Jun Fukamachi (深町 純, Fukamachi Jun; May 21, 1946 – November 22, 2010) was a Japanese jazz fusion composer, arranger…Jun Fukamachi (深町 純, Fukamachi Jun; May 21, 1946 – November 22, 2010) was a Japanese jazz fusion composer, arranger, and keyboardist. He played with The Brecker Brothers and Steve Gadd and released albums for Polydor and Toshiba in the 1970s.
Man Arai (Japanese: 新井満 Arai Man; 7 May 1946 – 3 December 2021) was a Japanese writer and singer. In 1987, he won the…Man Arai (Japanese: 新井満 Arai Man; 7 May 1946 – 3 December 2021) was a Japanese writer and singer. In 1987, he won the Noma Literary New Face Prize for Vexation and Akutagawa Prize in 1988 for Tazunebito no Jikan.
Ryudo Uzaki (宇崎 竜童, Uzaki Ryūdō; born February 23, 1946) is a Japanese musician, composer, and actor. His group, the…Ryudo Uzaki (宇崎 竜童, Uzaki Ryūdō; born February 23, 1946) is a Japanese musician, composer, and actor. His group, the Down Town Boogie-Woogie Band, was one of the most prominent 1970s Japanese rock bands. He also composed many of Momoe Yamaguchi's songs with Yoko Aki. Uzaki has also worked as a film composer, providing the scores to such productions as The Miracle of Joe Petrel, Umi e, See You and Shaso. In addition, Uzaki has frequently worked as an actor, and he also directed the 1982 film Saraba aibo, aka So Long, My Partner: Rock Is Sex. He is married to lyricist and actress Yoko Aki.
Yayoi Kitazume (北爪 やよひ, Kitazume Yayoi; born 26 March 1945) is a Japanese composer. She is the daughter of the…Yayoi Kitazume (北爪 やよひ, Kitazume Yayoi; born 26 March 1945) is a Japanese composer. She is the daughter of the clarinettist and music pedagogue Risei Kitazume (1919–2004), who was president of the Japan Clarinet Society from 1980 to 1986, and the older sister of the composer Michio Kitazume.
Naomi Sagara (佐良 直美, Sagara Naomi; born 1945) is the stage name of Nahoko Yamaguchi (山口 納堡子, Yamaguchi Nahoko), a…Naomi Sagara (佐良 直美, Sagara Naomi; born 1945) is the stage name of Nahoko Yamaguchi (山口 納堡子, Yamaguchi Nahoko), a Japanese popular singer who was prolific between 1967 and 1980. She won numerous awards as a singer and composer, branching into acting. After a surgery to remove polyps on her vocal cords in 1985, she became a business woman. Since 1993, she has worked in the field of animal welfare and has published several books about animal care. She has periodically returned to television in guest appearances and in 2010 resumed singing and composing.
Kei Ogura (Ogura Kei, 小椋佳, born January 18, 1944, in Ueno, Taito, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese singer, songwriter and…Kei Ogura (Ogura Kei, 小椋佳, born January 18, 1944, in Ueno, Taito, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese singer, songwriter and composer. He was also a bank clerk of Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, after graduating from the University of Tokyo. His musical career was in parallel with banking activity. His major works include Saraba seishun (さらば青春) and Oretachi-no-tabi (俺たちの旅). He is known for offering his work to other singers.
Kazuhiko Hattori (Japanese: 服部和彦, romanized: Hattori Kazuhiko; born in 1944) is a Japanese composer, producer, and…Kazuhiko Hattori (Japanese: 服部和彦, romanized: Hattori Kazuhiko; born in 1944) is a Japanese composer, producer, and music critic.
