Japanese Guitar Legend Masayoshi Takanaka's Surprising Global Comeback in His 70s
In a remarkable twist of fate, Masayoshi Takanaka, the 72-year-old Japanese jazz fusion virtuoso, is experiencing an extraordinary second wave of international fame. Originally planning to fade out his career, Takanaka now finds himself preparing for sold-out UK shows and a global tour, all thanks to an unexpected digital revival.
From London Upgrade to Global Tour
When Takanaka announced his first ever UK solo concert for November 2025, the response was overwhelming. Originally scheduled for London's Shepherd's Bush Empire, demand forced an upgrade to two nights at Brixton Academy, where nearly 10,000 fans will witness his unique performance in March. Come summer, he'll headline the City Pop Waves festival at London's Crystal Palace Bowl.
"I was actually planning to fade out [my career]," Takanaka reveals during a video call. "But now I feel like this might be my second coming. My life has changed so much in the last few years."
A Storied Career in Japan
Born in Tokyo in 1953, Takanaka discovered the guitar in middle school, drawing inspiration from western artists including Cream, the Beatles, and Ten Years After. His early musical journey saw him frequenting Shibuya jazz clubs while still in school uniform, boldly asking bands if he could jam with them.
By 1972, he was performing with Sadistic Mika Band, which became the first Japanese rock band to tour the UK when they supported Roxy Music in arenas. "They were already rock stars, so they had a limousine," Takanaka recalls. "We were driving a Rover."
The band's appearance on BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test earned praise from guitar legend Jeff Beck, but when vocalist Mika Kato chose not to return to Japan amid marital difficulties, the group disbanded. "I've not been back to the UK for 50 years," Takanaka notes.
Decades of Japanese Success
The UK consequently missed Takanaka's wildly successful solo career in Japan. His 1976 debut Seychelles helped pioneer Japan's rock fusion scene, while 1978's Brasilian Skies, recorded in Rio de Janeiro and Los Angeles, featured Ryuichi Sakamoto and members of Toto, drawing inspiration from bossa nova and samba.
His 1979 instrumental Blue Lagoon became a hit single, and 1982's Saudade reached number one on Japan's album charts. "At some point, my record company asked if there was anyone I wanted to perform with," Takanaka remembers. "I ended up performing a joint concert with Santana at the Yokohama baseball stadium."
Subsequent collaborations with Tina Turner and Little Richard solidified his status as a guitar hero in Japan. His success allowed him to purchase a condominium and cruiser in the Bahamas, where he would spend winter months making music, reflecting his affinity for tropical islands and summer vibes.
The Digital Revival
Decades later, Japanese jazz and pop music from the 70s and 80s unexpectedly began amassing millions of plays on YouTube, as algorithms recommended it to western listeners. The anonymous founder of the Instagram fan page Takanaka Vibes, created in 2023 and now boasting 122,000 followers, discovered Takanaka through a 1981 performance at Tokyo's Budokan.
"The aesthetic was really cool; he's a playful character and that really shines through in his performances," the fan page founder explains, noting that halfway through the performance, Takanaka and his band wore goblin masks. "From there, I entered the rabbit hole."
In 2019, the reissues label Light in the Attic Records licensed Takanaka's 1979 track Bamboo Vender for its popular Pacific Breeze compilation of Japanese "city pop" music. Label representative Greg Gouty believes the revival stems from how this music encapsulates Japan's spirit during its late 70s and 80s economic boom.
"It was a time when Japan was a kind of dreamland, where everybody's got work and money," Gouty observes. "You can feel it reflected in the music being produced at the time, and even in the artwork." He points to the cover of Takanaka's 1979 compilation All of Me, which shows the guitarist giving a thumbs up while skydiving. "You want to buy the record because he's smiling so much. This is good vibes music."
Streaming Success and Emotional Returns
Takanaka's popularity surged on streaming platforms as well. Last year, when his wild guitar soloing appeared on the soundtrack to Dwayne Johnson's sports drama The Smashing Machine, he performed in Los Angeles for the first time in nearly four decades.
"In Japan, most of the people at my shows are in their 50s, 60s or 70s," Takanaka notes. "But in LA, most people were in their 20s. You could really feel their energy, and hear the audience cheering so loud. It got me really emotional."
Now, his first world tour includes the UK, US, Australia, and New Zealand, with almost all dates sold out. "It's hard to grasp and understand," Takanaka admits. "It doesn't feel real."
The Signature Surfboard Guitar
Fans can expect a set list drawn from dozens of albums across Takanaka's 50-year career, but what about his signature red surfboard-shaped guitar?
"Actually, I gave it away after using it at a lot of my shows in Japan," Takanaka reveals, though he retrieved it for the world tour. "I thought I didn't need it any more. But life is short, and you have to do what you really want to do while you're still alive – that was why I made the guitar in the first place."
Masayoshi Takanaka performs at Brixton Academy on 31 March and 1 April, followed by his global tour, and headlines City Pop Waves festival at Crystal Palace Bowl on 7 August.
