Resident Evil, Onimusha composer revealed as fraud

Resident Evil and Onimusha composer Mamoru Samuragochi has admitted that for the past 10 years someone else wrote his arrangements, including what is considered his pinnacle achievement, a piece titled "Hiroshima Symphony" dedicated to the lives lost during the 1945 atomic explosion.

The news comes by way of Samuragochi's lawyer to Japan Times, who said Samuragochi "deeply regrets" actions he called "totally inexcusable." It has also been revealed that Samuragochi did not write a piece called "Sonatina for Violin," which will be featured at the Winter Olympics this months.

Samuragochi is deaf and is dubbed a "modern Beethoven" by Japanese media because of the hearing impairment condition he shares with the famous German composer. The 50-year-old composed the music for 1997's Resident Evil: The Director's Cut and later worked on 2001's Onimusha: Warlords.

He comes forward to admit his actions after Japanese public broadcaster NHK aired a documentary featuring Samuragochi touring the tsunami-affected Tohuku region of Japan, meeting with survivors and shown composing a requiem for a little girl who lost her mother. NHK has since come forward to offer an apology for airing the documentary.

Samuragochi's music label will stop shipping his CDs and selling his work online immediately and a tour featuring his music is now in question.