Tokiko Kato (加藤 登紀子, Katō Tokiko; born December 27, 1943) is a Japanese singer, composer, lyricist, actress and…Tokiko Kato (加藤 登紀子, Katō Tokiko; born December 27, 1943) is a Japanese singer, composer, lyricist, actress and activist. She was born in Harbin, Manchukuo, to Japanese parents. She graduated from the University of Tokyo. She worked as a visiting professor at Josai International University. Her career and personal life became deeply intertwined with Japan's radical 1960s student and peace movements. 1972 she married Toshio Fujimoto, leader of the student movement, who was in jail. While being held hostage by hijackers on All Nippon Airways Flight 857, Kato used her cell phone to keep in contact with police during the hijacking. In the late summer of 2023, as geopolitical tensions simmered between China and Japan, she staged a concert for peace in Harbin,.
Shin'ichirō Ikebe (Japanese: 池辺 晋一郎 Ikebe Shin'ichirō; born September 15, 1943, in Mito, Ibaraki) is a Japanese…Shin'ichirō Ikebe (Japanese: 池辺 晋一郎 Ikebe Shin'ichirō; born September 15, 1943, in Mito, Ibaraki) is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music.
Yōsuke Yamashita (山下 洋輔, Yamashita Yōsuke; born 26 February 1942) is a Japanese jazz pianist, composer and writer. His…Yōsuke Yamashita (山下 洋輔, Yamashita Yōsuke; born 26 February 1942) is a Japanese jazz pianist, composer and writer. His piano style is influenced by free jazz, modal jazz and soul jazz. Since the late 1980s, Yamashita's main performing group has consisted of Cecil McBee (bass), Pheeroan akLaff (drums), and often Joe Lovano (saxophone).
Maki Asakawa (Japanese: 浅川マキ, Hepburn: Asakawa Maki; January 27, 1942 – January 17, 2010) was a Japanese jazz and blues…Maki Asakawa (Japanese: 浅川マキ, Hepburn: Asakawa Maki; January 27, 1942 – January 17, 2010) was a Japanese jazz and blues singer, lyricist and composer. Known as the "Queen of the Underground" (アングラの女王, Angura no Joō), she was an important voice of Japan's urban counterculture.
Daisuke Inoue (Japanese: 井上大輔; 13 September 1941 - 30 May 2000), the stage name of Tadao Inoue (Japanese: 井上 忠夫) was a…Daisuke Inoue (Japanese: 井上大輔; 13 September 1941 - 30 May 2000), the stage name of Tadao Inoue (Japanese: 井上 忠夫) was a Japanese singer, composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
Yuji Ohno (Japanese: 大野 雄二, Hepburn: Ōno Yūji; May 30, 1941 – May 4, 2026) was a Japanese jazz musician and composer.…Yuji Ohno (Japanese: 大野 雄二, Hepburn: Ōno Yūji; May 30, 1941 – May 4, 2026) was a Japanese jazz musician and composer. He is best known for scoring anime installments in the Lupin the Third franchise, which he called his life's work.
Hiroshi Yoshimura (吉村 弘, Yoshimura Hiroshi; 22 October 1940 – 23 October 2003) was a Japanese musician and composer. He…Hiroshi Yoshimura (吉村 弘, Yoshimura Hiroshi; 22 October 1940 – 23 October 2003) was a Japanese musician and composer. He is considered a pioneer of ambient music in Japan. His music lies mostly in the minimalist genre of kankyō ongaku, or environment music—soft electronic melodies infused with the sounds of nature: babbling brooks, steady rain, and morning birds. However, not all Yoshimura's work included nature sounds. Green (1986) only had them in the United States release, as they were excluded in the Japanese version.
