Masahiro Sayama (佐山 雅弘, Sayama Masahiro; November 26, 1953 – November 14, 2018) was a Japanese pianist, active in jazz…
Masahiro Sayama (佐山 雅弘, Sayama Masahiro; November 26, 1953 – November 14, 2018) was a Japanese pianist, active in jazz and video game soundtracks. Sayama began playing piano as a child and became interested in jazz after seeing the film The Glenn Miller Story. He studied music at Kunitachi College of Music and began playing jazz professionally in the early 1970s, working with Toshiyuki Honda, Shigeharu Mukai, and Kazunori Takeda. He was a member of Shuichi Murakami's trio Ponta Box and also led his own ensembles. In 1991 he began playing with Masahiko Osaka. Sayama also played for video game soundtracks, including Final Fantasy X-2. Sayama died on November 14, 2018, at the age of 64.
Famous Japanese People: Composer
Composer: 448 people
Hiroyuki Namba (難波 弘之, Nanba Hiroyuki; born September 9, 1953) (occasionally credited as Hiroyuki Nanba) is a Japanese…
Hiroyuki Namba (難波 弘之, Nanba Hiroyuki; born September 9, 1953) (occasionally credited as Hiroyuki Nanba) is a Japanese musician. He has composed for and arranged songs from Japanese anime, OVA and video games. Notably, Hiroyuki Namba composed for Dallos, the first anime Original video animation. However, in the United States, he is known for composing the soundtrack to the Armitage III film. Namba plays keyboards in Sense of Wonder, a Japanese progressive rock band.
Akira Nishimura (西村 朗, Nishimura Akira; 8 September 1953 – 7 September 2023) was a Japanese composer from Osaka.
Akira Inoue (井上鑑) (born 8 September 1953), is a Japanese keyboard player, composer, arranger and producer. He was the…
Akira Inoue (井上鑑) (born 8 September 1953), is a Japanese keyboard player, composer, arranger and producer. He was the recipient of the 23rd Japan Record Awards arranger award.
Yoshiko Sai (佐井 好子, Sai Yoshiko; born 22 June 1953) is a Japanese singer, composer and poet.
Masayoshi Takanaka (born March 27, 1953) is a Japanese musician and record producer. Known for his virtuosic guitar…
Masayoshi Takanaka (born March 27, 1953) is a Japanese musician and record producer. Known for his virtuosic guitar playing and skilled musicianship, Takanaka rose to fame and achieved commercial success during the 1970s and 1980s. He composes and performs across various different music genres. In a career spanning over 50 years, Takanaka has released more than 20 albums and continues to perform.
Takashi Yoshimatsu (吉松 隆, Yoshimatsu Takashi; born March 18, 1953) is a Japanese classical music composer. He is well…
Takashi Yoshimatsu (吉松 隆, Yoshimatsu Takashi; born March 18, 1953) is a Japanese classical music composer. He is well known for composing the score for the 2003 remake of Astro Boy.
Kisaburō Suzuki (鈴木 キサブロー, Suzuki Kisaburō; born 14 February 1953) is a Japanese J-pop songwriter and guitarist.
Masanori Takahashi (高橋 正則, Takahashi Masanori; born February 4, 1953), professionally known as Kitarō (喜多郎), is a…
Masanori Takahashi (高橋 正則, Takahashi Masanori; born February 4, 1953), professionally known as Kitarō (喜多郎), is a Japanese musician, composer, record producer, and arranger noted for his electronic-instrumental music, and is often associated with and regarded as one of the most prominent musical acts of new-age music. He won the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album for Thinking of You (1999), with a record 16 nominations in the same category. He received a Golden Globe Award for the original score to Heaven & Earth (1993).
Kuniaki Haishima (蓜島邦明) is a Japanese musician and composer. He is known for his music in several anime and tokusatsu…
Kuniaki Haishima (蓜島邦明) is a Japanese musician and composer. He is known for his music in several anime and tokusatsu shows, as well as video games, films and dorama. His compositions for the Fuji TV series Tales of the Unusual are his most famous work, though he also composed the soundtrack for Metroid: Other M for the Wii, for which he is known abroad.
