A respected Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that composer Mamoru Samuragochi admitted being a fraud and had hired a ghost composer to finish his iconic works.

He cited two reasons for doing so. The first being he was working on a composition for a movie and the second being his ear condition has gotten worse.

NHK news anchor reports. "I started hiring the person to compose music for me around 1996, when I was asked to make movie music for the first time."

"I had to ask the person to help me for more than half of my work because my ear condition got worse."

It was also believed that he paid for the commissions while giving the ideas for his work to the other composer.

"I've been told that there are certain circumstances that make it hard for the person [who composed the works] to come out in public," his lawyer said.

"Samuragochi has therefore come to describe himself as the sole composer."

His solicitor apologised on his behalf, saying that Samuragochi was "deeply sorry as he has betrayed fans and disappointed others".

"He knows he could not possibly make any excuse for what he has done. He is mentally distressed and not in a condition to properly express his own thoughts."

Dubbed the "Japanese Beethoven", He became completely deaf at the age of 35 but continued to work using what he calls his "absolute pitch". In Japan he is most famous for Hiroshima Symphony No 1, which he dedicated to those killed in the 1945 atomic blast.

He also made a huge contribution to the gaming industry for composing the music for several games, most notably Resident Evil and also Onimusha.

In his Samuragochi's promotional website, he composed the music for 1997's Resident Evil: The Director's Cut, called Biohazard in Japan, while hiding "his severe hearing disability and living under harsh condition." In 1999, before making compositions for 2001's Onimusha: Warlords, he completely lost his hearing, he said. "However the piece he composed, Symphony, Rising Sun, was highly acclaimed and was noticed by the public as a masterpiece," according to promotional website.