Kyōhei Tsutsumi (筒美 京平, Tsutsumi Kyouhei) (born Eikichi Watanabe, 28 May 1940 - 7 October 2020), was a Japanese…Kyōhei Tsutsumi (筒美 京平, Tsutsumi Kyouhei) (born Eikichi Watanabe, 28 May 1940 - 7 October 2020), was a Japanese composer, record producer and arranger. Tsutsumi began his career as a songwriter about 1966, and he came to prominence as a composer of Ayumi Ishida's chart-topping hit "Blue Light Yokohama" in the late 1960s. He has released nearly 3,000 compositions to date, over 500 of which have entered the Japanese Oricon singles chart. Tsutsumi is the most commercially successful composer of the Japanese popular music of last five decades, selling over 76 million units on the country's singles chart from 1968 onwards. Two of his compositions won the grand prix of Japan Record Award— "Mata Au Hi Made" performed by Kiyohiko Ozaki in 1971 and "Miserarete" by Judy Ongg in 1979. Tsutsumi himself has also won the awards for best songwriting category five times. Recognized for his long-term contribution to establish Japanese popular music, Tsutsumi received the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon by the Government of Japan in November 2003. Tsutsumi died of aspiration pneumonia on October 7, 2020, after home recuperation, at age 80.
Ken'ichiro Kobayashi (小林 研一郎, Kobayashi Ken'ichirō; born 9 April 1940) is a Japanese conductor and composer. In Japan…Ken'ichiro Kobayashi (小林 研一郎, Kobayashi Ken'ichirō; born 9 April 1940) is a Japanese conductor and composer. In Japan he is known among his fans as “Kobaken.”
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.
Katsuo Ohno (Japanese: 大野克夫, Hepburn: Katsuo Ōno; born September 12, 1939 in Kyoto) is a Japanese musician and composer…Katsuo Ohno (Japanese: 大野克夫, Hepburn: Katsuo Ōno; born September 12, 1939 in Kyoto) is a Japanese musician and composer who has scored multiple films and anime. His most notable works are theme music of detective drama Taiyō ni Hoero! and anime series Detective Conan. As keyboardist, Ohno was a member of the group sounds band The Spiders from 1961 to 1970, and the rock supergroup Pyg from 1971 to 1972, which led to him becoming a member of the Takayuki Inoue Band and a backing instrumentalist for Kenji Sawada from 1972 to 1979.
Shinichi Chiba (Japanese: 千葉 真一, Hepburn: Chiba Shin'ichi; born Sadaho Maeda; 22 January 1939 – 19 August 2021) IPA…Shinichi Chiba (Japanese: 千葉 真一, Hepburn: Chiba Shin'ichi; born Sadaho Maeda; 22 January 1939 – 19 August 2021) IPA: [tɕiꜜba ɕiɰ̃itɕi], known internationally as Sonny Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later to an international audience. Born in Fukuoka, Chiba played a variety of sports in high school, including baseball and volleyball. He also practiced gymnastics and participated at the National Sports Festival of Japan in his third year. When he was a university student, he learned martial arts, earning a black belt in Kyokushin Karate in 1965 and later receiving a fourth degree in 1984. Chiba's career began in the 1960s, when he starred in two tokusatsu superhero shows. In his first role, he replaced Susumu Wajima as the main character Kōtarō Ran/Seven Color Mask in Seven Color Mask (Nana-iro Kamen) in the second half of the series. However, his breakthrough role was in the 1974 film The Street Fighter. Before retiring, Chiba had also appeared in a number of English language American films, including Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006). Chiba died of COVID-19 complications at the hospital in Tokyo on 19 August 2021, at the age of 82.
Mieko Shiomi (塩見 允枝子, Shiomi Mieko; born 1938) is a Japanese artist, composer, and performer who played a key role in…Mieko Shiomi (塩見 允枝子, Shiomi Mieko; born 1938) is a Japanese artist, composer, and performer who played a key role in the development of Fluxus. A co-founder of the seminal postwar Japanese experimental music collective Group Ongaku, she is known for her investigations of the nature and limits of sound, music, and auditory experiences. Her work has been widely circulated as Fluxus editions, featured in concert halls, museums, galleries, and non-traditional spaces, as well as being re-performed by other musicians and artists numerous times. She is best known for her work of the 1960s and early 1970s, especially Spatial Poem, Water Music, Endless Box, and the various instructions in Events & Games, all of which were produced as Fluxus editions. Now in her eighties, she continues to produce new work.
