The lyrics to the international hit 'You Raise Me Up', written by two-time Eurovision winner Brendan Graham, have been used for a Japanese spoken-word version of composer Ryuichi Sakamoto's track 'Aqua'.

Released by the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, the new version of 'Aqua' features on a commemorative album released in memory of the renowned Japanese composer, who died in 2023.

Graham was delighted by the news. "You scratch out your song in the garden of a Dublin suburb, almost a quarter of a century ago in May 2001. You hope – but expect nothing. When the unexpected arrives, from far-off Japan and in such company as that of Ryuichi Sakamoto ... it is something beyond," he said.

The piece is narrated as a spoken-word performance by actress Sayuri Yoshinaga, a multiple Japan Academy Prize-winner with a long career in film.

The soundtrack to Yoshinaga's next film Teppen no Mukou ni Anata ga Iru, where she plays the first woman to reach the summit of Everest, will also feature 'You Raise Me Up.'

Sakamoto is widely known in Japan and beyond, particularly for his movie scores: The Last Emperor (Academy Award for Best Original Score), Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, and The Revenant. He has collaborated with many artists including Eric Clapton and David Bowie.

The composer was also a campaigner for changes to music copyright law, which he considered outdated in the internet era. He founded Commmons, a collaborative platform to help aspiring musicians.

The tribute album to Sakamoto, featuring 'Aqua', can be found here.