Yukihiro Fujimura (藤村幸宏, Yukihiro Fujimura; born March 3, 1960, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan), is a Japanese guitarist…Yukihiro Fujimura (藤村幸宏, Yukihiro Fujimura; born March 3, 1960, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan), is a Japanese guitarist, singer-songwriter, arranger and producer. Usually referred to by his stage name Chachamaru, little is known about his early years and personal life. Besides being a member and collaborator with various bands and musical acts in the 1980s and 1990s, he is most known as being the lead guitarist and associate music producer for Gackt.
Hoppy Kamiyama (ホッピー 神山, Hoppī Kamiyama; born 1960) is a Japanese keyboardist and music producer who has worked with…Hoppy Kamiyama (ホッピー 神山, Hoppī Kamiyama; born 1960) is a Japanese keyboardist and music producer who has worked with artists such as eX-Girl, The Pugs, Bradford Reed, Bill Laswell, Jan Linton, Marc Ribot, Hugh Hopper/Elton Dean and Damo Suzuki.
Mari Takano (たかの 舞俐, Takano Mari; born before 1979 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese composer, pianist, essayist, and…Mari Takano (たかの 舞俐, Takano Mari; born before 1979 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese composer, pianist, essayist, and teacher. Takano's work, and musical voice, has been recognized as among the most distinctive to be found amid Japanese composers of the "post-Takemitsu generation".
Yang Bang-ean (Korean: 양방언; Hanja: 梁邦彦; born January 1, 1960) is a Zainichi Korean composer, arranger, record producer…Yang Bang-ean (Korean: 양방언; Hanja: 梁邦彦; born January 1, 1960) is a Zainichi Korean composer, arranger, record producer, and pianist. His Japanese name is Kunihiko Ryo.
Tomohiko Kira (吉良 知彦) (December 6, 1959 – July 3, 2016) was a Japanese guitarist who led the band ZABADAK. He also…Tomohiko Kira (吉良 知彦) (December 6, 1959 – July 3, 2016) was a Japanese guitarist who led the band ZABADAK. He also composed the original music for the 1988 cult horror film Evil Dead Trap, and performed guitar on soundtracks of the role-playing video games Xenogears (1998) and Chrono Cross (1999), playing the opening and ending themes on the latter. He later recorded an album with the singer of the ending theme from Chrono Cross, Noriko Mitose. He also composed the opening theme for the TV anime Spice and Wolf (2008) and provided backing vocals in the chorus. His hobbies included collecting insects and the outdoors. He owned a collection of butterflies and beetles. He died on July 3, 2016, 3 months after playing at a 30th anniversary concert.
Miki Matsubara (松原 みき, Matsubara Miki; 28 November 1959 – 7 October 2004) was a Japanese singer and songwriter. She…Miki Matsubara (松原 みき, Matsubara Miki; 28 November 1959 – 7 October 2004) was a Japanese singer and songwriter. She contributed to the opening and ending theme songs of the anime Gu-Gu Ganmo under the name Suzie Matsubara. Her 1979 debut song "Mayonaka no Door (Stay With Me)" became a hit, reaching No. 28 on the Oricon chart. Believing that her cancer diagnosis was the result of the lifestyle she lived during her career, Matsubara retired and severed all connections to the music world in 2000, dying from cervical cancer four years later at the age of 44. Since 2020, "Mayonaka no Door" has become widely known overseas due to its use on TikTok and the resurgence of the city pop genre.
Toshihiko Sahashi (佐橋 俊彦, Sahashi Toshihiko; born November 12, 1959 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese composer. He…Toshihiko Sahashi (佐橋 俊彦, Sahashi Toshihiko; born November 12, 1959 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese composer. He graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1986. Sahashi has composed music for various anime series (including OVAs, films, and drama CDs), video games, films, dramas, and musicals. His works include the original soundtracks for Zipang, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, Gunslinger Girl, Black Blood Brothers, Ultraman Gaia, Ultraman Mebius, Seijuu Sentai Gingaman, Kamen Rider Kuuga, Kamen Rider Agito, Kamen Rider Hibiki, Kamen Rider Den-O, Full Metal Panic!, Hunter × Hunter, Simoun, Reborn! and composed all three Saint Seiya anime series. Together with the London Symphony Orchestra, two symphonic albums have been released, each arranging his compositions from Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny. For the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise's 30th anniversary, he again collaborated with the London Symphony Orchestra for another symphonic music album. The style of his composition is richly symphonic and classical (occasionally jazz). The use of sophisticated compositional techniques, as well as complicated harmony writing such as fugue can often be heard in his work, demonstrating his solid training in the western classical music. He also uses keyboard instruments to deliver more sentimental soundtracks to good effect.
