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Laputa, Totoro Trumpeter Susumu Kazuhara Passes Away

The official Twitter account for the Kinyō Road Show movie programming block announced on Monday that Susumu Kazuhara, a musician whose signature trumpet-playing can be heard in Laputa: Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, and many films and television series, passed away. He was 74 years old.

Kazuhara was born in Okayama prefecture on September 13, 1946, and he attended the Kunitachi College of Music. After dropping out, he became a freelance performer for four bands including Tatsuya Takahashi and the Tokyo Union. During his long career, he was often credited under the name Shin Kazuhara. During his later years, he worked as an instructor.

Kazuhara performed the trumpet solo (as played onscreen by the male lead Pazu) in the song "Hato to Shо̄nen" (Pigeons and a Boy) for Hayao Miyazaki's Laputa: Castle in the Sky film. He has also performed in other works by Studio Ghibli and composer Joe Hisaishi such as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Porco Rosso.

Kazuhara worked on every Lupin III television series and film, the "We Are!" theme song for One Piece, the "Sassō-taru Char" (Dashing Char) solo in Mobile Suit Gundam, the "Samba de Loves You" song in Sound! Euphonium The Movie - Our Promise: A Brand New Day, and the period drama television series Hissatsu Shiokinin. He collaborated with artists such as Yumi Matsutoya, Anri, SMAP, and SPEED.

Kazuhara's rendition of the "Friday Night Fantasy" song became a staple of many Japanese viewers' Friday evenings, as it played before the Kinyō Road Show movie of the week from 1985 to 1997:

Sources: Sports Hochi, Kinrо̄ Road Show's Twitter account via Hachima Kikо̄