Singer and actor Hideki Saijo passed away at 11:53 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16 in a Yokohama hospital due to heart failure.
In anime, Saijo was perhaps best known for the song “Hashire Shōjiki Mono,” the second ending theme song for the first Chibi Maruko-chan, as well as “Turn A Turn,” the first opening theme song for the Turn A Gundam anime.
He also starred as the titular character in the 1980 Botchan anime, and the titular character of the 1981 Sugata Sanshiro anime.
Saijo, whose birth name was Tatsuo Kimoto, was born in Hiroshima, and made his professional singing debut in 1972.