Tanimura Shinji: Connecting Asia with Music

Tanimura Shinji at the 2018 Shanghai concert

The original Japanese name for the song "Star" is "Subaru". Subaru is the Japanese term for the Pleiades star cluster, which is one of the brightest star clusters visible in the night sky. When Tanimura was a little boy, he always saw such a picture when closing his eyes: an endless prairie, ridge after ridge of peaks in the distance and a sky strewn with stars with cool wind in the air. He had no idea what place it was but he thought that was his hometown in his past life. That could be somewhere in northern China and it was a place he yearned for. Inspired by this thought, he composed the song "Star".

The lyrics of the song have a deep and profound meaning and seem to have gained insight into the universe and uncovered the secrets of life. He was only 32 when composing this song.

His voice is no longer young when singing this song again after 38 years. The song itself, however, is like a vintage bottle of wine with a mellow, rich taste. He is still the brightest star on the stage and the audience are still mesmerized by his performance.

Became friends with Mao Amin after the first concert in Shanghai

He came to Shanghai in 1994 for the first time. The 7th Asian Music Scene concert was held in Shanghai in October of that year, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the friendship-city ties between Shanghai and Osaka. The Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC) hosted the event with Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS) and Shanghai Oriental TV Station. On that night, 6 famous singers from 5 different countries and regions gathered in Shanghai to perform for the Shanghai audience at the beautifully lit Shanghai Indoor Stadium.