Kyu Sakamoto was a Japanese singer and actor, best known outside Japan for his international hit song "Ue o Muite Aruk '" (known as "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets), which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number one in the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963, making Sakamoto the first Asian recording artist to have a number one song on the chart. On August 12, 1985, the crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123 became the deadliest single-aircraft accident in history, on which 520 people (including Sakamoto) were killed.
