Koichi Sugiyama
{{short description|Japanese composer and conductor (1931–2021)}}
{{for|the Japanese footballer and coach|Koichi Sugiyama (footballer)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox person
|image=Kohichi Sugiyama 2011-06-30.jpg
|caption=Sugiyama in 2011
|name=Koichi Sugiyama
|native_name = すぎやま こういち
|native_name_lang = ja
|birth_name={{nihongo2|椙山 浩一}}
|birth_date={{Birth date|1931|4|11}}
|birth_place =Tokyo, Japan
|death_date={{Death date and age|2021|09|30|1931|4|11}}
|death_place=Tokyo, Japan
|alma_mater= University of Tokyo
| employer = {{ubl|Nippon Cultural Broadcasting (1956–1958)|Fuji Television (1958–1965)}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Composer
- conductor
- orchestrator
}}
| module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes
| genre = {{flatlist|
- Classical
- symphonic
- video game
- jazz
- kayōkyoku
}}
|years_active=1968–2021
|label=SUGI Label
|website={{URL|sugimania.com/|Sugimania}}
}}}}
{{nihongo|Koichi Sugiyama|すぎやま こういち|Sugiyama Kōichi|April 11, 1931 – September 30, 2021}} was a Japanese composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He was best known for composing for the Dragon Quest franchise, along with several other video games, anime, film, television shows, and pop songs. Classically trained, Sugiyama was considered a major inspiration for other Japanese game music composers and was active from the 1960s until his death in 2021.
Sugiyama was also a council member of the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers (JASRAC), board member of the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals, and honorary chairman of the Japanese Backgammon Society. Prior to his death, the Japanese government honored him with Order of the Rising Sun and named him a Person of Cultural Merit. Sugiyama was also active in politics and activism, promoting ideas such as Japanese nationalism while denying Japanese war crimes.
Career
=Early life and television career=
Sugiyama was born in Tokyo, Japan, on April 11, 1931.{{Cite web|title=すぎやまこういち|url=https://www.kingrecords.co.jp/cs/artist/artist.aspx?artist=37898|access-date=October 8, 2021|website=King Record Official Site|language=ja}} While growing up, Sugiyama's home was filled with music, which ultimately inspired his passion. In high school, he began to write various small musical works.{{cite web |url=http://sugimania.com/ |title=Koichi Sugiyama's Official Profile |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516000044/http://sugimania.com/ |archive-date=May 16, 2011 |access-date=January 3, 2004 }} He attended the University of Tokyo and graduated with full honors in 1956. He then went into the reporting and entertainment sections of Nippon Cultural Broadcasting. He joined Fuji TV as a director in 1958. He left the station in 1965 to become a freelance director but had begun concentrating solely on musical composition and orchestration by 1968.
From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, Sugiyama composed for several musicals, commercials, kayōkyoku pop artists, animated movies, and television shows, such as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman: The Movie, The Sea Prince and the Fire Child, and Cyborg 009. He also assisted Riichiro Manabe with the composition for Godzilla vs. Hedorah, composing the record single of the soundtrack and conducting for some of the tracks.{{Cite web|title=すぎやまこういち氏が9月30日に逝去、『ドラゴンクエスト』シリーズなどで多くの楽曲を手掛ける。90歳（電ファミニコゲーマー）|url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/f630725759ec59cfd72aac01432a2a543e1c14e3|access-date=October 8, 2021|website=Yahoo!ニュース|language=ja|archive-date=October 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007070321/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/f630725759ec59cfd72aac01432a2a543e1c14e3|url-status=dead}} Sugiyama also wrote the 1976 single Heart Dorobō for the Japanese pop trio Candies.
In a little known foray for Matsushita Electric, Sugiyama composed, arranged & conducted a track called Disco Check, for the fourth volume of Technics '80 Audio Inspection records,2NP-2019 - Technics '80 Audio Inspection Vol. 4 performed with 24 instruments by the Nova Studio Group. With these records not being for sale, this astonishing & innovative piece has probably rarely been heard outside the Technics dealers they were intended for, though copies do sometimes turn up second hand online.
