Composer Toru Fuyuki, Known for “Ultraseven” Theme Song, Dies at 89

Jiji Press

17:31 JST, December 31, 2024

Tokyo (Jiji Press)—Japanese composer Toru Fuyuki, known for works including the theme song for “Ultraseven,” a popular science-fiction television series in the 1960s, died of aspiration pneumonia at a hospital in Tokyo on Thursday. He was 89

Born in northeastern China, Fuyuki studied composition at Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, and Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo.

After joining Radio Tokyo Inc., now broadcaster TBS Holdings Inc., in 1956, Fuyuki debuted as a composer by writing music for the “Kurama Tengu” TV drama series.

He left the company in 1961 and then wrote music for Tsuburaya Productions’ “tokusatsu” special effects TV series featuring superheroes such as Ultraseven.

Fuyuki came to be known as “the Father of Ultra Music” for his contributions to the tokusatsu series, including the Ultraseven theme song and a striking male chorus theme for “Return of Ultraman.”

He produced a number of choral works and hymns under his real name, Shoko Maita. He also taught at Toho Gakuen School of Music.