Kyu Sakamoto, born Hisashi Oshima - December 10, 1941 - August 12, 1985 - was a popular Japanese singer and actor. He was born in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture as the youngest among 9 siblings and his parents; Hiroshi Sakamoto and Iku Sakamoto. His most popular song, Ue o muite aruko ("Looking up while walking") known as Sukiyaki in the US, was a hit in Japan and topped the Billboard pop charts in the United States in 1963 -- to date the first and only song sung entirely in Japanese to do so.