Loved by listeners and producers alike, Japan’s synth pioneer Isao Tomita died of heart failure last Thursday aged 84.

He leaves behind a legacy spanning 45 years having first imported a Moog III synthesizer to Japanese shores in 1971, and subsequently paved the way for electronic music in Japan.

Just last week, a message on Tomita’s Facebook page suggested he was hard at work on a new musical titled, “Dr. Coppelius”, however it also hinted that he mightn’t live to see its completion.

Tomita told the Japan Times last December, “my priority right now is staying healthy, but I’d like to finish ‘Dr. Coppelius’ as much as possible so that, even if something happens to me, others could finish it.”

With a body of work that includes 20 studio albums and the score to Tezuka Osamu’s anime Kimba the White Lion, Tomita’s impact on the Japanese electronic music community is unparalleled.

His funeral was held this weekend and was attended by close friends and family.

The album “Snowflakes Are Dancing”, which peaked at #1 on Billboard’s classical music chart in 1974 was nominated for four Grammy Awards, making Tomita the first nominee in Japan’s history.

Take a listen to Arabesque No. 1 from the aforementioned LP and remember a legend…