Takuro Yoshida ended his career (2022.12.31)

This year, Takuro Yoshida announced his retirement from his performing career. At first, I was very disappointed to hear that, but then I thought, “Everything comes to an end and given his age of 76, that is understandable.”

For me, Takuro Yoshida is the exceptional singer. He is actually a singer-songwriter, who writes and sings songs by himself. There are other very good singer-songwriters in Japan, such as Miyuki Nakajima, Masashi Sada, and Noriyuki Makihara, but for me, Takuro Yoshida is special. His unique melody lines, touching lyrics, and distinctive masculine voice are combined to create an indescribable attractiveness.

Perhaps this passion is due to the influence of my father. When I was a child, my father always listened to tapes of Takuro’s songs. He especially liked "落陽(Setting Sun)" and "外は白い雪の夜(Outside is a White Snowy Night)" and always played them over and over again. I was an elementary school student back then, so I was not able to understand the meaning of the words completely, but I was fascinated by the mood of his works. My father had tapes of many of his other great songs. Every song I heard was a new surprise for me, and every time I listened to them I was mesmerized by his talent.

When I was in junior high, Misato Watanabe, Southern All Stars, Yutaka Ozaki, etc. were popular among classmates, but I still mainly listened to Takuro Yoshida's songs. However, since he was a singer from a generation earlier, I didn't have any classmates that I could share the greatness of his music with.

When I entered a senior high school, I became depressed. I was not able to see my good old easy-going friends I had in junior high school, and I had to make friends with classmates who were too smart for me. I was always intimidated by my intelligent classmates. Frankly, that was very stressful.

Then one day, I heard Takuro's singing voice on TV for the first time in a long time. I still can't forget the moment.

「もっともっと自分らしく　もっともっと心のままに」
“More and more follow yourself. More and more follow your heart.”

That was such a short phrase in the background of a beer commercial, but I recognized that was Takuro's voice.

It turned out to be a part of a new song Takuro released in 1988, titled "すなおになれば(Just be Honest with Myself)”

I really wanted to hear this whole song, so I ran to a local music rental store to rent the CD. And when I listened to this song, the following lyrics touched my heart.

「人は誰でも　失った何かが　何気ない毎日に　戻ってこないかと
扉を開けたまま　夢を待ちわびる　人生はそこから　出る時に動き出す」

"We all have something we've lost that we're hoping will come back in our casual lives.
We leave the door open, waiting for our dreams, but our life doesn't start again until you get out of there."

It struck me. This is my situation! I am just waiting for a dream that will never come true. I have to get out of here to move on with my life! Frankly, I felt sad, but at the same time, I thought Takuro taught me the truth of life.

Takuro Yoshida was famous for rarely appearing on TV, but the year I graduated from college, I received startling news. Takuro Yoshida was going to be in a TV music program with Kinki Kids. Oh! I can get to enjoy Takuro's talk every week. Many people would get to know how Takuro Yoshida was wonderful! I was excited.


The show, "Love Love あいしてる(Love Love I Love You)," was only 30-minute show, and actually, Takuro didn't talk a lot, but I enjoyed watching it every week.

In 1999, I got the opportunity to go and watch this show. One day, Tomoe Shinohara, the main performer of this program, was hosting another TV program. I enjoyed the show and I filled out a questionnaire on the show's website. Then, luckily, they gave me the right to watch "Love Love I love you". I was very surprised and could hardly believe it, but I was very happy. I was double lucky because the guest on the show was Hiromi Go. I was told that two people could come, so I invited a female friend of mine (I don't think she was interested in Takuro Yoshida, but she adored Kinki Kids) and we went to enjoy the recording of the program together. It is a good old memory of my early twenties.

After the program ended in 2001, they broadcast the special version of "Love Love I Love You" a few times, and the final one was broadcast in July of this year. It was Takuro's last appearance on TV. I could hardly believe that I would no longer be able to watch Takuro Yoshida's entertainment activities, but at the same time, hearing his aging voice, I felt I understood his decision to retire.

Takuro has grown old, which means I have also grown old. I have been listening to Takuro since I was a little child, but I am already about to turn 50. When I was a child, I never thought that time would pass so quickly.

I heard Takuro Yosida was the first person to perform large-scale outdoor concerts and concert tours in Japan. He is, so to speak, a pioneer in the modern music industry. But more than those great achievements, I was genuinely hooked by the music he wrote itself.

Now, at the end of this year, I am feeling grateful to have lived in a time when Takuro Yoshida was performing.

Thank you, Takuro and thank you, Father.