Kiyoshiro Imawano, one of Japan's most eccentric and provocative rock musicians, has died at the age of 58. Imawano was not afraid to write about controversial subjects which meant he was frequently ignored by radio and television over the course of his career. Nevertheless, he built up a loyal fan base, worked with many of the country's leading musicians and became a highly-respected figure in the industry, known for impressive live performances. He also worked as an actor and appeared in a number of films including Takashi Miike's The Happiness of the Katakuris. There's a reasonable summary of his career in the entry for his first band RC Succession over on Nippop.. One the songs which got Imawano into trouble was Our Beloved North Korea which he performed with his side project The Timers:
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The lyrics aren't especially biting but the topic was considered sensitive enough for radio station Tokyo FM to block a performance of the song when he performed it during an Earth Day concert at the Budokan. Imawano had run into trouble with Tokyo FM before when they refused to play one Timers song in the late 80's. He had made his feelings clear in a later TV appearance. At around 2:10secs in the video clip below, the band ignores the scheduled set list and plays Tokyo FM which slams the station for censorship. This unpredictability was anathema for Japan's major media companies who often decided it was safer not to let him on the air.
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Even relatively late in his career, Imawano was no stranger to controversy. He decided to record a rock version of national anthem Kimigayo in 1999 but Polydor refused to release it so he was dropped by the label and had to put it out independently. You can see him below performing the song with guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei:
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Imawano even managed the unheard of feat of being censored by an independent label. In one song in 2000, he criticized Japan's live music scene, in particular the regular practice where new bands have to pay to perform live. The owner of Shimokitazwa's Que was angered by this which was important because Imawano's indie deal was with a company linked with Que and his album was dropped. It did eventually get a release and most fans thought his criticisms were valid.
Imawano was nevertheless a much-loved figure. When he revealed he needed treatment for throat cancer, the announcement received wide coverage and numerous messages of support. He made a full recovery in 2007 and his comeback concert was a major success. In July last year, however, Iwawano went to hospital with a pain in his leg and the hospital found another cancer had already spread to his bones. Ironically, on the same day he found out the results, TV Asahi was showing a programme about his earlier recovery. He continued to perform occasionally, appearing with Booker T & the MGs at Tokyo's Bluenote as recently as December 2008. This time, the cancer was too far advanced to respond to treatment and he died yesterday morning in hospital.
