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Yomiuri Shimbun
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Isao Sasaki, Japanese Anison Singer, Celebrates 65th Anniversary of Career, Recovery from Illness with Concert
Singer Isao Sasaki, famous for singing the theme of anime series 'Uchu Senkan Yamato' ('Space Battleship Yamato') among many other songs, celebrated the 65th anniversary of his debut on July 20. I had the honor of serving as emcee for the talk session in the first part of 'Sasaki Isao 65 Shunen Kinen: Nakama to Iwau Fukkatsusai' (Isao Sasaki 65th anniversary commemoration: A celebration of his return with friends and company). Singing professionally for 65 years is itself a great achievement, but what's more is Sasaki having just made a miraculous comeback from an illness. In January, he was diagnosed with acute exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia, and had to be hospitalized until the end of February. After recuperating at home, he made the first step of his comeback at an anison (anime song) concert in late April. While in the hospital, he was told that he would die in two or three days if the steroids did not work. With this context, the audience of about 2,000 at the July concert grew even more excited to see Sasaki come on stage with a big smile, to the opening of the Yamato theme song. Their roars and applause rumbled the auditorium, and the band members on stage were almost moved to tears. 'I feel that I was kept alive by all of you,' Sasaki told the audience. 'I'd like to thank you and sing for you.' And he passionately sang his signature songs, including 'Makkana Scarf' (The red scarf), 'Yamato!! Aratanaru Tabidachi' (Yamato!! The new departure) and 'Galaxy Express 999.' He then went on to sing the 'Space Pirate Captain Harlock' theme, originally sung by Ichiro Mizuki, who died in 2022 and was a friend of Sasaki, to mourn his loss. The talk portion in the first part of the concert also featured by fellow alumni from the popular TV anime series 'Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman' ('Gatchaman'). Sasaki provided the voice for the widely loved character Joe and sang the theme songs from the series. The three participants in the session were voice actor Katsuji Mori, who played the protagonist, Ken, for the whole series; voice actor Miyuki Ueda, Sasaki's real-life wife, who played a key character in 'Gatchaman II,' and singer Mitsuko Horie, who duetted the ending title song for 'Gatchaman II' with Sasaki. 'We recorded the song simultaneously, singing in booths separated by an acrylic board,' Horie said of the recording of the song, 'Ashita Yumemite' (Dreaming of tomorrow). Recalling the old days, Sasaki and Horie then sang the duet on stage. Mori and Ueda happened to know each other from their childhood days. While working for 'Gatchaman II,' Mori watched Ueda and Sasaki becoming drawn to each other in real time. 'I told her to stop going out with him, forever, but that made her into him even more,' Mori said, laughing out loud, revealing that he practically played Cupid for the couple. Then Sasaki and Mori duetted 'Issho ni Aruko Kono Michi o' (Let's walk this way together), a song from the series with music and lyrics by Sasaki. The crowd loved the duet, which included a spoken part by Mori. The concert also featured Sasaki's singer colleagues Hironobu Kageyama, Masaaki Endo and Kentaro Hayami. Toward the end, Sasaki sang 'Kimi no Seishun wa Kagayaite iruka' (Are your youthful days shining?), the theme song from tokusatsu live-action superhero drama 'Chojinki Metalder.' The lyrics, written by the late James Miki, have a line that goes, 'Maketa to omou made ningen wa makenai' (People can't lose until they think they have lost), which had never sounded so touching before that day. The lyrics are so in line with Sasaki, who has never given up despite his serious illness, managing to sing at this anniversary concert, which lasted about three hours. The next song, 'My Way,' seemed as if it was about his own life. I listened to it from the wings and could not help being overwhelmed with emotion. I was blessed to have spent many hours with him during the concert's meetings and rehearsals. Despite it being not long after his recovery, Sasaki was uncompromising, reworking the program and talk session topics several times. When rehearsing the Yamato theme song, which he must have sung tens of thousands of times, he sang it in full. I felt the way he worked hard to prepare for the concert taught me a lot. His dedication to singing must be why audiences have been drawn to and enamored by him for so many years. I sincerely hope he will continue to let us listen to his fantastic singing.