Toshiyuki Arakawa (荒川 敏行, Arakawa Toshiyuki; born 1953 in Japan) is a music composer, arranger and member of the…
Toshiyuki Arakawa (荒川 敏行, Arakawa Toshiyuki; born 1953 in Japan) is a music composer, arranger and member of the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC). He graduated from the Department of Literature at Chuo University and afterwards Nippon Columbia joined as music director. He currently works as a music producer, arranger and singer.
Yoshikazu Suo (周防 義和, Suo Yoshikazu; born in 1953) is a Japanese musician from Tokyo, Japan. He has composed and…
Yoshikazu Suo (周防 義和, Suo Yoshikazu; born in 1953) is a Japanese musician from Tokyo, Japan. He has composed and arranged music for films and dramas, among others.
Motoyuki Shitanda (四反田 素幸, Shitanda Motoyuki; born August 26, 1952 in Osaka Prefecture) is a contemporary Japanese…
Motoyuki Shitanda (四反田 素幸, Shitanda Motoyuki; born August 26, 1952 in Osaka Prefecture) is a contemporary Japanese composer, music teacher, musicologist and conductor.
Ichirō Tomita (富田 伊知郎, Tomita Ichirō; born August 24, 1952), known professionally as MoJo (モジョ), is a Japanese folk…
Ichirō Tomita (富田 伊知郎, Tomita Ichirō; born August 24, 1952), known professionally as MoJo (モジョ), is a Japanese folk singer and composer who has performed on the soundtracks of various anime and tokusatsu series and movies. He is perhaps best known as the vocalist for the theme songs for Battle Fever J, Dai Sentai Goggle V, Kagaku Sentai Dynaman, Seiun Kamen Machineman (星雲仮面マシンマン, Seiun Kamen Mashinman), Albegas, and performed image songs for various series. He also sang the theme song of the fictional character Segata Sanshiro (played by Hiroshi Fujioka) who appeared in Sega's commercials between 1997 and 1998 to advertise the Sega Saturn in Japan.
Ushio Torikai (鳥養潮; surname Torikai; born July 11, 1952, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer…
Ushio Torikai (鳥養潮; surname Torikai; born July 11, 1952, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music. She is known for her highly individual musical voice, developed over many years of research and compositional experience in diverse musical fields including European classical music, traditional Japanese music, ancient Japanese music and computer/electronics.
Tsugutoshi Gotō (後藤 次利, Gotō Tsugutoshi), born February 5, 1952, is a Japanese songwriter, bassist and music producer.…
Tsugutoshi Gotō (後藤 次利, Gotō Tsugutoshi), born February 5, 1952, is a Japanese songwriter, bassist and music producer. Gotō broke into the Japanese music industry playing bass on tour for artists like Sadistic Mika Band, Bread & Butter and Shiro Kishibe. He went on to write and produce songs for other artists including Kenji Sawada, Miyuki Nakajima, Shizuka Kudō, and various idol singers. In 1980, Gotō won Song of the Year at the Japan Record Award for his work on Kenji Sawada's song "Tokio". In 1983, Gotō married former idol singer and actress Midori Kinouchi. The pair divorced four years later. In 1987, he contributed the soundtrack for the Famicom/NES version of the video game Ultima III: Exodus. In 1994, he married former Onyanko Club member Sonoko Kawai. Gotō also joined several musical units like Draw4 in 1990, gym in 2003, Non-Chords in 2004 and WAIP in 2006.
Eitetsu Hayashi (林英哲, Hayashi Eitetsu) (born February 2, 1952) is an acclaimed Japanese musician best known for his…
Eitetsu Hayashi (林英哲, Hayashi Eitetsu) (born February 2, 1952) is an acclaimed Japanese musician best known for his solo performance work in taiko. Hayashi joined the group Ondekoza at an early age. Later, after parting from group, helped found the taiko group Kodo, though he quickly left to begin a solo career. Hayashi has performed in notable venues such as Carnegie Hall in 1984 and was the first featured taiko performer at the institution. He is also the recipient of multiple awards recognizing the cultural value of his work.
Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japanese: 坂本 龍一, Hepburn: Sakamoto Ryūichi; January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023) was a Japanese…
Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japanese: 坂本 龍一, Hepburn: Sakamoto Ryūichi; January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023) was a Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his YMO bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto influenced and pioneered a number of electronic music genres. As a film score composer, Sakamoto won an Academy Award (Oscar), BAFTA, Grammy and two Golden Globe Awards. Sakamoto began his career as a session musician, producer, and arranger while he was at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in the mid 1970s. His first major success came in 1978 as co-founder of YMO. He pursued a solo career at the same time, releasing the experimental electronic fusion album Thousand Knives in that year, and the album B-2 Unit in 1980. B-2 Unit includes the track "Riot in Lagos", which had a significant influence on the development of electro, hip hop and dance music. He went on to produce more solo records, and collaborate with many international artists, including David Sylvian, DJ Spooky, Carsten Nicolai, Youssou N'Dour, and Fennesz. Sakamoto composed music for the opening ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games, and his composition "Energy Flow" (1999) was the first instrumental number-one single in Japan's Oricon charts history. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) marked his debut as both an actor and a film score composer; its main theme was adapted into the single "Forbidden Colours", which became an international hit. His most successful work as a film composer was his original score for The Last Emperor (1987), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score, making him the first Japanese composer to win an Academy Award. He continued earning accolades composing for films such as The Sheltering Sky (1990), Little Buddha (1993), and The Revenant (2015). On occasion, Sakamoto also worked as a composer and a scenario writer on anime and video games. He was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture in 2009 for his contributions to music. Sakamoto died on March 28, 2023, from colorectal cancer at the age of 71.
Kazuhiro Morita (森田一浩 or Morita Kazuhiro, born 1952 in Tokyo; died 2021) was a Japanese composer and arranger. Morita…
Kazuhiro Morita (森田一浩 or Morita Kazuhiro, born 1952 in Tokyo; died 2021) was a Japanese composer and arranger. Morita studied with Yoshio Hasegawa at the Tokyo University of the Arts. He is known as an arranger, reworking pieces like Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland, Galánta Dances by Zoltán Kodály, Don Juan and an excerpt from Salome by Richard Strauss, The Miraculous Mandarin by Béla Bartók, Symphony No. 1 by Gustav Mahler, the second suite from the ballet Daphnis et Chloé by Maurice Ravel and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Sergei Rachmaninoff. He is also noted for his arrangements of anime scores (including Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, and Kiki's Delivery Service) and his original compositions. He taught at Shobi University. From 1991 to 1994, he served as a member of the Japan Band Clinic Committee. Since 2015, he has also been selected as a member of the selection committee for the All Japan Wind Orchestra Competition. He died on August 25, 2021, from multiple myeloma.
Midori Takada (Japanese: 高田みどり) (born December 21, 1951) is a Japanese composer and percussionist. She has been…
Midori Takada (Japanese: 高田みどり) (born December 21, 1951) is a Japanese composer and percussionist. She has been described as a pioneer of ambient and minimalist music.
Shigeru Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 茂, Hepburn: Suzuki Shigeru; born December 20, 1951) is a Japanese musician, songwriter and…
Shigeru Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木 茂, Hepburn: Suzuki Shigeru; born December 20, 1951) is a Japanese musician, songwriter and guitarist. He first became known as a member of the influential rock band Happy End in the early 1970s, before starting a solo career and becoming a prolific session musician. As of 2006, Suzuki had contributed to 588 recordings. In 2019, Suzuki's high school band Skye reunited and released their first album.
Masataka Matsutoya (松任谷 正隆, Matsutōya Masataka; born November 19, 1951) is a Japanese arranger, composer, music…
Masataka Matsutoya (松任谷 正隆, Matsutōya Masataka; born November 19, 1951) is a Japanese arranger, composer, music producer, and motor journalist. He currently resides in Setagaya, Tokyo. He is a graduate of Keio Senior High School and Keio University (literature department). His wife is singer-songwriter, composer, and lyricist Yumi Matsutoya (née Arai). His mother, Kazuko, is the auditor of Kirarasha, the firm Masataka established after his marriage to Arai.