Hideki Togi (東儀 秀樹, Tōgi Hideki; born 12 October 1959, in Tokyo) is a Japanese composer, gagaku musician, and actor.…Hideki Togi (東儀 秀樹, Tōgi Hideki; born 12 October 1959, in Tokyo) is a Japanese composer, gagaku musician, and actor. His current label is Universal Music (transferred from Toshiba-EMI in 2007). Tōgi joined the Imperial Music Division in 1986 but had to quit in 2000 because of the hostile reaction to his popular compositions from fellow gagaku musicians.
Akino Arai (新居 昭乃, Arai Akino; born August 21, 1959, in Tokyo) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and lyricist for…Akino Arai (新居 昭乃, Arai Akino; born August 21, 1959, in Tokyo) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and lyricist for various anime theme songs and shows, including Record of Lodoss War, Please Save My Earth, Macross Plus, Outlaw Star, Kaze no Stigma, Maoyu, and Aria The Origination.
Otomo Yoshihide (大友 良英, Ōtomo Yoshihide; born August 1, 1959) is a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. He…Otomo Yoshihide (大友 良英, Ōtomo Yoshihide; born August 1, 1959) is a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. He mainly plays guitar, turntables and electronics. He first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the experimental rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked in a variety of contexts, ranging from free improvisation to noise, jazz, avant-garde and contemporary classical. He is also a pioneering figure in the EAI-scene, and is featured on important records on labels like Erstwhile Records. He has composed music for many films, television dramas, and commercials. In 2017, Otomo became the 2nd Guest Artistic Director of The Sapporo International Art Festival 2017.
Keisuke Shinohara (Japanese: 篠原 敬介, Hepburn: Shinohara Keisuke; 12 June 1959 – 17 August 2011) was a Japanese…Keisuke Shinohara (Japanese: 篠原 敬介, Hepburn: Shinohara Keisuke; 12 June 1959 – 17 August 2011) was a Japanese television and film composer. His work can be seen in such films as Arashi no Yoru ni and Piano no Mori. He died in 2011 at the age of 52.
Takeshi Saito (斎藤毅, Saitō Takeshi; born May 29, 1959 in Tokyo), better known by his stage name Neko Saito (斎藤ネコ, Saitō…Takeshi Saito (斎藤毅, Saitō Takeshi; born May 29, 1959 in Tokyo), better known by his stage name Neko Saito (斎藤ネコ, Saitō Neko), is a Japanese violinist, conductor, composer and music arranger. Saito is the leader of the Saito Neko Quartet, and is known for his many collaborations with musician Ringo Sheena.
Satoshi Kadokura (門倉 聡, Kadokura Satoshi; born May 25, 1959), is a Japanese composer, arranger, producer and…Satoshi Kadokura (門倉 聡, Kadokura Satoshi; born May 25, 1959), is a Japanese composer, arranger, producer and keyboardist. He graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts. He was a producer of Wink, Noriyuki Makihara, Southern All Stars and many other artists. He also composes scores for video game series Metal Max.
