Koseki Yûji

Began composing while in college, writing numerous fight songs and marches for his alma maters, Waseda and Keio Universities. He earned the nickname "The Japanese Sousa."

Later influenced by Russian composers Stravinsky and Mussorgsky.

In 1929 he won a competition put on by Chester Music of London with his piece "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter." Shortly after he received a fan letter from Uchiyama Kinko, and they were married the same year. They remained married until his death in 1989.

Notable works written after WWII include the requiem "The Bells of Nagasaki," and the Olympic March for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

At Koseki's funeral, his coffin was draped with the flags of Waseda and Keio Universities, and he was sent off by the fight songs he had composed for them while a student.

In 2009, numerous events were organized to commemorate Koseki's 100th birthday.