Hideki Matsutake (born August 12, 1951 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer, arranger, and…
Hideki Matsutake (born August 12, 1951 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer, arranger, and computer programmer. He is known for his pioneering work in electronic music and particularly music programming, as the assistant of Isao Tomita during the early 1970s and as the "fourth member" of the band Yellow Magic Orchestra during the late 1970s to early 1980s. Through his participation in the session recording of Ryuichi Sakamoto's 1978 album Thousand Knives, he joined the recordings of Yellow Magic Orchestra during 1978–1982 as their sound programmer, to become known as "the fourth member" of the group. In 1981, he formed a unit of his own under the name Logic System, which released its latest album in 2020. He also continued to take part in solo activities by YMO members such as Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi beyond the group's breakup in 1983. He was also a member of the video game music group Akihabara Electric Circus in 1988 and composed music for the 1996 video game Guardian Heroes. Matsutake was also a member of the musical group MONOLITH, which was responsible for creating the music for various Dragon Ball video games and insert songs from 1990 through the mid 2000s. Today, Matsutake is also Chairman of Japan Synthesizer Programmers Association (JSPA).
Takanori Arisawa (有澤 孝紀, Arisawa Takanori; April 2, 1951 – November 26, 2005) was a Japanese composer and arranger best…
Takanori Arisawa (有澤 孝紀, Arisawa Takanori; April 2, 1951 – November 26, 2005) was a Japanese composer and arranger best known for composing the Sailor Moon and Digimon (Seasons 1-4) anime series. He wrote music for the series, including its video games. Born in Tokyo, Arisawa began to learn piano at the age of 20. After graduating from Senzoku Gakuen College, Arisawa started his career in 1980 by composing "Shinjuku Transfer". He worked for the Tokyo Broadcasting System and wrote several TV dramas. From the 1990s until his death, Arisawa began composing for anime series exclusively. His work on Sailor Moon was initially based on pop music, but gradually began to change to those found in classical music. Sailor Moon was successful and Arisawa won several awards for his work. After Sailor Moon, Arisawa composed music for several shows, including the Digimon series, until his death from bladder cancer in 2005.
Shigeru Umebayashi (梅林茂, Umebayashi Shigeru; [ɯmebajaɕi ɕiɡeɾɯ]) (born February 19, 1951) is a Japanese composer. Once…
Shigeru Umebayashi (梅林茂, Umebayashi Shigeru; [ɯmebajaɕi ɕiɡeɾɯ]) (born February 19, 1951) is a Japanese composer. Once the leader and bass player of Japan's new wave rock band EX, Umebayashi began scoring films in 1985 when the band broke up. He has more than 30 Japanese and Chinese film scores to his credit and is perhaps best known in the West for "Yumeji's Theme" (originally from Seijun Suzuki's Yumeji), included in director Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (2000). Umebayashi scored most of Wong Kar-wai's follow-up film, 2046 (2004), and House of Flying Daggers.
The Kunio-kun (くにおくん) series (typically localized as River City) is a video game series started by Technōs Japan. The…
The Kunio-kun (くにおくん) series (typically localized as River City) is a video game series started by Technōs Japan. The series is now handled by Arc System Works who purchased all of the intellectual property rights from Technōs' successor, Million Corp. The first game in the series is fully titled Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun (熱血硬派くにおくん), which roughly translates to "Hot Blood Tough Guy Kunio", with Nekketsu being the name of the series' title character Kunio's high school. The kun suffix after his name is an informal Japanese honorific usually applied to young males. The series originated in arcades, before appearing on the Famicom console. Kunio later became Technōs Japan's main mascot, appearing on the company's logo in several games and television commercials. A few of the early Kunio games for the Nintendo Entertainment System were localized for the North American market. These include Renegade, River City Ransom, Super Dodge Ball, Crash 'n' the Boys: Street Challenge and Nintendo World Cup, which are heavily "Americanized" versions of the Kunio-kun games. Technōs Japan has released over twenty Kunio-kun titles for the Famicom, Game Boy, and Super Famicom in Japan. In addition, licensed ports of the games were made for other platforms such as the PC Engine (through Naxat Soft), Mega Drive (through Pal Soft) and the X68000 (through Sharp).