Sōju Nosaka II (二代目 野坂 操壽, Nidaime Nosaka Sōju; May 6, 1938 – August 27, 2019) was a prominent Japanese koto player…Sōju Nosaka II (二代目 野坂 操壽, Nidaime Nosaka Sōju; May 6, 1938 – August 27, 2019) was a prominent Japanese koto player, specializing in contemporary music. Her real name was Keiko Nosaka (野坂 恵子, Nosaka Keiko).
Tyzen Hsiao (Chinese: 蕭泰然; pinyin: Xiāo Tàirán; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Siau Thài-jiân; 1 January 1938 – 24 February 2015) was a…Tyzen Hsiao (Chinese: 蕭泰然; pinyin: Xiāo Tàirán; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Siau Thài-jiân; 1 January 1938 – 24 February 2015) was a Taiwanese composer of the neo-Romantic school. Many of his vocal works set poems written in Taiwanese Hokkien, the mother tongue of the majority of the island's residents at the time. His compositions stand as a musical manifestation of the Taiwanese literature movement that revitalized the island's literary and performing arts in the 1970s and 1980s. Hsiao's career in music included additional success as a pianist and conductor.
Tadao Sawai (沢井 忠夫, Sawai Tadao; 1938 – April 1, 1997) was a Japanese koto player and composer. He was renowned all…Tadao Sawai (沢井 忠夫, Sawai Tadao; 1938 – April 1, 1997) was a Japanese koto player and composer. He was renowned all over Japan for his skill at the koto and also received acclaim for his compositions.
Hōzan Yamamoto (山本 邦山, Yamamoto Hōzan; October 6, 1937 - February 10, 2014 in Ōtsu, Shiga prefecture) was a Japanese…Hōzan Yamamoto (山本 邦山, Yamamoto Hōzan; October 6, 1937 - February 10, 2014 in Ōtsu, Shiga prefecture) was a Japanese shakuhachi player, composer and lecturer. Yamamoto started playing the Japanese bamboo flute shakuhachi at the age of nine. He was initially taught by his father and then by Chozan Nakanishi. After graduating from Kyoto Junior College of Foreign Studies in 1958, he participated in UNESCO's World Folk Music Festival and graduated from Seiha Music College in 1962. Together with koto player Shinichi Yuize and Tony Scott, he recorded the album Music for Zen Meditation in February 1964. After forming the widely acclaimed "Shakuhachi Sanbon Kai" trio in 1966 with Reibo Aoki and Katsuya Yokoyama, he electrified the conservative traditional scene by applying his talents to a variety of crossover collaborations. These have led him to work with such world-renowned musicians as Ravi Shankar, Helen Merrill, Gary Peacock and Karl Berger, and also with flute colleagues Jean-Pierre Rampal and Chris Hinze. In 1980 he was invited to the renowned Donaueschingen music festival with his trio. He recorded music for the movie Samurai Reincarnation film and the album Masters of Zen: Shakuhachi & Organ with Wolfgang Mitterer. Through the 1970s and 1980s until his death he led the shakuhachi world receiving innumerable honors, including Japanese Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Education Ministerial awards for his performances, recordings (numbering in the hundreds) and compositions. He served as lecturer at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and as head of the Hozan-kai Shakuhachi Guild. In 2002 he was designated Living National Treasure of Japan. In 2004, he was awarded a Medal with Purple Ribbon. In 2009, he was awarded an Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. On February 10, 2014, he died at a hospital in Tokyo.
Yoshihisa Taira (or Taïra) (平 義久, Taira Yoshihisa; 3 March 1937 – 13 March 2005) was a Japanese composer of…Yoshihisa Taira (or Taïra) (平 義久, Taira Yoshihisa; 3 March 1937 – 13 March 2005) was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music primarily active in France. Grove Music Online remarks that "His treatment of time and space, sonority, poetic lyricism, silence [...] were derived from traditional Japanese music and art, and are compatible with a French modernist aesthetic".