Yasuhiro Kobayashi (小林 靖宏, Kobayashi Yasuhiro; born April 29, 1959), known professionally as coba, is a Japanese…Yasuhiro Kobayashi (小林 靖宏, Kobayashi Yasuhiro; born April 29, 1959), known professionally as coba, is a Japanese musician, accordionist, composer and arranger, born in Matsushiro, Nagano and brought up in Niigata, Niigata. His music has sold over 1,000,000 CDs. coba started playing accordion when he was nine. At the age of 18 he moved to Italy in order to hone his music skills in local educational institution and graduated with honours. In April 1979 coba won an accordionist contest in Japan; in September he did the same in Italy and in October 1980 he was recognized as the best in Austria. coba creates his own music and makes arrangements for famous compositions. In 1996 he collaborated with Björk recording her album Homogenic and touring in more than sixty countries. Throughout his career coba also worked with Goldie, 808 State, Underworld, Plaid and Howie B. In 1996 French magazine Nova Magazine named "Roots" album the best one. In 2001 coba was awarded "The Best Composer of the Year" for his soundtracks according to Japanese Award Academy. In 2002 he created music for Pokémon. In 2006 coba was awarded "Voce d’oro" - the prize of "the most active accordionist in the world". coba released more than 30 albums. He considers that his music doesn't belong to any genre.
Hisayoshi Ogura (小倉 久佳, Ogura Hisayoshi) is a former member of Taito Corporation's "house band" Zuntata. He is best…Hisayoshi Ogura (小倉 久佳, Ogura Hisayoshi) is a former member of Taito Corporation's "house band" Zuntata. He is best known for his musical compositions in the Darius arcade series. His musical style is often experimental electronica. However, in Zoids Infinity Ex he focused on more on an orchestrated soundtrack. His Darius compositions range from cutesy, heartfelt denpa-style songs to rather powerful ones. His music for the Darius series can vary in style. For example, the music for Darius Gaiden is dark and gloomy, while the music for G-Darius is more carefree and upbeat. He also created the soundtrack to Ninja Warriors and voiced the character Marco in Kaiser Knuckle (known outside Japan as Global Champion). Having left Zuntata by the time of Darius Burst, to which he contributed one new piece of music, being released, Ogura's company affiliation is listed in the game's all-English credits individually as "OguraHisayoshiOngaSeisakushow" (written in kanji as「小倉久佳音画制作所」; "Ogura Hisayoshi Soundscape Production Facility"), in contrast to the other composers' being listed as "ZUNTATA." His return as a free agent took place one year after leaving Zuntata.
Nobuo Uematsu (植松 伸夫, Uematsu Nobuo; born March 21, 1959) is a Japanese composer and keyboardist best known for his…Nobuo Uematsu (植松 伸夫, Uematsu Nobuo; born March 21, 1959) is a Japanese composer and keyboardist best known for his contributions to the Final Fantasy video game series by Square Enix. A self-taught musician, he began playing the piano at the age of twelve. Uematsu joined Square in 1986, where he first met Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. The two later worked together on many games at the company, most notably in the Final Fantasy series. After nearly two decades with Square, Uematsu left in 2004 to create his own production company and music label, Dog Ear Records. He has since composed music as a freelancer for other games, including ones developed by Square Enix and Sakaguchi's studio Mistwalker. Many soundtracks and arranged albums of Uematsu's game scores have been released. Pieces from his video game works have been performed in various Final Fantasy concerts, where he has worked with conductor Arnie Roth and Game Concerts producer Thomas Böcker on several of these performances. Uematsu was also the keyboardist in The Black Mages in the 2000s, which played various hard rock versions of his Final Fantasy compositions. He has since performed with the Earthbound Papas, which he formed as the successor to The Black Mages in 2011. Uematsu has made several listings in Britain's Classic FM Hall of Fame, with the station referring to him as the Beethoven of game music.
Akira Jimbo, also transliterated as Akira Jinbo (神保 彰, Jinbo Akira; born February 27, 1959), is a Japanese jazz fusion…Akira Jimbo, also transliterated as Akira Jinbo (神保 彰, Jinbo Akira; born February 27, 1959), is a Japanese jazz fusion drummer, best known as the drummer for the Japanese jazz fusion band Casiopea in 3 separate stints (1980-1989, 1997-2006 and 2012-2022). Aside from his work with Casiopea, Jimbo has also participated in side projects with Keiko Matsui, Shambara, and Brian Bromberg.
Tatsuya Maeda (前田 達也, Maeda Tatsuya; was born 22 August 1958 in Naha, Okinawa, USCAR) is a Japanese musician and singer…Tatsuya Maeda (前田 達也, Maeda Tatsuya; was born 22 August 1958 in Naha, Okinawa, USCAR) is a Japanese musician and singer from Japan. Maeda is best known as the singer and guitarist of the theme songs of Ultraman Dyna and Blue SWAT.
