Photo: ONICHIE / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I'll be honest, Masao Akashi is exactly the kind of guy I love digging up, the name you don't know who somehow shaped sounds you definitely do. He wasn't a frontman, he was the architect, and the fact that he came out of Osaka University's engineering school before becoming an arranger, composer and bassist tells you everything. That was a guy who treated a song like a structure, bolting the low end and the arrangement together with this almost scientific precision, and you can still feel that rigor under the gloss. The Nishinomiya kid who built the skeleton other people get famous standing on, basically. Quiet legend energy, and I'm here for it.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
Overview
Masao Akashi was a Japanese music producer, arranger, composer, and bassist born on March 25, 1957, in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. He studied at Hyogo Prefectural Naruo High School before graduating from the School of Engineering Science at Osaka University. In addition to his career in music, he has also worked as a counselor.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Masao Akashi
- Name (Japanese)
- 明石昌夫
- Reading
- あかし まさお
- Born
- March 25, 1957 – May 19, 2025
- Origin
- Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
- Occupation
- Music Producer / Arranger / Composer / Bassist / Counselor
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Rooster
- Active years
- 1988 - 2025
2. Background
- High school
- Hyogo Prefectural Naruo High School
- University
- Osaka University, School of Engineering Science
3. Works & records
Works summary
- Works
- 56
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| 裸のプリンセスマーメイド | |
| WARRIOR〜迷子の大人〜 | |
| True Heart | |
| 青い花 | |
| ましゅまろきんぐだむ | |
| Arrangement | ZARD |
| Arrangement | Good-bye My Loneliness |
| Arrangement | 恋女の憂鬱 |
| Arrangement | B'z |
| Arrangement | だからその手を離して |
| Arrangement | BYE-BYE-BYE |
| Arrangement | One and Only |
| Arrangement | ALICE 0001 |
| Arrangement | Necessary(J-POP Ver.) |
| Arrangement | 真面目過ぎる君へ |
| Arrangement | どこまでもずっと |
| Arrangement | あっぷる・らぶ |
| Arrangement | STOP MOTION |
| Arrangement | 義風堂々!! |
| Arrangement | as A person |
| Arrangement | ドゥー・ユー・リメンバー・ミー |
| Arrangement | もう一度抱きしめて |
| Arrangement | LA JOLLA(ラ・ホーヤ) |
| Arrangement | Dream'in Love |
| Arrangement | Bad Angel |
| Arrangement | PASSION |
| Arrangement | 果てしない夢を |
| Arrangement | 雨に濡れて |
| Arrangement | 椎名へきる |
| Arrangement | BESIDE YOU |
| Arrangement | ever |
| Arrangement | 解放区 |
| Arrangement | RED ZONE |
| Arrangement | ギリギリしてる/だからサヨナラ |
| Arrangement | JUST ILLUSION |
| Arrangement | I Will Wait For You |
| Arrangement | Remember Me |
| Arrangement | 眩しいほど奇麗になったね |
| Arrangement | Running to the top |
| Arrangement | 二人暮し |
| Arrangement | とまどい |
| Arrangement | 5Minutes |
| Arrangement | LOVE②くらっち |
| Arrangement | 君が好きだと叫びたい |
| Arrangement | スーパーカー |
| Arrangement | 紅い月 |
| Arrangement | 鼻歌ライオン |
| Arrangement | puzzle |
| Arrangement | We'll be together |
| Arrangement | ベビスタ |
| Arrangement | 声にならないほどに愛しい |
| Arrangement | ゆらり桜空… |
| Arrangement | KISSしてロンリネス |
| Arrangement | Tears |
| Arrangement | 寂しさは秋の色 |
| Arrangement | This Song's For You |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. Works and profile fields sourced from Wikipedia reflect content as of 2026-08-26. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Masao Akashi born?
Masao Akashi was born on March 25, 1957.
When did Masao Akashi die?
Masao Akashi died on May 19, 2025, aged 68.
Where was Masao Akashi from?
Masao Akashi was from Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.
What did Masao Akashi do?
Masao Akashi worked as Music Producer, Arranger, Composer, Bassist, Counselor.
Where did Masao Akashi study?
Masao Akashi attended Osaka University.
When was Masao Akashi active?
Masao Akashi was active from 1988 to 2025.
What was Masao Akashi known for?
Masao Akashi's notable works include True Heart, ZARD, Good-bye My Loneliness.
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