=''Dragon Quest'' and other video games=
Sugiyama's first contact with Enix was by a fan letter he wrote them regarding a PC shogi game in the early 1980s. After Enix's staff overcame the shock of receiving a handwritten postcard from a celebrity of Sugiyama's stature, they were so impressed by his depth of knowledge and appreciation of games that they decided to ask Sugiyama to create music for their games. Sugiyama started composing for the PC-8801, and was working for Enix at the time. His first project with the company was the 1986 game Wing-Man 2: Kītakurā no Fukkatsu. Later that year, he composed for his first major project, Dragon Quest.{{cite web | url=http://www.1up.com/news/dragon-quest-composer-reflects-24 | title=Dragon Quest Composer Reflects on 24 Years of Games: Kouichi Sugiyama on Japan's most recognized game music. |publisher=1up|author=Gifford, Kevin |date=February 24, 2010 | access-date=April 18, 2011|archive-date=July 14, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120714224311/http://www.1up.com/news/dragon-quest-composer-reflects-24}} His classical score for the game was considered revolutionary for console video game music.{{cite web|last=Gifford|first=Kevin|title=The Essential 50 Part 20 – Dragon Warrior|url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-dragon-warrior|publisher=1UP.com|access-date=May 15, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102043453/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-dragon-warrior|archive-date=January 2, 2013}}
Sugiyama was one of the first video game composers to record with a live orchestra.{{Cite episode |title=Dragon Quest 30th Anniversary Special |network=NHK General TV |date=2016-12-29 |language=ja |series=NHK TV Specials |url=http://www4.nhk.or.jp/dq30/}} ([https://shmuplations.com/dragonquest30th/ Translated] by Shmuplations. [https://web.archive.org/web/20200119081618/http://shmuplations.com/dragonquest30th/ Archived] on 2020-01-20. Retrieved on 2023-03-15) In 1986, the CD, Dragon Quest Suite, was released, utilizing the Tokyo Strings Ensemble to interpret Sugiyama's melodies. The soundtrack's eight melodies (Opening, Castle, Town, Field, Dungeon, Battle, Final Battle, and Ending) set the template for most role-playing video game soundtracks released since then, many of which have been organized in a similar manner.{{cite web|title=The "Eight Melodies" Template: How Sugiyama Shaped RPG Soundtracks|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/editorials/2008/11-29.html|work=RPGFan|access-date=September 4, 2011|author=Patrick Gann|date=November 29, 2008 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016020559/http://rpgfan.com/editorials/2008/11-29.html|archive-date=October 16, 2011}}
In 1987, he composed for Dragon Quest II. Music from the first two Dragon Quest games was performed at one of the first game music concerts, "Family Classic Concert". It was arranged and conducted by Sugiyama himself and was performed by the Tokyo Strings Ensemble on August 20, 1987, at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. "Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite" and "Dragon Quest II Symphonic Suite" were performed.{{cite web |url=http://sugimania.com/dq/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820065024/http://sugimania.com/dq/index.html |title=Koichi Sugiyama's Official Concert index |archive-date=August 20, 2006}} He subsequently held the "Family Classic Concerts" annually in Japan until 2019.{{cite web |url=http://sugimania.com/family/index.html |title=Koichi Sugiyama's Official Family Classic Concerts Listing |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125054138/http://sugimania.com/family/index.html |archive-date=November 25, 2016 }}
From 1987 to 1990, Sugiyama continued to compose for various other Enix games. In 1991, he introduced a series of video game music concerts, five in all, called the Orchestral Game Concerts, which were performed by the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.{{cite web |url=http://geocities.com/leergutdieb/bio.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027095515/http://geocities.com/leergutdieb/bio.html |title=Unofficial Koichi Sugiyama Biography |archive-date=October 27, 2009}} The performances included music from over eighteen different video game composers, such as Koji Kondo, Yoko Kanno, Nobuo Uematsu, Keiichi Suzuki, as well as Sugiyama himself. These concerts were held from 1991 to 1996; during this time, Sugiyama composed for other video games and arranged for some of them to be performed in the Orchestral Game Concerts. He served as a sound producer on 1991's Master of Monsters, composed by Hayato Matsuo.
