Kyu Sakamoto

Kyu Sakamoto was a Japanese singer and actor who rose to fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He started his career as a member of the pop group The Drifters, but soon left to pursue a solo career. He became a national star in Japan with his songs such as "Kanashimi no Lucky Star" and "Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o". He also appeared in several movies and TV shows, such as "Take-chan no Senaka" and "Kyu-chan no Dekkai Yume". He achieved international fame with his song "Ue o Muite Arukō", which was released in 1961 in Japan and in 1963 in the United States under the title "Sukiyaki". The song was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies worldwide. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1963, making Sakamoto the first Asian recording artist to have a number one song in the US. He was also the first Japanese artist to have a number one single on the Australian singles chart. He continued to record and perform until his tragic death in 1985. He was one of the 520 victims of the Japan Airlines Flight 123 crash, the deadliest single-aircraft accident in aviation history. He was 43 years old. He left behind his wife, Yukiko Kashiwagi, and two daughters, Hanako and Maiko. He was buried at the Chokoku Temple in Tokyo. His songs remain popular and influential in Japan and abroad. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful and beloved Japanese singers of all time.