Kōichi Morita (森田 公一, Morita Kōichi) (born February 25, 1940), is a Japanese composer and singer who launched his…Kōichi Morita (森田 公一, Morita Kōichi) (born February 25, 1940), is a Japanese composer and singer who launched his recording career in the late 1960s and had gained huge commercial success during the 1970s. He often teamed up with lyricist Yū Aku and orchestrator Junichi Makaino, and became the top-10 hit on the Japanese Oricon chart. Seven of his compositions has been topped on the Japanese hit parade, including "Hitori ja Nai no" by Mari Amachi, "Chiisana Koi no Monogatari" by Agnes Chan, and "Hajimete no Dekigoto" by Junko Sakurada. His most successful song is "Seishun Jidai" released in 1976, his sole hit as a performer, which has sold more than a million copies. His 2-disc 40th anniversary compilation album, "Golden☆Best Kōichi Morita" (GOLDEN☆BEST 森田公一) will be released on January 20, 2010, featuring the songs he has written and composed for other artists, such as Eigo Kawashima, Akiko Wada, Candies and Mari Amachi, as well as his own single, Seishun Jidai.
Masaru Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 勝, Hepburn: Satō Masaru; May 29, 1928 – December 5, 1999) (sometimes transliterated Satoh)…Masaru Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 勝, Hepburn: Satō Masaru; May 29, 1928 – December 5, 1999) (sometimes transliterated Satoh) was a Japanese composer of film scores. Following the 1955 death of Fumio Hayasaka, whom Sato studied under, Sato was the composer of Akira Kurosawa's films for the next 10 years. He was nominated for Best Music at the 15th Japan Academy Prize in 1992. In 1999, the Japanese government decorated Sato with the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette for his contributions to the arts.
Susumu Fujita (藤田 進, Fujita Susumu; 8 January 1912 – 23 March 1991) was a Japanese film and television actor. He played…Susumu Fujita (藤田 進, Fujita Susumu; 8 January 1912 – 23 March 1991) was a Japanese film and television actor. He played the lead role in Akira Kurosawa's first feature, Sanshiro Sugata, and appeared in other Kurosawa films including The Men Who Tread On the Tiger's Tail (as Togashi, commander of the border guards) and The Hidden Fortress (as General Tadokoro). Later, he was a supporting actor in Ishirō Honda's Mothra vs. Godzilla, among many other films. Before and during World War II Fujita was considered one of the great stars of Japanese cinema. In the post-war period he became known for supporting roles, often playing a soldier in war films, such as in Masaki Kobayashi's The Human Condition (film series). During the 1960s and 1970s he played minor roles in "special effects pictures" such as Ultraman and Frankenstein vs. Baragon.