In September 1995, Sugiyama composed the Dragon Quest Ballet. It premiered in 1996, and has since been performed regularly over the years by the Star Dancers Ballet.{{cite web|url=https://en.sdballet.com/performances/|title= Star Dancers Ballet Performances}} During those years, he also released several Dragon Quest Symphonic Suites. In late 2004, he finished and released the Dragon Quest VIII soundtrack. In 2005, Sugiyama was holding a series of concerts in Japan with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra with music from Dragon Quest VIII, as well as his classic compositions from the past.{{cite web |url=http://sugimania.com/concert.html |title=Koichi Sugiyama's Official Concert announcement page |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920042728/http://sugimania.com/concert.html |archive-date=September 20, 2006 }} In August 2005, his music from Dragon Quest was performed live at the European Symphonic Game Music Concert, marking the first time that his music was performed by a live symphonic concert outside of Japan.{{cite web|url=http://www.vgmconcerts.com/ |title=Symphonic Game Music Concert Official website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050214045217/http://vgmconcerts.com/|archive-date=February 14, 2005}} Sugiyama also composed the score for Dragon Quest X and its expansions, as well as Dragon Quest XI.
Throughout his work Sugiyama repeatedly used motifs to maintain a consistency and nostalgic quality in the different installments. Each of the Dragon Quest games that he worked on included a nearly identical, upbeat theme track titled "Overture". Sugiyama composed more than 500 pieces of music in the 35 years he was involved in the Dragon Quest franchise.{{cite web|url= https://noisypixel.net/dragon-quest-composer-koichi-sugiyama-passed-away/|publisher=Noisy Pixel|date=October 7, 2021|title= Dragon Quest Composer Koichi Sugiyama Has Passed Away|author=Orpheus, Joshua}} Sugiyama's style of composition has been compared to late Baroque and early Classical period styles.{{cite book |last1=Gibbons |first1=William |editor1-last=Cook |editor1-first=James |editor2-last=Kolassa |editor2-first=Alexander |editor3-last=Whittaker |editor3-first=Adam |title=Recomposing the Past: Representations of Early Music on Stage and Screen |date=February 1, 2018 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781351975513 |chapter=8 Little Harmonic Labyrinths: Baroque musical style on the Nintendo Entertainment System}} Earlier on in his career, Sugiyama said that his process for making music for games was based on seeing initial drafts on its setting and story.{{cite book |last=Kasai |first=Omasu |date=January 1994 |title=Gēmudezainā nyūmon |script-title=ja:ゲームデザイナー入門 |trans-title=Introduction to Game Design |publisher=Shogakukan |isbn=978-4-09-220205-4 |language=ja |location=Tokyo, Japan}} ([https://shmuplations.com/1994gamedevs/ Translated] by Shmuplations. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220118225849/https://shmuplations.com/1994gamedevs/ Archived] on 2022-01-22. Retrieved on 2023-03-14)
Sugiyama's non-work related hobbies included photography, traveling, building model ships, collecting old cameras, and reading.{{cite web |url=http://rhapsody_1st.1up.com/ |title=Gaming's Rhapsody: First Movement |publisher=1UP.com |author=Nich Maragos |date=July 20, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060329235341/http://rhapsody_1st.1up.com/ |archive-date=March 29, 2006 }} He has opened a camera section on his website,{{cite web |url=http://sugimania.com/tuhan.html |title=Koichi Sugiyama's Official camera page |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820065458/http://sugimania.com/tuhan.html |archive-date=August 20, 2006 }} and also founded his own record label, SUGI Label, in June 2004.{{cite web |url=http://sugimania.com/sugi.html |title=Koichi Sugiyama's Official SUGI Label page |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820070544/http://sugimania.com/sugi.html |archive-date=August 20, 2006 }} Sugiyama also composed the fanfares for the opening and closing of the gates at the Tokyo and Nakayama Racecourses. He was given the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, by the Japanese government in 2018 before also being named a Person of Cultural Merit by them two years later.