Nobuyasu Okabayashi

is a Japanese folk singer-songwriter whose career spans more than 50 years. Often compared to Bob Dylan, Rolling Stone Japan called him an icon of Japan's politically turbulent 1960s and 1970s. Okabayashi made his debut in 1968 and quickly earned the nickname the with his protest songs. He spent 1975 to 1981 eschewing this title by experimenting with genres such as enka, pop, and new wave.

Early life His childhood home was his father's church (established by William Merrell Vories, the founder of OMI Medical Supplies Corp). After receiving his education at Oumikyoudai Middle School and Shiga Prefecture Ritsuyoukai City Senior High School, in 1966 Okabayashi entered the theology department of Doushisha College. Originally a Christian, he began to doubt his family's work with juvenile delinquents and searched for an escape. He dropped out of college, threw himself into socialism, and after meeting folk singer , he started to play guitar.

Career In 1968, Okabayashi participated in the third Folk Camp in Tokyo. He made his debut that September on Victor Records with , a song about living in Sanya with day laborers. In 1970, an unsigned band newly renamed Happy End started to play as Okabayashi's backing band and together they recorded his second album Miru Mae ni Tobe. However, 1971 was the last year of his headlining Off-Season Flowering Live Performance at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall, as well as the last year of the Folk Jamboree event in which he participated. Thus, once again, Okabayashi disappeared from the stage.

In 1973, Okabayashi started his career back up and changed labels to CBS/Sony. He released the albums Kin'iro no Lion (1973) and Dare zo Kono-ko ni Ai no Te o (1975), which were produced by Happy End drummer Takashi Matsumoto. When searching for a new sound for this genre, he was enlightened when he first heard a Korean samul nori group.

Discography Studio albums

Graffiti (1981)