Keiko Abe (安倍 圭子, Abe Keiko; born April 18, 1937) is a Japanese composer and marimba player. She has been a primary…Keiko Abe (安倍 圭子, Abe Keiko; born April 18, 1937) is a Japanese composer and marimba player. She has been a primary figure in the development of the marimba, in terms of expanding both technique and repertoire, and through her collaboration with the Yamaha Corporation, developed the modern five-octave concert marimba.
Kikuko Masumoto (増本 伎共子, Masumoto Kikuko; born 2 February 1937) is a Japanese pianist, music educator, composer, and…Kikuko Masumoto (増本 伎共子, Masumoto Kikuko; born 2 February 1937) is a Japanese pianist, music educator, composer, and ethnomusicologist.
Katsuhisa Hattori (服部 克久, Hattori Katsuhisa; November 1, 1936 – June 11, 2020) was a Japanese classical composer who…Katsuhisa Hattori (服部 克久, Hattori Katsuhisa; November 1, 1936 – June 11, 2020) was a Japanese classical composer who also wrote music for anime films, television series and OVAs. Hattori was a respected composer in Japan; his style was classical, although he was experienced and respected in many other genres, such as New Age, Jazz, etc. He was the son of Ryoichi Hattori and the father of Takayuki Hattori, both musical composers as well. Besides being a composer, he was a producer and music supervisor for many years and had his own publishing company, Hattori Music Publishing. He was also a pianist, judge and chairman for the Tokyo music festivals.
Kazuo Umezu or Kazuo Umezz (楳図 かずお, Umezu Kazuo; birth name 楳図一雄; September 3, 1936 – October 28, 2024) was a Japanese…Kazuo Umezu or Kazuo Umezz (楳図 かずお, Umezu Kazuo; birth name 楳図一雄; September 3, 1936 – October 28, 2024) was a Japanese manga artist, musician and actor. Starting his career in the 1950s, he is among the most famous artists of horror manga and has been vital for its development, considered the "god of horror manga". In 1960s shōjo manga like Reptilia, he broke the industry's conventions by combining the aesthetics of the commercial manga industry with gruesome visual imagery inspired by Japanese folktales, which created a boom of horror manga and influenced manga artists of following generations. He created successful manga series such as The Drifting Classroom, Makoto-chan and My Name Is Shingo, until he retired from drawing manga in the mid 1990s. He was a public figure in Japan, known for wearing red-and-white-striped shirts and doing his signature "Gwash" hand gesture.
Takekuni Hirayoshi (平吉 毅州, Hirayoshi Takekuni; July 10, 1936 in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture – May 28, 1998) was a Japanese…Takekuni Hirayoshi (平吉 毅州, Hirayoshi Takekuni; July 10, 1936 in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture – May 28, 1998) was a Japanese classical composer.
Maki Ishii (Japanese: 石井 眞木, Hepburn: Ishii Maki; May 28, 1936 – April 8, 2003) was a Japanese composer of contemporary…Maki Ishii (Japanese: 石井 眞木, Hepburn: Ishii Maki; May 28, 1936 – April 8, 2003) was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music.
Toshiaki Tsushima (津島 利章, Tsushima Toshiaki; 22 May 1936 – 25 November 2013) was a Japanese composer, mainly known for…Toshiaki Tsushima (津島 利章, Tsushima Toshiaki; 22 May 1936 – 25 November 2013) was a Japanese composer, mainly known for his film scores. Born in Okayama Prefecture, he graduated from the Arts Department of Nihon University in Tokyo. He died on November 25, 2013, of pneumonia.
Tadatoshi Miyagawa (水谷川忠俊, Miyagawa Tadatoshi; born 9 December 1935) is a Japanese composer, a Gagaku performer and…Tadatoshi Miyagawa (水谷川忠俊, Miyagawa Tadatoshi; born 9 December 1935) is a Japanese composer, a Gagaku performer and researcher, as well as a music arranger. His former last and first name was Konoe Toshitake (近衛俊健). He is a 13th generation Patrilinear descendant, also known as the male line, of Emperor Go-Yōzei, Emperor of Japan.
