Photo: SorryArii / CC0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on March 27, 1953 in Ōi, Tokyo, Japan, Masayoshi Takanaka is a music arranger, composer and record producer. That puts Masayoshi Takanaka at 73 years old in 2026. Schooling on record includes Tokyo city affiliated junior high school · senior high school. Awards on record include Japan Record Awards. Credited works include Jukkai (1984), An Insatiable High and The Rainbow Goblins.
My Take
Masayoshi Takanaka is pure sunshine in guitar form, and I never tire of him. His bright, tropical tone conjures beaches and summer even though he grew up in Tokyo, and that escapist warmth is exactly its charm. Beyond the virtuosity, what impresses me is his ambition: concept records like The Rainbow Goblins show a composer thinking far bigger than a session player would. A Japan Record Award and a career past fifty years, still touring, mark him as a true elder statesman of Japanese fusion. The sheer joy he radiates while playing is what makes him special to me.
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.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Masayoshi Takanaka
- Name (Japanese)
- 高中正義
- Reading
- たかなか まさよし
- Born
- March 27, 1953 (age 73)
- Origin
- Ōi, Tokyo, Japan
- Occupation
- music arranger / composer / guitarist / record producer / jazz guitarist
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Snake
2. Background
- High school
- Tokyo city affiliated junior high school · senior high school
Awards & achievements
- Japan Record Awards
3. Works & records
Works summary
- Appearances
- 209 (1976–2026)
- By year (titles with a known year)
- 1976: 2, 1977: 3, 1978: 3, 1979: 3, 1980: 5, 1981: 7, 1982: 4, 1983: 4, 1984: 3, 1985: 7, 1986: 9, 1987: 7, 1988: 8, 1989: 2, 1990: 3, 1991: 3, 1992: 5, 1993: 5, 1994: 3, 1995: 4, 1996: 8, 1997: 7, 1998: 4, 1999: 1, 2000: 2, 2001: 7, 2002: 2, 2003: 2, 2004: 4, 2005: 4, 2006: 3, 2007: 2, 2008: 1, 2009: 1, 2010: 2, 2011: 6, 2012: 2, 2013: 1, 2014: 3, 2015: 2, 2016: 1, 2017: 1, 2018: 2, 2019: 1, 2020: 1, 2021: 5, 2022: 1, 2023: 1, 2024: 1, 2025: 1, 2026: 2, year unknown: 38
- Debut work
- SWEET AGNES / 作詞：Tan Tan / 作曲：高中正義 / 編曲：高中正義
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Notable work | Jukkai (1984) |
| Notable work | An Insatiable High |
| Notable work | The Rainbow Goblins |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.takanaka.com/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/takanaka_official/
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masayoshi%20Takanaka
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%AB%98%E4%B8%AD%E6%AD%A3%E7%BE%A9
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11668651
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. 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 Masayoshi Takanaka born?
Masayoshi Takanaka was born on March 27, 1953 and is 73 years old.
Where is Masayoshi Takanaka from?
Masayoshi Takanaka is from Ōi, Tokyo, Japan.
What does Masayoshi Takanaka do?
Masayoshi Takanaka works as music arranger, composer, guitarist, record producer, jazz guitarist.
Which high school did Masayoshi Takanaka attend?
Masayoshi Takanaka attended Tokyo city affiliated junior high school · senior high school.
What is Masayoshi Takanaka known for?
Masayoshi Takanaka's notable works include Jukkai (1984), An Insatiable High, The Rainbow Goblins.
Music arranger — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from Japan → · More people born on March 27 →