Tomoki Hasegawa (Japanese: 長谷川 智樹, Hepburn: Hasegawa Tomoki; born 19 July 1957) is a Japanese composer and arranger of…Tomoki Hasegawa (Japanese: 長谷川 智樹, Hepburn: Hasegawa Tomoki; born 19 July 1957) is a Japanese composer and arranger of music from Osaka Prefecture, Japan, best known for his work on anime soundtracks. He has also done sound production work on albums for Mayumi Iizuka.
Yuriko Nakamura (中村 由利子, Nakamura Yuriko) is a Japanese composer and pianist. Some of her songs were also used for the…Yuriko Nakamura (中村 由利子, Nakamura Yuriko) is a Japanese composer and pianist. Some of her songs were also used for the soundtrack of Shusuke Kaneko's Summer Vacation 1999.
Mayumi Horikawa (堀川 まゆみ, Horikawa Mayumi) is a Japanese model and singer-songwriter born on 2 May 1958 in Okinawa…Mayumi Horikawa (堀川 まゆみ, Horikawa Mayumi) is a Japanese model and singer-songwriter born on 2 May 1958 in Okinawa Prefecture. Horikawa was selected as the fourth Clarion Girl in 1978, and debuted as a singer that same year under producer Masataka Matsutōya. Horikawa has written and composed songs for popular artists including Miki Imai, Jun'ichi Inagaki, Yukiko Okada, Kyōko Koizumi, Yuki Saito, Noriko Sakai, Miho Nakayama, Yū Hayami, Chiemi Hori, Saori Yagi, and Marina Watanabe.
Tetsurō Oda (織田 哲郎, Oda Tetsurō; born March 11, 1958) is a Japanese composer, record producer, and singer-songwriter.…Tetsurō Oda (織田 哲郎, Oda Tetsurō; born March 11, 1958) is a Japanese composer, record producer, and singer-songwriter. Oda is the third best-selling composer in the history of the Japanese singles chart, with over 40 million units being sold.
Jun Miyake (Japanese: 三宅 純 Hepburn: Miyake Jun, January 7, 1958, in Kyoto) is a Japanese composer. His music (e.g., the…Jun Miyake (Japanese: 三宅 純 Hepburn: Miyake Jun, January 7, 1958, in Kyoto) is a Japanese composer. His music (e.g., the songs "Lilies in the Valley" and "The Here and After") was used in the film Pina, nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature in January 2012. He has also been awarded by the German critic's award, Der Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, as Best Album of the Year for his last three albums, Stolen from Strangers, Lost Memory Theatre act-1, and Lost Memory Theatre act-2. Miyake has now released 17 solo albums, and has worked on films, documentaries, dances, advertisement, and theatre pieces. His main instruments include the trumpet, flugelhorn, melodica, piano, keyboard, fender rhodes, and programming.
Yoichiro Yoshikawa (吉川洋一郎, Yoshikawa Yōichirō; October 8, 1957 – January 16, 2026) was a Japanese composer, music…Yoichiro Yoshikawa (吉川洋一郎, Yoshikawa Yōichirō; October 8, 1957 – January 16, 2026) was a Japanese composer, music arranger and film producer. He also collaborated with singer and actress Jun Togawa.
Shirō Sagisu (鷺巣 詩郎, Sagisu Shirō; born August 29, 1957) is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer. With a…Shirō Sagisu (鷺巣 詩郎, Sagisu Shirō; born August 29, 1957) is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer. With a career spanning over 40 years (beginning in the late 1970s), he is best known for his works as a record producer for acts including various choir members Mike Wyzgowski, Misia, Satoshi Tomiie, and Ken Hirai. Sagisu has also worked as a film composer for several anime and films, being well known for his collaborations with Gainax, especially in the soundtrack of Hideaki Anno's series Neon Genesis Evangelion. Sagisu's career in music started in 1977, when he became one of the members of jazz fusion band T-Square. He made three albums with the group before becoming a full-time composer and writer in 1979. By 1997, he had composed over 2,000 songs, advertising jingles and TV and movie pieces. Sagisu won the Tokyo Anime Award for "Best Music" in 2010 for Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance. Sagisu arranged a rendition of the Japanese national anthem, "Kimigayo", performed at the 2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony by Misia.
