Masashi Sada

Overview

Masashi Sada (さだ まさし, born Masashi Sada on 10 April 1952 in Nagasaki) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, TV personality, and novelist. He is signed to his own company, Sada Kikaku, and serves as a visiting professor at Kokugakuin University, Tokyo University of the Arts, and Fukuoka International University of Music. He made his major debut in the folk duo Grape with the hit "Shourou Nagashi" and, as a soloist, produced a long run of hits including "Amayadori," "Kakashi," "Kanpaku Sengen," "Dokeshi no Sonetto," "Oyaji no Ichiban Nagai Hi," and "Kita no Kuni kara." As of 2 December 2025 he has performed more solo concerts than any other singer in Japan, with a total exceeding 4,700. Famed for his witty banter, he is also a popular radio and TV host and a novelist, author of works such as Gege and Bizan.

Career

Early life

Born in Nagasaki, Sada began studying violin at age three. In 1963, as a fifth-grader, he took third place at the Western (Kyushu) regional round of the Mainichi Student Music Competition, and second place the following year. Recognized by the renowned teacher Saburo Sumi, he moved to Tokyo alone after elementary school to train. He failed the entrance exam for the music high school attached to Tokyo University of the Arts, entered Kokugakuin High School, and lost his enthusiasm for the violin. Inspired by Yuzo Kayama and Simon & Garfunkel, he had already begun writing songs on guitar in junior high.

Grape

After high school he entered the Faculty of Law at Kokugakuin University but dropped out within months; after contracting hepatitis he returned to Nagasaki. In 1972 his friend Masami Yoshida visited him, and on 3 November they formed Grape. Scouted by producer Akihiro Kawamata, they debuted nationally on 25 October 1973 with "Yuki no Asa" on Warner Pioneer. Their second single, "Shourou Nagashi" (April 1974), started slowly but became a nationwide hit after a late-night Tokai Radio program kept playing it. It peaked at number two on the Oricon chart and won the Lyricist Award at the 16th Japan Record Awards. "Muen Zaka" followed in November 1975, along with the album track "En-kiri Dera." Their albums include Wasuremono (1974), Seseragi (1975), and Communication (1975). Grape was increasingly seen as dark and gloomy, and the duo disbanded in spring 1976.

Solo career

Sada began his solo career in November 1976 with "Senkou Hanabi," founded his own company Sada Kikaku, and released his first solo album, Kikyorai, that month. In 1977 "Amayadori" reached number one on the Oricon singles chart, his first chart-topper. "Cosmos" (written for Momoe Yamaguchi) and "Kakashi" also became hits. In October 1978 he founded his own label, Free Flight, and in July 1979 released "Kanpaku Sengen," which sold over 1.5 million copies. Further hits included "Oyaji no Ichiban Nagai Hi," "Dokeshi no Sonetto," "Sakimori no Uta," and "Ekisha." He was one of Japan's most popular male artists from the late 1970s into the first half of the 1980s.

1980s

In 1980 he starred as a circus clown in the film Tobe Icarus no Tsubasa and composed its music. He then planned and directed the documentary Chokō (The Yangtze), released in November 1981 on 120 screens; production costs ballooned and left him with debts of about 2.8 billion yen (about 3.5 billion by his own account including interest). The period was difficult, with criticism that "Kanpaku Sengen" and "Sakimori no Uta" were right-wing. In 1981 he composed the music for the Fuji TV drama Kita no Kuni kara; its wordless theme became extremely famous. He reached 1,000 solo concerts in 1985. After taking part in the Hiroshima Peace Concert, he launched the free peace concert Natsu, Nagasaki kara in his hometown in August 1987; it was held every 6 August for 20 years.

1990s

He reached 2,000 solo concerts in 1993 (Osaka Festival Hall). In 1995 he began a campaign to build a peace museum in Nagasaki, which opened in April 2003 as the Nagasaki Peace Museum. He received the Nagasaki Prefecture Citizens' Honor Award in 1996.

2000s

On 1 April 2000 he sang the national anthem at the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks' season opener, and gave a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, a first for a Japanese male singer. In September 2001 he published the novel Shourou Nagashi, later adapted into an NHK drama and a film. His children's book Obaachan no Onigiri won the Hirosuke Children's Literature Prize in 2002. On 21 March 2002 he performed his 3,000th solo concert (Tokyo International Forum), an unprecedented feat, and from September to December held the 30th-anniversary tour MOON-BOW at THE 30th in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, eight nights each, retracing his career chronologically. The story collection Gege followed in December 2002 and was adapted as the Fuji TV drama Itoshikimi e in April 2004, as well as a film. His novel Bizan appeared in December 2004. In August 2005 he sang the anthem at the Japan vs. Iran World Cup qualifier, and on 6 and 7 September held his 3,333rd-solo-concert celebration at Nippon Budokan, releasing his 32nd original album, Tokoshie, on the 7th. A live NHK special, Toshi no Hajime wa Sada Masashi, aired on 1 January 2006 and became a recurring program. On 6 August 2006 he held the final Natsu, Nagasaki kara, and the project earned a Special Award at the 48th Japan Record Awards. On 9 August 2007 he held a concert at Hiroshima Municipal Stadium for its 50th anniversary, singing from Hiroshima toward Nagasaki. In autumn 2008 he released Kokoro wo Tsugu, a Hibari Misora cover album that reached the top ten. On 31 December 2009 he held his first New Year countdown live in 21 years at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

2010s and beyond

On 16 July 2010 he held the Mount Fuji Lake Yamanaka live to mark his 3,776th concert. Later albums include Dai Ni Gakushou (2014), Kaze no Kiseki (2015), Reborn Umaretate no Sada Masashi (2018), and Shin-Jibunfudoki I Boukyou and II Mahoroba (both 2019), plus the live release 45th Anniversary Concert Tour 2018 Reborn (2019). Over his career he has released more than 35 solo albums and 70 singles.

Musical style

Rooted in folk, Sada's music draws on kayokyoku, enka, and J-pop. Influenced by Yuzo Kayama and Simon & Garfunkel, he began writing songs with his guitar, and his early violin training underpins his musicianship. His repertoire ranges from lyrical songs like "Shourou Nagashi" and "Muen Zaka" to humorous numbers like "Amayadori" and story-driven songs like "Kanpaku Sengen." He has also written for other artists such as Momoe Yamaguchi and composed for TV and film. His comic storytelling between songs is a hallmark of his concerts.