Ryuichi Sakamoto, the world-renowned musician who passed away at 71, spent his career pursuing broad and varied forms of expression, never constrained by genre or convention.

In 1996, Sakamoto released the album 1996, performed by a trio of piano, cello, and violin — a simple instrumentation yet one that enabled deeply expressive performances. The world tour that followed earned widespread acclaim, and audiences continued to call for its return.

In 2012, Sakamoto revived the trio format in Japan for the first time in sixteen years. He produced the album THREE and embarked on the twelve-show tour Trio Tour 2012, traveling through Japan and Korea. He was joined by cellist Jaques Morelenbaum and violinist Judy Kang, the same musicians who performed on THREE — an unmissable trio.

The tour featured YMO classics alongside signature works such as Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and The Last Emperor. The setlist also included pieces with special meaning for Japan: the charity song Kizuna World and Yae no Sakura, the main theme from the historical drama set in Fukushima. These additions held particular significance as the tour included performances in Tohoku, the region devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

This film fully captures the performance at Akasaka ACT Theater in Tokyo, where tension and intimacy exist in quiet balance. To recreate the atmosphere of the time as faithfully as possible, the sound has been carefully reconstructed for the cinematic environment. Even those who saw the original performance will experience it anew.

Please enjoy the unparalleled world created by these “Three sounds.”