Japanese singer Shinji Tanimura passes away at 74

Japanese singer-songwriter Shinji Tanimura, known for hit songs like "Subaru" (Star), which also made him popular in China, has passed away at the age of 74, his music agency said on Monday.

According to the announcement, Tanimura underwent surgery for enteritis in March. He passed away on October 8 due to illness, and the funeral was held on Sunday, with close relatives in attendance.

Tanimura gained widespread recognition in China after his performance of "Subaru" (Star) at the opening ceremony of the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.

Following the event, numerous Internet users in the country expressed their deep feelings for one of his biggest hits.

Bai Yansong, a famous Chinese TV host, interviewed Tanimura and wrote about the Japanese singer in his book Walking Between Love and Hate published in 2014.

Tanimura said that since childhood, he often had a feeling that when he closed his eyes, he could see a landscape he had never been to before, which he believed to be the northern part of China.

When he first visited China in 1981 and breathed in the air and touched the land, Tanimura said that he felt like he was coming home.

Due to this strange and yet fateful connection to China, Tanimura felt a sense of duty to contribute to cultural exchanges between China and Japan through music.

And, Tanimura's connection with China went beyond "Subaru." His famous songs have been rendered by many famous Chinese singers like Jacky Cheung, Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui.

He also served as a professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music for five years from 2004.

"I am extremely surprised by this sudden separation. I heard that he was working hard to recover for the upcoming tour next year. It's very regrettable," Takao Horiuchi, a fellow Japanese singer, said of his friend's passing away.

"For me, Tanimura was a dear friend for over 50 years and the leader of Alice. When we were students, he asked me, 'Do you want to become a professional musician? Let's form a band called Alice.' I was genuinely happy," Horiuchi revealed.

"If Tanimura hadn't invited me at that time, I wouldn't be who I am now. I feel fortunate to have been able to engage in music activities together for so long."

Another Japanese singer Toru Yazawa noted, "Sometimes we held grudges against each other, sometimes we embraced each other. We shared countless hardships and joys… We charged forward selflessly, and then suddenly realized that we had a friendship of over 50 years with Tanimura."

Japanese actor Koji Yano (Chinese name Haoge), who has been working in China for many years, expressed his condolences. He mentioned that during his middle school years, he used to listen to Tanimura's radio program Young Town every Friday night.

"He was my idol during my youth, and at the same time, he was an ambassador of Sino-Japanese friendship. It's very regrettable."