# Masayoshi Takanaka

Masayoshi Takanaka (Japanese: 高中 正義, Hepburn: Takanaka Masayoshi, born March 27, 1953) is a Japanese musician, producer and composer. Takanaka rose to fame and achieved commercial success during the 1970s and 1980s. He is known for his virtuosic guitar playing and skilled musicianship, composing and performing across various different music genres.
In a career spanning more than 50 years, Takanaka has released more than 20 albums and continues to perform.

## Early life

Takanaka was born to a Chinese father and a Japanese mother. His father went to Japan from Nanjing, China after World War II and married his mother, whose surname was Takanaka.
Takanaka was born in Akabane ward, but moved to Oimachi, Shinagawa ward soon after birth. Masayoshi was naturalized in Japan when he was in the fourth grade of elementary school, and changed his name from Masayoshi Liu to Masayoshi Takanaka.

## Career
### Debut

Masayoshi Takanaka was already active in 1970, from the age of 17 he participated as a guitarist in The Evil and began his professional career in 1971 by playing guitar and bass guitar in the prog rock band Flied Egg under Vertigo. During his professional debut, he was made to play bass against his will. He took daily lessons from Shigeru Naruke, who taught him the basics of music theory and guitar playing. At the same time, he started working as a studio musician as a bassist through the introduction of Naruke.

### Sadistic Mika Band

In 1972, after Flied Egg disbanded, he joined the Sadistic Mika Band formed by Kazuhiko Kato, and from there he began working as a professional guitarist. The band fragmented after the divorce of two of its main members. After the Sadistic Mika Band disbanded in 1975, he formed the Sadistics with remaining band members Yukihiro Takahashi, Tsugutoshi Goto, and Yutaka Imai. The following year, in 1976, he released his first solo album, Seychelles, and since then he has continued to pursue Sadistics and solo activities. The other members also engaged in solo activities, and as they all began to place more emphasis on their solo activities, the Sadistics disbanded in 1978, seemingly disappearing naturally.

### Solo career

After the Sadistics disbanded, he began working as a solo artist, releasing one or two solo albums every year, consisting mainly of his own original songs and guitar instrumental songs. Takanaka released his first solo album, Seychelles. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Takanaka continued his output, releasing over twenty albums and singles under Kitty Records until 1984 and EMI from 1985 to 2000. In 2000, he formed his own record label, Lagoon Records.
Takanaka is known for his flashy guitars, including a gold colored Fender Stratocaster. He also has a trademark "lagoon-blue" Yamaha SG guitar that he plays during live performances. In 2004, at his performance in Crossover Japan '04, Takanaka unveiled his iconic custom-made surfboard guitar. In this performance, the surfboard is painted light blue with his name in cyan text, however it would later be changed to be painted red with white text. This guitar was used in a 2008 performance of "Beleza Pura" at Super Takanaka Live, one of Takanaka's most popular concerts, and has since become highly famous across the world due to its unique design. In 2014, at the 13th Tokyo Jazz Festival, Takanaka also demonstrated a custom-built guitar which featured a model train set.
He has collaborated with several other musical acts, notably Santana and Roxy Music.

### 21st century

Takanaka has enjoyed a global resurgence in popularity since the mid-2010s, driven largely by younger audiences outside Japan discovering his music online. His 1981 song "Penguin Dancer" was sampled by Grimes on her song "Butterfly" in 2015. His 1979 song "Blue Lagoon" was named the 14th best guitar instrumental by Young Guitar Magazine in 2019. In 2025 he performed two sold out shows at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles in his first US performance in decades. Takanaka was visibly surprised and entertained by his frenzied reception.

## Discography
### Studio albums

* Seychelles (1976)
* Takanaka (1977)
* An Insatiable High (1977)
* Brasilian Skies (1978)
* On Guitar (1978)
* Jolly Jive (1979)
* T-Wave (1980)
* Finger Dancin' (1980)
* The Rainbow Goblins (1981)
* Alone (1981)
* Saudade (1982)
* Can I Sing? (1983)
* 夏・全・開 (Open All Summer) (1984)
* Traumatic - Far Eastern Detectives (1985)
* Jungle Jane (1986)
* Rendez-Vous (1987)
* Hot Pepper (1988)
* Gaps! (1989)
* Nail the Pocket (1990)
* O' Holy Night (1990)
* Ballade (1991)
* Fade to Blue (1992)
* Aquaplanet (1993)
* Wood Chopper's Ball (1994)
* Winter Days & Starry Nights (1996)
* Guitar Wonder (1996)
* The White Goblin (1997)
* Bahama (1998)
* Walkin' (1999)
* Hunpluged (2000)
* Guitar Dream (2001)
* The Moon Rose (2002)
* Surf & Turf (2004)
* Sadistic Takanaka (2006)
* Natsudo (Summer Road) (2009)
* Karuizawa Daydream (2010)
* Ukulele Seychelles (2011)
* 40th Year Rainbow (2011)

### Selected compilation albums

* All Of Me (1979)
* Singing And Playing (1985)
* The Lover (1993)
* Golden Best (2004)
* Takanaka All Time Super Best (2022)

### Live albums

* Super Takanaka Live! (1980)
* Ocean Breeze (1982)
* Rainbow Goblins Story / Live at Budokan (1986)
* Jungle Jane Tour Live (1986)
* One Night Gig (1991)
* Niji Densetsu II - Live at Budokan - Time Machine to the Past (1997)
* The Man with the Guitar (Recorded at Liveteria) (2001)
* 30th Anniversary Power Live With Friends (2001)
* Crossover Japan '05 Live (2005)
* Super Studio Live! (2014)

### Collaboration albums

* Fantasic Guitar World (1982) (with Kazumi Watanabe)
* Little Richard Meets Masayoshi Takanaka (1992) (with Little Richard)

### Singles

* "My Secret Beach" / "Early Bird" (1980)
* "Jumping Take Off" / "Tears of the Sun" (1983)
* "Epidaurus" / "Illusion" (1985)
* "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" / "The Young And The Restless" (1986)
* "Bad Chicken" / "Summer You" (1987)
* "Can You Feel It" / "Dancin' In Jamaica" (1990)
* "Takajazz" / "Guitar Wonder" (1996)

### Appears on

* Detective Conan Main Theme (Target version)