Seiji Yokoyama (横山 菁児, Yokoyama Seiji; March 17, 1935 – July 8, 2017) was a Japanese incidental music composer from…Seiji Yokoyama (横山 菁児, Yokoyama Seiji; March 17, 1935 – July 8, 2017) was a Japanese incidental music composer from Hiroshima. He graduated from the Kunitachi College of Music in 1957. Yokoyama is best known for his work on the anime series Saint Seiya and Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and for his symphonic sound for many television programs. In 1992, he won the JASRAC award for his work on Saint Seiya. On July 8, 2017, Yokoyama died from pneumonia at age 82.
Norio Nobuhito Maeda (前田 憲男, Maeda Norio; December 6, 1934 – November 25, 2018 Osaka Prefecture) was a Japanese jazz…Norio Nobuhito Maeda (前田 憲男, Maeda Norio; December 6, 1934 – November 25, 2018 Osaka Prefecture) was a Japanese jazz composer and pianist. Maeda learned piano as a young child, and moved to Tokyo to play and arrange jazz professionally in 1955. There he played with Shungo Sawada's ensemble and founded a group called the Wind Breakers. He joined the West Liners, led by Konosuke Saijo, as a pianist and arranger in 1959. Known as a composer, he penned pieces for The Blue Coats, Tatsuya Takahashi, Nobuo Hara, and Toshiyuki Miyama. He also founded We 3 with Yasuo Arakawa and Takeshi Inomata, and later worked with Inomata again in a trio with Sadanori Nakamure. On 25 November 2018, Maeda died from pneumonia at a hospital in Tokyo.
Takeo Watanabe (渡辺 岳夫, Watanabe Takeo; April 16, 1933 – June 2, 1989) was a Japanese musician and composer. In addition…Takeo Watanabe (渡辺 岳夫, Watanabe Takeo; April 16, 1933 – June 2, 1989) was a Japanese musician and composer. In addition to composing the well known theme song for Cutie Honey he has also composed music for multiple anime television series and films including Lone Wolf and Cub, Candy Candy, and Mobile Suit Gundam. Tomei Tengu BGM written and performed by Takeo Watanabe was used in the soundtrack of the 2003 movie Lost in Translation fourteen years after his death. In 2008 Takeo Watanabe posthumously received an Award of Merit from the Tokyo International Anime Fair. He died at the age of 56.
Toshi Ichiyanagi (一柳 慧, Ichiyanagi Toshi; 4 February 1933 – 7 October 2022) was a Japanese avant-garde composer and…Toshi Ichiyanagi (一柳 慧, Ichiyanagi Toshi; 4 February 1933 – 7 October 2022) was a Japanese avant-garde composer and pianist. One of the leading composers in Japan during the postwar era, Ichiyanagi worked in a range of genres, composing Western-style operas, orchestral and chamber works, as well as compositions using traditional Japanese instruments. Ichiyanagi is known for incorporating avant-garde techniques into his works, such as chance music, extended technique, and nontraditional scoring. Ichiyanagi was married to artist Yoko Ono from 1956 to 1962.
Sadao Watanabe (渡辺 貞夫, Watanabe Sadao; born 1 February 1933) is a Japanese jazz musician who plays alto saxophone and…Sadao Watanabe (渡辺 貞夫, Watanabe Sadao; born 1 February 1933) is a Japanese jazz musician who plays alto saxophone and sopranino saxophone. He is known for his bossa nova recordings, although his work encompasses many styles, with collaborations from musicians all over the world.
