Chiharu Matsuyama in Hiroshima

Chiharu Matsuyama is a Japanese singer-songwriter born in 1955 in Ashoro, Hokkaido. He made his recording debut with “Tabidachi” in 1977 and became known for folk-rooted pop songs including “Kisetsu no Naka de,” “Koi” and “Nagai Yoru.” In 1982, he staged the outdoor concert Ōinaru Ai yo Yume yo at Makomanai Open Stadium in Sapporo. In the decades that followed, he maintained a pattern of spring and autumn tours around Japan, usually performing in theaters and concert halls with a backing band centered on Chiharu Matsuyama’s singing and acoustic guitar.