Kow Otani (大谷 幸, Ōtani Kō; born May 1, 1957) is a Japanese composer. He is best known for creating the soundtracks for…Kow Otani (大谷 幸, Ōtani Kō; born May 1, 1957) is a Japanese composer. He is best known for creating the soundtracks for the Heisei Gamera trilogy, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, and Shadow of the Colossus.
Kenji Kawai (川井 憲次, Kawai Kenji; born April 23, 1957) is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the…Kenji Kawai (川井 憲次, Kawai Kenji; born April 23, 1957) is a Japanese music composer and arranger. Known as one of the biggest names in the soundtrack world, he has worked on a wide range of mixed media productions, including anime, TV shows, films, video games and ice shows. Among his credits are Toei's: Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever, Tsui Hark's Seven Swords and Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon; Wilson Yip's Ip Man; Mamoru Oshii's films: The Red Spectacles, StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops, Ghost in the Shell, Mobile Police Patlabor and Assault Girls. He also worked on the OVA and TV anime adaptations of: Vampire Princess Miyu, The Sky Crawlers and Avalon; the anime adaptations of Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma ½ and Maison Ikkoku; the live-action adaptation of Gantz and Hideo Nakata's films: Ring, Ring 2, Chaos, Dark Water and Kaidan. His nephew, Hidehiro Kawai, is a bassist in Fox Capture Plan, an instrumental band.
Toshiyuki Honda (本多 俊之, Honda Toshiyuki; born April 9, 1957) is a Japanese jazz musician and composer. Honda's father…Toshiyuki Honda (本多 俊之, Honda Toshiyuki; born April 9, 1957) is a Japanese jazz musician and composer. Honda's father was a jazz critic, whose name was also Toshiyuki Honda. As a jazz musician, he learned flute and saxophone, and worked in the late 1970s with George Otsuka and the Burning Waves ensemble. In the 1980s he worked with Chick Corea, Tatsuya Takahashi, and Kazumi Watanabe, as well as leading his own ensemble, Super Quartet. He was also a member of the ensemble Native Son. Starting in the late 1980s, Honda turned increasingly toward composing for film and television, as well as working in record producing. He composed the soundtrack for the Juzo Itami film A Taxing Woman in 1987, which raised his prominence as a film scorer. He went on to compose the score for all but one of the rest of Itami's films.
Masamichi Amano (天野 正道, Amano Masamichi; born January 26, 1957 in Akita, Akita) is a Japanese music composer, arranger…Masamichi Amano (天野 正道, Amano Masamichi; born January 26, 1957 in Akita, Akita) is a Japanese music composer, arranger and conductor. He studied at the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo and completed master's degree in 1982.
Akira Mitake (見岳 章; born November 11, 1956) is a Japanese composer from Tokyo. He is known for his collaborations with…Akira Mitake (見岳 章; born November 11, 1956) is a Japanese composer from Tokyo. He is known for his collaborations with director Yukihiko Tsutsumi, including such films as Chinese Dinner (2001), 2LDK (2003), EGG (2005) and Taitei no Ken (2007). Mitake composed "Kawa no nagare no yō ni" (川の流れのように), Like the Flow of the River, a song recorded by Japanese enka singer Hibari Misora.
Minoru Mukaiya (向谷 実, Mukaiya Minoru; born 20 October 1956) is a Japanese musician best known as the former keyboardist…Minoru Mukaiya (向谷 実, Mukaiya Minoru; born 20 October 1956) is a Japanese musician best known as the former keyboardist of the jazz fusion band Casiopea and producer of the Train Simulator series of Japanese video games. Mukaiya joined Casiopea during its formation in 1977 (with guitarist Issei Noro, drummer Takashi Sasaki and bassist Tetsuo Sakurai) and remained in the group until their hiatus in 2006. Since leaving the band he has created his own musical production team, "Mukaiya Club." He also serves as the president and CEO of the company Ongakukan, which produces professional train simulators for Japanese transit systems and has distributed video games to the general public. Mukaiya has also appeared in the event of Nico Nico Douga. Mukaiya has composed around 200 distinct melodies for over 110 subway stations in Japan. In 2019, British television presenter James May interviewed Mukaiya for episode 3 of James May: Our Man in Japan, discussing Mukaiya's involvement in composing melodies for train stations. In episode 11 of Great Japanese Railway Journeys, broadcast in April 2026, Mukaiya was interviewed by Michael Portillo and a figure of about 300 melodies was given by Mukaiya.