{{cite web |last1=McWhertor |first1=Michael |title=Dragon Quest composer Koichi Sugiyama dead at 90 |url=https://www.polygon.com/22714275/dragon-quest-composer-koichi-sugiyama-death |website=Polygon |date=October 7, 2021 |access-date=October 7, 2021}}{{cite web |last1=Komatsu |first1=Mikikazu |title=Dragon Quest Composer Koichi Sugiyama Receives The Order of the Rising Sun Award |url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2018/11/02/dragon-quest-composer-koichi-sugiyama-receives-the-order-of-the-rising-sun-award |website=Crunchyroll |access-date=October 9, 2021}} Sugiyama died from septic shock at the age of 90 on September 30, 2021.{{cite web |title=Koichi Sugiyama, Japanese composer of Dragon Quest, dies at 90 |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2021/10/07/music/koichi-sugiyama-japanese-composer-dragon-quest-dies-90/ |website=The Japan Times |agency=Kyodo News |access-date=October 9, 2021|date=October 7, 2021}} A television drama played by actor Ken Yasuda detailing Sugiyama's involvement with Dragon Quest aired on Nippon TV on August 27, 2022.{{cite web | url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2022-08-26/controversial-dragon-quest-composer-gets-tv-drama-about-his-life/.189036 | title=Controversial Dragon Quest Composer Gets TV Drama About His Life | date=July 10, 2023 }}
Political activities and beliefs
{{Conservatism in Japan|Intellectuals}}
Sugiyama engaged in Nanjing Massacre denial, stating that the facts regarding it were "selective" in nature. He was one of the signatories on "The Facts", a full-page ad published by The Washington Post on June 14, 2007, that was written by a number of Japanese politicians and academics in response to the passing of United States House of Representatives House Resolution 121, which sought an official apology from the Government of Japan regarding their involvement of using comfort women, sexual slaves used by Japanese soldiers during World War II.{{cite web |url=http://www.jiaponline.org/documents/Jun14AdALLSignatoriesLIST.pdf |title=Signatories to the June 14th Washington Post "The Facts" Advertisement – Politicians, Professors, and Journalists |date=July 25, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509060403/http://www.jiaponline.org/documents/Jun14AdALLSignatoriesLIST.pdf |archive-date=May 9, 2008 |access-date=April 29, 2008 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.nikkeibp.co.jp/sj/2/column/y/64/index.html |title=ワシントン・ポスト紙に「慰安婦意見広告」― その経緯と波紋 / SAFETY JAPAN [花岡 信昭氏] / 日経BP社 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719012218/http://www.nikkeibp.co.jp/sj/2/column/y/64/index.html |archive-date=July 19, 2011 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24627 |title=The Complex Question |publisher=Gamasutra |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826185031/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24627 |archive-date=August 26, 2009 }} Sugiyama was also a board member of the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals.{{cite web |title=Japan Institute for National Fundamentals |url=https://en.jinf.jp/about/officer |website=en.jinf.jp}}
In 2012, Sugiyama wrote an editorial saying that he thought Japan was in a state of "civil war between Japanese and anti-Japanese". Giving examples, he argued that the Japanese media portrayed acts of patriotism negatively, such as performing the National Anthem of Japan or raising the Japanese flag. He further thought that the demands of the Japanese anti-nuclear movement to immediately dismantle all nuclear energy facilities without offering any alternative solutions would affect the country's ability to defend itself.{{cite web |last1=Nakamura |first1=Toshi |title=This Aged Right-Wing Japanese Composer Is Betting On The Internet Generation |url=https://kotaku.com/5946861/this-aged-right-wing-japanese-composer-is-betting-on-the-internet-generation |website=Kotaku |date=September 27, 2012 |access-date=July 20, 2018}}
