Dan Ikuma

Dan Ikuma was born into a distinguished family; his grandfather was Baron Dan Takuma, who was assassinated in the League of Blood incident in 1932. This tragedy, and its aftermath, inspired Dan to pursue music. His father was businessman Dan Inô.

He trained at the Tokyo School of Music and graduated in 1946. Dan became a prolific composer, creating over 200 film scores, including the music for the Samurai trilogy (1954-1956) and The Last War (1961).

Beyond film, Dan was a celebrated classical composer. His 1952 opera Yuzuru (Twilight Crane) is considered a masterpiece of modern Japanese opera. He also composed the "Olympic Games Overture" for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Dan often collaborated with fellow composers Akutagawa Yasushi and Mayuzumi Toshirô. In addition to his musical achievements, he was an accomplished essayist, receiving the Yomiuri Prize for Literature in 1968.

Asteroid 17509 was named "Ikumadan" in his honor.