Junko Kido (木戸 順子, Kido Junko; 17 October 1956 – 4 January 2020), better known by her birth name, Junko Hirotani (広谷…Junko Kido (木戸 順子, Kido Junko; 17 October 1956 – 4 January 2020), better known by her birth name, Junko Hirotani (広谷 順子, Hirotani Junko), was a Japanese singer.
Makiko Kinoshita (木下 牧子, Kinoshita Makiko; born 1956) is a Japanese composer. She was born in Tokyo, and studied…Makiko Kinoshita (木下 牧子, Kinoshita Makiko; born 1956) is a Japanese composer. She was born in Tokyo, and studied composition at Tokyo University of the Arts.
Daisuke Hinata (born July 2, 1956) is a Japanese music producer, composer, keyboardist, synthesist, synthesizer…Daisuke Hinata (born July 2, 1956) is a Japanese music producer, composer, keyboardist, synthesist, synthesizer programmer, recording engineer, and studio designer. He is the owner/producer of VSA Studio, a recording studio located in California, US. He is also the owner of the record label “Hyperdisc” and "Global Disc". His older brother is Toshifumi Hinata, also a music composer and producer.
Kyoji Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本 恭司, Hepburn: Yamamoto Kyōji; born March 23, 1956, in Matsue, Shimane, Japan) is a Japanese…Kyoji Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本 恭司, Hepburn: Yamamoto Kyōji; born March 23, 1956, in Matsue, Shimane, Japan) is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer who is the leader of the hard rock/heavy metal bands Bow Wow (known as Vow Wow for a period of time) and Wild Flag. He is known for his skillful guitar playing, with former bandmate Neil Murray calling him one of the top Japanese guitarists, and was one of the first hard rock guitarists to use the tapping technique. Yamamoto often uses 24-fret Yamaha HR guitars.
Yasuhiro Abe (安部 恭弘, Abe Yasuhiro) is a male Japanese popular music artist and composer. He made his debut on 1…Yasuhiro Abe (安部 恭弘, Abe Yasuhiro) is a male Japanese popular music artist and composer. He made his debut on 1 November 1982 with the single We Got It!.
Shinichi Mitsui (三井 進一, Mitsui Shin'ichi; born 12 December 1955), better known as Nakamura Baijaku II (二代目 中村 梅雀…Shinichi Mitsui (三井 進一, Mitsui Shin'ichi; born 12 December 1955), better known as Nakamura Baijaku II (二代目 中村 梅雀, Nidaime Nakamura Baijaku), is a Japanese actor, bassist, and composer. He graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Ogikubo High School and later graduated from Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music. Nakamura also has relatives who are kabuki actors. Great-grandfather: Nakamura Kanemon II. Grandfather: Nakamura Kanemon III. Father: Nakamura Umenosuke IV. His trade name is Narikomaya (成駒屋) and debuted in 1965. Nakamura learned about kabuki and modern theater at the Zenshinza troupe. His initial name was Manabu Nakamura (中村 まなぶ, Nakamura Manabu). Nakamura took on the name of his great-grandfather Baijaku in 1980 during the 50th Anniversary Performance of Zenshinza and became "Baijaku II". At the final performance of Otose in 2007, Nakamura announced he was leaving Zenshinza and turning freelance.
Keiichi Oku (奥 慶一, Oku Keiichi; born October 14, 1955, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese keyboardist, composer…Keiichi Oku (奥 慶一, Oku Keiichi; born October 14, 1955, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese keyboardist, composer and arranger. He was the keyboardist in the Japanese band Spectrum from 1979 to 1981. In 2009, he won the JASRAC International Award for the background music used in the Ashita no Nadja anime television series from Toei Animation.