Mamoru Fujisawa (Japanese: 藤澤 守, Hepburn: Fujisawa Mamoru; born December 6, 1950), known professionally as Joe Hisaishi…
Mamoru Fujisawa (Japanese: 藤澤 守, Hepburn: Fujisawa Mamoru; born December 6, 1950), known professionally as Joe Hisaishi (久石 譲, Hisaishi Jō), is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, including minimalist, experimental electronic, Western classical, and Japanese classical. He has also worked as a music engraver and arranger. He has been associated with director and animator Hayao Miyazaki since 1984, having written scores for all but one of Miyazaki's films. He is also recognized for his music for filmmaker 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, including A Scene at the Sea (1991), Sonatine (1993), Kids Return (1996), Hana-bi (1997), Kikujiro (1999), Brother (2000), and Dolls (2002), and for the video game series Ni no Kuni. He composed the score for the Oscar-winning film Departures (2008). He was a student of anime composer Takeo Watanabe.
Takao Kisugi (来生 たかお, Kisugi Takao), born November 16, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese singer and songwriter. In…
Takao Kisugi (来生 たかお, Kisugi Takao), born November 16, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese singer and songwriter. In 1974, he debuted as a songwriter and in 1976 made his solo debut as a singer. He often collaborates on songs with his sister, Etsuko Kisugi, who is a lyricist. In 1982, on the third Japan Composition Award, he received the "Best Composer" music award for the song Second Love. In his career, spanning over 45 years, he composed over 400 songs.
Takao Ogawa (小川隆夫, born August 7, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese novelist, music journalist, music producer…
Takao Ogawa (小川隆夫, born August 7, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese novelist, music journalist, music producer, composer, guitarist, and orthopedic surgeon. He is known for his work in various music fields, particularly jazz, and as a complete collector of Blue Note. Ogawa learned classical guitar at a young age and formed a band in high school. He later pursued a career in medicine while playing jazz guitar in a band. Over the next forty years, Ogawa has written liner notes for more than 3,000 records and CDs of American/European/Japanese jazz musicians and produced CDs. He interviewed more than 1,000 musicians and related people among whom Miles Davis (1985-1990), Art Blakey (1982-1991), Sonny Rollins (1986-2001), Oscar Peterson (1987), Dexter Gordon (1982-1984), Herbie Hancock (1985-2019), Keith Jarrett (2001), Charlie Watts (1989,1990), Toshiko Akiyoshi (1984-2016), Sadao Watanabe (1985-2021), Terumasa Hino(1983-2021), Alfred Lion (1985,1986), Bob Weinstock (1999), Orrin Keepnews (2000), and Creed Taylor. (2009) Ogawa befriended Miles Davis in 1985 and wrote seven books about him. He has written many articles and books mainly about jazz and formed Selim Slive Elementz, an electric free jazz rock band in 2016, in homage to Miles Davis. In 1992, Ogawa produced albums by Kenny Werner, Dennis Chambers, Marc Copland, the keyboardist Adam Holzman who played with Miles Davis, Bob Mintzer, Curtis Fuller, and other artists at Flatout productions. Ogawa is Director of Orthopedics at Central Clinic in Tokyo, Japan.
Shigenobu Nakamura (中村 滋延, Nakamura Shigenobu), born in Osaka in 1950, is a Japanese composer and music teacher. He…
Shigenobu Nakamura (中村 滋延, Nakamura Shigenobu), born in Osaka in 1950, is a Japanese composer and music teacher. He teaches at Kyushu University (Faculty of Design). He has written fifteen books and done both chamber music and symphonies. In the 1990s his visual works were performed at festivals in Palermo and Germany.
Takao Horiuchi (堀内孝雄, Horiuchi Takao; born October 27, 1949 in Abeno-ku, Osaka) is a Japanese pop and enka singer. He…
Takao Horiuchi (堀内孝雄, Horiuchi Takao; born October 27, 1949 in Abeno-ku, Osaka) is a Japanese pop and enka singer. He won a 1990 Japan Record Award for enka.
