Photo: Frank Schwichtenberg / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Akira Takasaki is the guy I point to whenever someone claims Japan never produced a world-class guitar hero. As the frontman of LOUDNESS, he kicked the door down overseas back when that was almost unheard of, making Western crowds go "wait, a Japanese band shreds like this?" And here's what I love: he's fast, sure, but he never plays speed for speed's sake. His guitar actually sings. Behind the sunglasses and the tough-guy scowl there's this melodic instinct that makes the riffs stick in your head long after the volume fades. Born in Osaka in 1961, he's been hammering out that signature roar for decades without losing the fire, and that stubborn devotion is its own kind of cool. You don't need a juicy anecdote to get it; one earful of that tone tells you everything. The man's a genuine guitar lifer.
Overview
Akira Takasaki is a Japanese guitarist and composer born on February 22, 1961, in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture. He is best known as the lead guitarist of the heavy metal band LOUDNESS, which pioneered the international breakthrough of Japanese rock music. Takasaki attended Meiji University Nakano High School. He stands 170 cm tall and maintains an official website at akiratakasaki.com.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Akira Takasaki
- Name (Japanese)
- 高崎晃
- Reading
- たかさき あきら
- Born
- February 22, 1961 (age 65)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Ox (丑)
- Origin
- Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
- Height
- 170cm
- Occupation
- Guitarist / Composer
2. Background
- High school
- Meiji University Nakano High School
- University
- Meiji University Nakano High School
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.akiratakasaki.com
- Xhttps://x.com/loudness222
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%AB%98%E5%B4%8E%E6%99%83
Frequently asked questions
When was Akira Takasaki born?
Born February 22, 1961 (age 65).
Where is Akira Takasaki from?
Akira Takasaki is from Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
What does Akira Takasaki do?
Akira Takasaki works as Guitarist, Composer.
How tall is Akira Takasaki?
Akira Takasaki is 170cm.
Guitarist — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.