 video game (2004)

''Shining Boy & Little Randy'' (2005)

''Tony Takitani'' (2005)

''Babel'' (2006) – featuring "Bibo No Aozora" (from ''1996'')

''Dawn of Mana'' (2006) – PlayStation 2 video game

''Silk'' (2007)

''Indigo'' (Short-Film) (2008)

''Dhobi Ghat'' (India) (2011)

With Morelenbaum² (Paula Morelenbaum and Jaques Morelenbaum)

''Casa'' (2001)

''A Day in New York'' (2003)

With Carsten Nicolai, as alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto

''Vrioon'' (CD, 2002)

''Insen'' (CD, 2005)

''Revep'' (CD EP, 2006)

''Insen Live'' (DVD, 2006)

''Utp_'' (CD+DVD, 2008, with Ensemble Modern)

''Summvs'' (CD, 2011)

With Fennesz

''Sala Santa Cecilia'' (2005, live EP)

''Cendre'' (2007)

Other collaborations

Geisha Girls

Japan: ''Gentlemen Take Polaroids'' (1980, features Ryuichi Sakamoto as co-writer of the track ''Taking Islands In Africa'')

Mari Iijima: ''Rose'' (1983, produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto)

David Sylvian: ''Brilliant Trees'' (1984, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on piano/synthesizers on 3 tracks)

David Sylvian: ''Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities'' (1985, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on piano and strings on 1 track)

Thomas Dolby: ''Fieldwork'' (1985, written by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Thomas Dolby, featuring Thomas Dolby on vocals)

David Sylvian: ''Secrets of the Beehive'' (1987, featuring Ryuichi Sakamoto on all 10 tracks)

David van Tieghem: ''Safety in Numbers'' (1989, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on keyboards on 2 tracks)

Hector Zazou: ''Sahara Blue'' (1992, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on piano on 4 tracks)

Hector Zazou: ''Strong Currents'' (2003, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on piano)

Aztec Camera: ''Dreamland'' (1993, produced with Roddy Frame)

Holly Johnson: ''Love And Hate'' (1994), features Johnson on vocals

Arto Lindsay: ''O Corpo Sutil'' (1996, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on 4 tracks)

Red Hot + Rio, produced by the Red Hot Organization: ''É Preciso Perdoar'' (1996, Ryuichi Sakamoto performs keyboards for the duet sang by Cesária Évora and Caetano Veloso)

David Sylvian: ''Dead Bees on a Cake'' (1999, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on 7 tracks)

David Sylvian: ''Everything and Nothing'' (2000, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on 9 tracks)

Senor Coconut: ''Yellow Fever!'' (2006, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on 1 track)

Willits + Sakamoto: ''Ocean Fire'' (2007, with Christopher Willits)

Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses: ''Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses'' (features Ryuichi Sakamoto on piano and backing vocals)

Rodrigo Leão: "Cinema" (features Ryuichi Sakamoto on 1 track)

Commmons

In 2006, Sakamoto, with avex Group's help, founded , a record label promising change in the way music should be. For him, Commmons is not his label, but is a platform for all aspiring artists to join as equal collaborators and share for benefits of the music industry. The word Commmons has three M's because the 3rd M stands for music.

See also

Yellow Magic Orchestra

Stop Rokkasho

This Is The One

Avex Group

*Commmons

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

References

External links

The official Ryūichi Sakamoto web site

Commmons – Sakamoto's record label

Raster-Noton site

Fan Website

Ustream – Live Channel for RYUICHI SAKAMOTO NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2010

Classical Archives Interview

Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:People from Tokyo Category:Japanese composers Category:Japanese film score composers Category:Japanese dance musicians Category:Japanese electronic musicians Category:Japanese record producers Category:Japanese anti–nuclear power activists Category:Anime composers Category:Electro musicians Category:House musicians Category:Techno musicians Category:Video game musicians Category:Intellectual property activism Category:20th-century classical composers Category:21st-century classical composers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners Category:Tokyo University of the Arts alumni Category:Japanese keyboardists Category:Avex Group

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