Time Out
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Embark on a creative journey through time and space at the Leiji Matsumoto exhibition
Few would argue against the late Leiji Matsumoto as one of Japan's most visionary manga artists. Best known for sci-fi epics like Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999 and Space Pirate Captain Harlock, the Fukuoka native conjured up incredibly intricate worlds to convey a deeply humanistic message. This summer, the master storyteller's seven-decade career and the creative cosmos he envisioned can be explored in great detail at Tokyo City View, where ' Leiji Matsumoto Exhibition: A Creative Journey ' is on show until September 7. The first large-scale retrospective dedicated to Matsumoto, who passed away in 2023, the exhibition traces the evolution of an artist whose pen moved across space and time with unshakable conviction and emotional resonance. Among the highlights on display is a trove of original drawings discovered in the artist's studio after his death, each a testament to his precision, poetic imagination and narrative mastery. These hand-drawn works, some shown for the first time, allow you to rediscover Matsumoto as both a craftsman and a dreamer. Here's what else to look forward to at the exhibition. The departure platform in the sky Before stepping into the world of Leiji Matsumoto's imagination, you're invited to begin your travels in the sky. High above the city, a familiar scene awaits: an evocative recreation of the departure platform from Galaxy Express 999. The melody of 'Ballad of Departure' plays softly through the exhibition space, and a large screen projects animated scenes. This prologue makes a fitting start to a journey of memory, hope and eternal imagination. Zone 1: The Leiji Meter Born 1938 in Kurume, Fukuoka, Matsumoto began drawing at the age of six. His early life, shaped by the hardships of wartime Japan, was filled with machines and dreams of flight, influenced by his father, a former army pilot. The exhibition begins by tracing the artist's formative years from his debut in the 1950s to the anime boom of the 1980s. Showcased in the introductory section are milestones from Matsumoto's early insect-themed manga and poignant coming-of-age stories to genre-defining sci-fi adventures. Each phase is marked by a symbolic 'Leiji Meter', a narrative gauge emblematic of his works, charting both personal and artistic growth. Zone 2: A boundless creative universe While working in a modest four-and-a-half tatami room, Matsumoto conjured up worlds that stretch to the farthest reaches of the cosmos. His stories are populated with rich philosophical questions about life, death and human connection. The exhibition recreates his creative space by way of immersive installations and original art. Visitors can follow the interstellar voyage of Galaxy Express 999 's Tetsuro Hoshino, a boy who seeks eternal life through a mechanical body and ends up learning about the complexities of existence. From the mysterious women who guide his protagonists to ultra-detailed mecha and space battleships, the exhibition reveals how Matsumoto's narrative finesse and illustrative rigor created a singular artistic language. It's a world where delicate linework and vivid imagination come together to forge timeless mythologies. Zone 3: Leiji Matsumoto, the artisan In the monochrome world of manga, colour illustrations carry immense weight, serving as a story's visual milestones. Matsumoto's original colour drawings, often set against a backdrop of deep-space blue and flecked with stars, are a symphony of improvisation and compositional elegance. These pieces encapsulate the emotional gravity of his stories in a single frame. The finale of the exhibition is a tribute to Matsumoto as a visual poet – one who sent dreams into orbit with every stroke of his pen. A timeless legacy Matsumoto's influence permeates today's Japanese pop culture, from manga and anime to toy design and cinema. His female characters, notably Maetel from Galaxy Express 999, reflect a fusion of classical beauty, ballet-like grace and dramatic expressiveness, while his mechanical designs, based on real-life study and tactile exploration, remain among the most iconic in sci-fi. Whether he was sketching a spaceship or crafting dialogue in antique-style scrolls, Matsumoto infused his work with signature quirks and deeply personal touches. The exhibition goes beyond the art on display to emphasise this subjective aspect, providing a glimpse into Matsumoto's philosophy. Including a short documentary and heartfelt personal messages from Leiji Matsumoto, 'A Creative Journey' reminds us of the importance of constant curiosity and the enduring power of storytelling.