Kazutoki Umezu (梅津和時, Umezu Kazutoki; born October 17, 1949 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture) is a Japanese jazz…
Kazutoki Umezu (梅津和時, Umezu Kazutoki; born October 17, 1949 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture) is a Japanese jazz saxophonist. He has performed with Tom Cora, Samm Bennett, Ruins, Michiyo Yagi and Susumu Hirasawa.
Tetsuji Hayashi (林 哲司, Hayashi Tetsuji; born August 20, 1949) is a Japanese composer, singer-songwriter, and arranger…
Tetsuji Hayashi (林 哲司, Hayashi Tetsuji; born August 20, 1949) is a Japanese composer, singer-songwriter, and arranger known for his influential contributions to the development of J-pop and city pop during the 1980s. He was exposed to Western pop music from an early age, sparking his passion for music. He honed his skills as a composer and arranger, and in 1978, he composed Mariya Takeuchi's debut album, Beginning, followed by her hit single "September" in 1979 and "Mayonaka no Door" for Miki Matsubara that same year. His collaborations extended to other prominent artists such as S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe, Masaki Ueda and Junichi Inagaki. Despite initially planning retirement in 2008, Hayashi returned to the spotlight due to fan support at a commemorative concert. Since then, he has continued to compose and produce music. His legacy was celebrated with the release of the compilation album 50th Anniversary Special A Tribute of Hayashi Tetsuji: Saudade in 2023, accompanied by a concert showcasing his impact.
Toshio Mashima (真島 俊夫, Mashima Toshio) (21 February 1949 – 21 April 2016) was a Japanese composer born in Yamagata…
Toshio Mashima (真島 俊夫, Mashima Toshio) (21 February 1949 – 21 April 2016) was a Japanese composer born in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.
Osamu Kitajima (喜多嶋 修), also known by the pseudonym Justin Heathcliff, is a Japanese musician, producer, composer, and…
Osamu Kitajima (喜多嶋 修), also known by the pseudonym Justin Heathcliff, is a Japanese musician, producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist who is known for new-age music, as well as folk, jazz fusion and electronic music.
Hiroyuki Fujikake (born 1949), also known by his pen name Hiro Fujikake, is a Japanese composer, conductor and…
Hiroyuki Fujikake (born 1949), also known by his pen name Hiro Fujikake, is a Japanese composer, conductor and synthesizer player.
Kentarō Haneda (羽田 健太郎, Haneda Kentarō; January 12, 1949 – June 2, 2007) was a Japanese pianist, composer and arranger.…
Kentarō Haneda (羽田 健太郎, Haneda Kentarō; January 12, 1949 – June 2, 2007) was a Japanese pianist, composer and arranger. He composed for popular anime series, movies and video games. His popular name was Haneken.
Shinji Tanimura (谷村 新司, Tanimura Shinji; 11 December 1948 – 8 October 2023) was a Japanese singer-songwriter.
Chu Kosaka, Chew Kosaka (小坂 忠), born Masayuki Kosaka (小坂 正行) on July 8, 1948 – April 29, 2022) was a Japanese…
Chu Kosaka, Chew Kosaka (小坂 忠), born Masayuki Kosaka (小坂 正行) on July 8, 1948 – April 29, 2022) was a Japanese singer-songwriter, gospel musician, and pastor. He was known for his foundational contributions to the development of Japanese rock and City pop in the 1970s and later as a pioneer responsible for "laying the foundations" of Japanese gospel music.
Shunichi Tokura (Japanese: 都倉 俊一, Hepburn: Tokura Shun'ichi; born 21 June 1948) is a Japanese composer and was the…
Shunichi Tokura (Japanese: 都倉 俊一, Hepburn: Tokura Shun'ichi; born 21 June 1948) is a Japanese composer and was the chair of the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) from 12 August 2010 to 31 March 2016. In April 2021, he was appointed commissioner for Cultural Affairs of Japan.
Jun Mayuzumi (黛ジュン; born 26 May 1948, in Chōfu, Tokyo) is a Japanese singer. Her best known songs include "Tenshi-no…
Jun Mayuzumi (黛ジュン; born 26 May 1948, in Chōfu, Tokyo) is a Japanese singer. Her best known songs include "Tenshi-no Yūwaku" (Angel's Temptation 1968). She won a Japan Record Award in 1969, and won the inaugural Yamaha Popular Song Contest Grand Prix at the Nemu no Sato Indoor Hall, on November 5, 1970. She appeared on the New Year's Eve Kōhaku Uta Gassen show for four years, 1967-1970.