In 2015, Sugiyama made an appearance on the Japanese Culture Channel Sakura television program Hi Izuru Kuni Yori where he was shown agreeing with views shared by Japanese politician Mio Sugita who said there was no need for LGBT education in Japanese schools, as well as dismissing concerns about high suicide rates among the community. Sugiyama added that the lack of children born from LGBT couples was an important topic to discuss, also suggesting that Japan was more empowering to women than South Korea.{{cite web |last1=Loveridge |first1=Lynzee |last2=Sherman |first2=Jennifer |title=Square Enix Responds to Dragon Quest Composer's 2015 Anti-LGBTQ Statements |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2018-08-07/square-enix-responds-to-dragon-quest-composer-2015-anti-lgbtq-statements/.134974 |website=AnimeNewsNetwork |access-date=August 7, 2018}}{{cite web |last1=Hart |first1=Aimee |title=Anti-LGBT Dragon Quest Composer Spurs Square Enix Response |url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/news/415401-anti-lgbt-dragon-quest-composer-spurs-square-enix-response |website=Game Revolution |date=August 7, 2018 |access-date=August 7, 2018}} He later made a statement seemingly indicating greater acceptance by saying that LGBT couples have existed throughout human history and he supported the use of governments to occasionally help them.{{cite web |first1=Koichi |last1=Sugiyama|title=Koichi Sugiyama's official stance on LGBT|url=http://sugimania.com/says/index.html |website=Sugimania.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229014703/http://sugimania.com/says/index.html|access-date=December 10, 2019|archive-date=December 29, 2019|
language=ja}}
Notable works
=Video games=
Works primarily featuring re-used compositions are omitted.
=Film and television=
| class="wikitable sortable" width:auto"
|+ Film and television scores ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Ref. |
| scope="row"|1967
| Skyers 5 |Opening theme |
|---|
| scope="row" rowspan="2"| 1971
|Opening theme, "MAT Team no Uta", "Kaiju Ondo" |
| Godzilla vs Hedorah
|"Defeat Hedorah" |
| scope="row"|1975
| Kum-Kum |Opening and ending themes |
| scope="row"|1976
|"Watashi O Yobu No Wa Dare", "Memoir" |
| scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1978
| Science Ninja Team Gatchaman: The Movie |Music |
| Gatchaman II
|Music |
| scope="row"| 1979
|Music |
| scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1980
|Music |
| Cyborg 009: Legend of the Super Galaxy
|Music |
| scope="row"| 1981
| The Sea Prince and the Fire Child |Music |
| scope="row" rowspan="2" |1982
|Music |
| The Ideon: Be Invoked
|Music |
| scope="row" | 1983
|Music |
| scope="row"| 1989
|Music |
| scope="row" rowspan="2" |1991
| Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai |Music |
| Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai - The Great Adventure of Dai
|Music |
| scope="row" rowspan="2" | 1992
| Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai - Avan's Disciples |Music |
| Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai - Six Great Generals
|Music |
| scope="row"|1994
|"Setsunakute" |
| scope="row" |2019
|Music |
References
{{Notelist}}
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}} {{in lang|ja}}
{{Dragon Quest series}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sugiyama, Koichi}}
Category:20th-century Japanese classical composers
Category:20th-century Japanese classical pianists
Category:20th-century Japanese conductors (music)
Category:20th-century Japanese male musicians
Category:21st-century Japanese classical composers
Category:21st-century Japanese classical pianists
Category:21st-century Japanese conductors (music)
Category:21st-century Japanese male musicians
Category:Anti-Korean sentiment in Japan
Category:Conservatism in Japan
Category:Japanese contemporary classical composers
Category:Japanese film score composers
Category:Japanese male classical composers
Category:Japanese male classical pianists
Category:Japanese male conductors (music)
Category:Japanese male film score composers
Category:Japanese male television composers
Category:Japanese music arrangers
Category:Japanese nationalists
Category:Japanese television composers
Category:Japanese video game composers
Category:Nanjing Massacre deniers
Category:Persons of Cultural Merit
Category:Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class
Category:University of Tokyo alumni