My first complete read of 2024 was Ryuichi Sakamoto’s autobiography, ‘How Many More Full Moons Will I Witness?’
I’d picked up this book a few times before, only to set it down after reading a little. Maybe it was the thought of a musician from my era no longer being around. I lingered at the start of the book, read half on the last day of ’23, and today, while playing his ‘Hibari’ on repeat, I finished the rest. It’s not a thrilling read, but then again, no autobiography truly is. 📚
In life, he was that idol-like musician who gifted us ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’ on a chilly winter night, and ‘Rain’ when the downpour outside left us doing nothing but staring out. Embarrassingly, that was the extent of my memories of Ryuichi Sakamoto. Yet, through this book, I learned he was a boundary-defying, creative artist and a passionate social activist who spoke his mind. And this passion lasted right until his final days. ✨
There’s a well-known anecdote about him disliking the music at his favorite spot, Kajitsu Restaurant, so he curated a playlist over three hours long. It perfectly reflects his philosophy of cherishing the essence over money or fame. Exploring the various tracks mentioned in the book was an absolute joy. (After all, how many authors give you a BGM to listen to while you read?) 🎶
At the book’s end, there’s an epilogue by Masafumi Suzuki, who interviewed Ryuichi Sakamoto for this book. While I tried to remain composed reading the main text, this part broke my heart. 💔
R.I.P.
Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952~2023)
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