sakamotocommon Osaka: 1970/2025/Osaka/Ryuichi Sakamoto

One of the world’s most acclaimed music producers and beloved Japanese composers, Ryuichi Sakamoto continues to leave a profound mark on the worlds of art and music even after his passing in 2023. Coinciding with the final stretch of the 2025 Osaka Expo, this sound-focused exhibition offers a compelling look at how the original Osaka Expo in 1970 helped shape Sakamoto’s creative vision.

In 1970, Sakamoto was just 18 when he encountered a diverse array of experimental music and sound art, particularly avant-garde electronic works, at the world’s fair. Composers such as Toru Takemitsu, Yuji Takahashi and Joji Yuasa were among those whose boundary-pushing pieces left a deep and lasting impression on him. 

Decades later, in 2016, Sakamoto revisited these early inspirations by performing and recording the Baschet sound sculptures originally exhibited at Expo ’70. The sounds were later incorporated into his 2017 album async and his final stage work, Time.

As Osaka once again plays host to the Expo this year, the exhibition reflects on a pivotal moment in Sakamoto’s youth, revisiting the creative sparks ignited during the 1970 Expo. The original Baschet sculptures are presented alongside newly commissioned pieces created specifically for Sakamoto by the Baschet Restoration Project Team from Tokyo University of the Arts, and Barcelona-born sound artist Martí Ruiz. These works, complemented by a range of immersive sound installations, form a resonant tribute to Sakamoto’s lifelong exploration of memory and the passage of time through sound.

Note: the exhibition closes earlier on Friday September 19 (at 6pm) and on Saturday September 20 (at 4pm).