Photo: 内閣官房内閣広報室 / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Shinji Tanimura was born in Osaka in 1948 and died in October 2023, and I still cannot hear Subaru without stopping whatever I am doing. He fronted the band Alice, but what he left behind is a songwriter's legacy: Iihi Tabidachi, a song about setting out that comforts you without ever turning maudlin. That balance is the hard part. Plenty of writers can make you cry; very few can make you lift your chin. Japan recognized him properly, a Mainichi Art Award in 2013 and the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2015, and he later taught as a professor. Songs built that well outlive the man who sang them.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Shinji Tanimura
- Name (Japanese)
- 谷村新司
- Born
- December 11, 1948 – October 8, 2023
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rat
- Origin
- Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
- Height
- 172 cm
- Occupation
- singer / singer-songwriter / composer / lyricist / professor
2. Background
- High school
- Osaka Prefecture Education Center High School
- University
- Momoyama Gakuin University
Awards & achievements
- 2013 Mainichi art award
- 2015 Medal with Purple Ribbon
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Iihi Tabidachi | — | |
| Notable work | Subaru | — |
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.tanimura.com/
- Xhttps://x.com/Shinji_T_Staff
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B0%B7%E6%9D%91%E6%96%B0%E5%8F%B8
Frequently asked questions
When was Shinji Tanimura born?
December 11, 1948 – October 8, 2023.
Where is Shinji Tanimura from?
Shinji Tanimura is from Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
What does Shinji Tanimura do?
Shinji Tanimura works as singer, singer-songwriter, composer, lyricist, professor.
How tall is Shinji Tanimura?
Shinji Tanimura is 172 cm.
What is Shinji Tanimura known for?
Notable works include Iihi Tabidachi, Subaru.
Singer — see all → · Singer-songwriter — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-07-26
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.