Masatoshi Sakai (Japanese: 酒井政利) (1935[1]—2021) was a Japanese record producer who produced a large number of hit songs.[2][3] He received the Person of Cultural Merit[4] in November 2020.[5] He achieved sales of records to the value of more than ¥870 billion.[6] He produced songs such as Ihojin by Saki Kubota, and Ii Hi Tabidachi and Playback Part 2 by Momoe Yamaguchi.[7][8][9]
He produced the song Ai to Shi o Mitsumete (Japanese: 愛と死をみつめて) by Kazuko Aoyama, which won the Japan Record Award at the 6th Japan Record Awards in 1964.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] He produced the song Miserarete by Judy Ongg, which won the Japan Record Award at the 21st Japan Record Awards in 1979.[17][18][19][20] He won a special achievement award at the 63rd Japan Record Awards in 2021.[21]
He received the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award from the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2005.[22]
He worked for Nippon Columbia from 1961, and for CBS/Sony from 1968.[23]
He produced songs for the Candies,[24] including Hohoemi Gaeshi.[8] The Candies' Toshishita no Otokonoko was another one of Sakai's hits.[10] He produced the song 17-sai by Saori Minami,[25][26] and the album Pacific (1978).[27] He produced songs for Hiromi Go, including Otokonoko Onnanoko (English title: "Hey Go, Go").[28][29][10] and Yoroshiku Aishuu.[8] He was involved, with Shūji Terayama, in the creation of the song Toki ni wa Haha no Nai Ko no Yō ni by Carmen Maki.[30][31] He produced the song Yo Ga Akete by Sumiko Sakamoto.[30]
He also worked with Mari Amachi,[23] Yukiji Asaoka,[30] Eikichi Yazawa,[5] Four Leaves,[32] Seiko Matsuda[33] and Rie Miyazawa.[23] He produced songs for more than 350 artists.[24]
In 2019, it was announced that there would be a film about Masatoshi Sakai and Yū Aku.[34][35][36] Masatoshi Sakai is a character in the NHK television drama Aidoru tanjō kagayake Shōwa kayō (Japanese: アイドル誕生 輝け昭和歌謡) (2023), played by the actor Masaki Miura.[37]
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