Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi

Starting as a folksinger of sorts in the late '70s, Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi developed into a greater force in Japanese music, bridging the gap between folk and rock, protest and sentiment. After winning a Yamaha-sponsored music contest in 1976, Nagabuchi worked his way into the recording industry with fairly astonishing speed. A short-lived contract with JVC failed to produce lasting results, but a move to EMI put Nagabuchi into the number one album position on the Oricon charts by his sophomore album. Soon after, a sentimental singer/songwriter piece, "Kampai," became something of...