Asei Kobayashi (小林 亜星, Kobayashi Asei; 11 August 1932 – 30 May 2021) was a Japanese composer. He was also a lyricist…Asei Kobayashi (小林 亜星, Kobayashi Asei; 11 August 1932 – 30 May 2021) was a Japanese composer. He was also a lyricist, actor, and multi-tarento. He could also sing songs and advertisement songs. Kobayashi was represented by Astro Music. He was the director of the Japan Songwriters Association (J-scat). Kobayashi served as the first president of the Dai Nihon Piman-sha Renmei (Dai Pi Ren). His songs are used in advertisements and television themes. Asei also composed the music for the 1991 Famicom video game Niji no Silkroad. A soundtrack CD was later released titled Rainbow Silkroad Image Album WINDY ROAD. He also composed The TV Asahi song in 1977 when the television station changed its name to its current name.
Isao Tomita (冨田 勲, Tomita Isao; 22 April 1932 – 5 May 2016) (often known simply as Tomita) was a Japanese composer…Isao Tomita (冨田 勲, Tomita Isao; 22 April 1932 – 5 May 2016) (often known simply as Tomita) was a Japanese composer regarded as one of the pioneers of electronic music and space music as well as one of the most famous producers of analog synthesizer arrangements. In addition to creating note-by-note realizations, Tomita made extensive use of the sound-design capabilities of his instrument, using synthesizers to create new sounds to accompany and enhance his electronic realizations of acoustic instruments. He also made effective use of analog music sequencers and the Mellotron, and featured futuristic science-fiction themes, while laying the foundations for synth-pop music and trance-like rhythms. Many of his albums are electronic versions and adaptations of familiar classical music pieces. He received four Grammy Award nominations for his 1974 album based on music by Claude Debussy, Snowflakes Are Dancing.
Shunsuke Kikuchi (菊池 俊輔, Kikuchi Shunsuke; November 1, 1931 – April 24, 2021) was a Japanese composer who was active…Shunsuke Kikuchi (菊池 俊輔, Kikuchi Shunsuke; November 1, 1931 – April 24, 2021) was a Japanese composer who was active from the early 1960s until 2017. He specialized in incidental music for media such as television and film. Kikuchi was regarded as one of Japan's most highly demanded film and TV composers, working principally on tokusatsu and anime, popular action films, jidaigeki, and television dramas.
Yūzō Toyama (外山 雄三, Toyama Yūzō; 10 May 1931 – 11 July 2023) was a Japanese composer and conductor. A native of Tokyo…Yūzō Toyama (外山 雄三, Toyama Yūzō; 10 May 1931 – 11 July 2023) was a Japanese composer and conductor. A native of Tokyo, he was a pupil of Kan'ichi Shimofusa; he studied conducting with Kurt Wöss and Wilhelm Loibner and, like them, later became a conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor he served with numerous orchestras throughout Japan; as a composer his prime influences are Béla Bartók and Dmitri Shostakovich. Mstislav Rostropovich performed the world premiere of the composer's six-movement 1967 First Cello Concerto, a piece described by Gramophone as "attractive", with the additional comment that it "sounds like Japanese folk music rendered orchestral by Kodaly". His best-known work is a Rhapsody for Orchestra based on Japanese folk songs. Toyama won the Suntory Music Award in 1982. Toyama died on 11 July 2023, at the age of 92.
Koichi Sugiyama (すぎやま こういち, Sugiyama Kōichi; April 11, 1931 – September 30, 2021) was a Japanese composer, conductor…Koichi Sugiyama (すぎやま こういち, Sugiyama Kōichi; April 11, 1931 – September 30, 2021) was a Japanese composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He was best known for composing for the Dragon Quest franchise, along with several other video games, anime, film, television shows, and pop songs. Classically trained, Sugiyama was considered a major inspiration for other Japanese game music composers and was active from the 1960s until his death in 2021. Sugiyama was also a council member of the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers (JASRAC), board member of the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals, and honorary chairman of the Japanese Backgammon Society. Prior to his death, the Japanese government honored him with Order of the Rising Sun and named him a Person of Cultural Merit. Sugiyama was also active in politics and activism, promoting ideas such as Japanese nationalism while denying Japanese war crimes.