Born in Hakodate, Hokkaido, in 1930. He began composing around the time he entered the preparatory course at Hokkaido University. After graduating from the Faculty of Education at the same university, he moved to Tokyo. In 1953, he enrolled in the composition department at Tokyo University of the Arts, where he studied under Tomojiro Ikenouchi, Jo Shimaoka, Akio Yashiro, and others. He acquired rigorous compositional technique (écriture) and advanced musical knowledge. He also studied analysis and twelve-tone technique under Minao Shibata and Yoshiro Irino. He completed the advanced course at the same university in 1961.

In 1963, after working with traditional Japanese instruments in the production of theatrical music, he composed “Torso”, a quintet for two kotos, shamisen, shakuhachi, and cello, commissioned by a group of young traditional Japanese musicians. Thereafter, he published numerous works for traditional Japanese instruments, significantly contributing to the flourishing of contemporary Japanese music. He showed particular interest in the shakuhachi, continuously writing works featuring the instrument, such as “Hekireki” (1964) for three shakuhachis and string ensemble, and “Hare” (1969) for three shakuhachis.

Subsequently, influenced by Indian philosophy, he released a variety of works expressing pan-Asian imagery, including the Cello Concerto “Triste” (1971), “Tenrai Chikyō” (1976) for shakuhachi and Asian percussion instruments, “Concerto for Shakuhachi and Orchestra” (1976, Odaka Prize), and orchestral works such as “Klima” (1976) and “Kalavinka” (1978). On the other hand, he also left many renowned pieces for popular ensembles, such as the mixed chorus suite “Umi no Uta” (Poem of the Sea) (1975), “Meditation” (1975) for alto recorder, and “Blue Train” (1979) for flute ensemble.

He served successively as Professor, Dean of the Graduate School of Music, Dean of the Faculty of Music, and Professor Emeritus at Kyoto City University of Arts. He also served as a lecturer at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, a lecturer at the Folkwang University of the Arts (Essen, Germany), and director of the Kyoto Concert Hall. He received numerous awards, including the Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Award and the Medal with Purple Ribbon. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 78.