Whimsical, genre-defying Japanese singer-songwriter Takuro Yoshida (吉田 拓郎, Yoshida Takurō) was born in Okuchi, Kagoshima on April 5th 1946 in grew up in Hiroshima. He began his career in 1970, stepping out with the single "Imeji no Uta / Mark II" and two years later scored a gold disc for his fourth single, "Tabi no Yado." He launched For Life Records in 1975 with Yosui Inoue, Shigeru Izumiya, and Hitoshi Komuro and went on to accrue a varied discography, taking in soundtracks like the theme song for Japanese manga series Cromartie High School as well as releasing a string of solo records. Leaving a notable mark on the Japanese music scene, he has been covered by an array of the country's pop artists, including Hirakawachi 1-chome ("Natsu Yasumi") and KinKi Kids ("Zenbu Dakishimete"). In 2022, he marked his retirement from music with the release of his final album, "ah-Interesting" (ah-面白かった).