Michio Kitazume (北爪 道夫 Kitazume Michio, born February 12, 1948, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese composer and conductor.
Kōji Makaino (馬飼野 康二, Makaino Kōji; born 26 January 1948) is a Japanese pop music composer, arranger, and musician. He…
Kōji Makaino (馬飼野 康二, Makaino Kōji; born 26 January 1948) is a Japanese pop music composer, arranger, and musician. He is the elder brother of composer Shunichi Makaino.
Jō Kondō (近藤譲; surname Kondō; born 28 October 1947 in Tokyo) is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music.…
Jō Kondō (近藤譲; surname Kondō; born 28 October 1947 in Tokyo) is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music. Kondo studied composition from 1968 to 1972 with Yoshio Hasegawa and Hiroaki Minami at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He won the third prize and made his debut in Japan-Germany Contemporary Music Festival in 1969. He serves as Professor of Music at Ochanomizu University in Tokyo and also teaches at Tokyo University of Arts and Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima. His interests include hocket, the music of Ancient Greece, and strong differences in instrumental timbre, all of which are reflected in his compositions. The chamber version of his 1975 composition Sight Rhythmics reflects the latter in its unusual instrumentation of violin, banjo, steel drum, electric piano, and tuba, for example. His opera Hagoromo, based on a Noh play and premiered in Florence in 1994, is the unique case in which his music blends western techniques with oriental traditions. In 1978, he spent a year in New York City with a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. While there, he became personally acquainted with a number of avant-garde American composers, including John Cage and especially Morton Feldman. Kondo's music has been performed by the London Sinfonietta, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Arditti Quartet, NEXUS, the Balanescu Quartet, Aki Takahashi and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. His music has been recorded on the Hat Art, ALM, Fontec, and Deutsche Grammophon labels. His scores are published by the University of York Music Press and Edition Peters. Kondo's notable students include Linda Catlin Smith and Paul Newland. In 2024, he was designated a Person of Cultural Merit.
Hiroshi Sato (佐藤博, June 3, 1947 – October 24, 2012) was a Japanese singer-songwriter. He was an influential keyboardist…
Hiroshi Sato (佐藤博, June 3, 1947 – October 24, 2012) was a Japanese singer-songwriter. He was an influential keyboardist in the Japanese jazz fusion and soft rock scenes during the late 1970s and 1980s, later dubbed "city pop".
Takashi Kako (加古 隆, Kako Takashi) (born 31 January 1947) is a Japanese pianist and composer, who works in both jazz and…
Takashi Kako (加古 隆, Kako Takashi) (born 31 January 1947) is a Japanese pianist and composer, who works in both jazz and art-music idioms.
Mayako Kubo (born 5 December 1947) is a Japanese pianist and composer.
Michiyoshi Inoue (井上道義, Inoue Michiyoshi) (born on December 23, 1946) is a Japanese conductor. He is a recipient of the…
Michiyoshi Inoue (井上道義, Inoue Michiyoshi) (born on December 23, 1946) is a Japanese conductor. He is a recipient of the Cantelli Award.
Mitsuo Hagita (萩田光雄, Hagita Mitsuo), born June 16, 1946, in Shizuoka, Japan, is a Japanese arranger, composer and…
Mitsuo Hagita (萩田光雄, Hagita Mitsuo), born June 16, 1946, in Shizuoka, Japan, is a Japanese arranger, composer and musical producer.
Koji Shitara (設楽 幸嗣（こうじ）, Shitara Kōji; born June 4, 1946) is a Japanese composer and former actor. Beginning his…
Koji Shitara (設楽 幸嗣（こうじ）, Shitara Kōji; born June 4, 1946) is a Japanese composer and former actor. Beginning his career as a child actor in 1951, he appeared in 30 films before transitioning to composing, inspired by his uncle, Tōru Takemitsu.