Mariya Takeuchi (竹内 まりや, Takeuchi Mariya; born 20 March 1955) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer.…Mariya Takeuchi (竹内 まりや, Takeuchi Mariya; born 20 March 1955) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as the "Queen of City Pop", Takeuchi is one of the best-selling music artists in Japan with over 16 million records sold. Internationally, her 1985 song "Plastic Love" became a sleeper hit and the catalyst of the 21st century revival of city pop. Takeuchi was born in Taisha, Hikawa district, now the city of Izumo, Shimane, and attended Keio University. She signed with RCA in 1978, releasing five albums under the label which appeared on the Oricon Charts, including her chart-topping third effort Love Songs (1980). She terminated her contract with RCA in 1981 and announced a temporary hiatus. In 1982, she married singer and songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita. She signed with Moon Records in 1984, and internationally released her sixth studio album Variety that same year to commercial success. She has since released seven more studio albums and one live album. All of her works have continued to appear on the Oricon Charts, and since 2001, each one of her albums have topped it. Takeuchi has stayed with the Moon record label, working with the different branches since signing in 1984; since 1998, she has also been signed with Warner Music Japan. Her single "Inochi no Uta" (いのちの歌; Song of Life), when re-recorded in 2020, made her the oldest Japanese singer to have a single top the Oricon Charts.
Toshifumi Hinata is a Japanese classical musician and composer. He was born on February 23, 1955, in Tokyo, Japan. He…Toshifumi Hinata is a Japanese classical musician and composer. He was born on February 23, 1955, in Tokyo, Japan. He has composed several albums and composed music for multiple films and television shows including Pavee Lackeen, Long Vacation and Tokyo Love Story.
Toshiyuki "Toshi" Watanabe (渡辺 俊幸 Watanabe Toshiyuki; born February 3, 1955) is a Japanese musician and composer, known…Toshiyuki "Toshi" Watanabe (渡辺 俊幸 Watanabe Toshiyuki; born February 3, 1955) is a Japanese musician and composer, known for writing film scores.
Mamoru Fujieda (藤枝 守, Fujieda Mamoru; born 1955) is a Japanese composer associated with the postminimalist movement of…Mamoru Fujieda (藤枝 守, Fujieda Mamoru; born 1955) is a Japanese composer associated with the postminimalist movement of contemporary classical music.
Yasuaki Shimizu (清水靖晃, Shimizu Yasuaki) (born 9 August 1954) is a Japanese composer, saxophonist and producer. He is…Yasuaki Shimizu (清水靖晃, Shimizu Yasuaki) (born 9 August 1954) is a Japanese composer, saxophonist and producer. He is known for his interpretations of the music of J.S. Bach, in particular the "Cello Suites 1-6" re-arranged for and performed on tenor saxophone. Since 1981 he has composed, produced or arranged for artists as diverse as jazz vocalist Helen Merrill, composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, and DJ Towa Tei. During this time he has lived in London, Paris and Tokyo.
Kohei Tanaka (Japanese: 田中 公平, Hepburn: Tanaka Kōhei; born February 14, 1954) is a Japanese composer, arranger…Kohei Tanaka (Japanese: 田中 公平, Hepburn: Tanaka Kōhei; born February 14, 1954) is a Japanese composer, arranger, conductor and singer-songwriter. He is affiliated with the music production company Imagine. He has created numerous musical scores for anime television series, OVAs, films, video games and tokusatsu series including Choushinsei Flashman, Gunbuster, Sakura Wars, The King of Braves GaoGaiGar, Betterman, and One Piece.
Masakazu Mori (Japanese: 森 正和), better known by his stage name Yukinojo Mori (森雪之丞, Mori Yukinojō), is a Japanese…Masakazu Mori (Japanese: 森 正和), better known by his stage name Yukinojo Mori (森雪之丞, Mori Yukinojō), is a Japanese lyricist, composer and poet who is affiliated with Amuse, Inc. He has written over 2,500 songs for numerous artists such as Kyosuke Himuro, Takuro Yoshida and Junichi Inagaki and theme songs for anime series including Dragon Ball Z and Kinnikuman.