Music

Morning Glory to Todai - Univ. of Tokyo Baseball cheer song
melody by Koichi Hamada
lyrics by Hikaru Fujisawa
arranged by Yoshiro Irino

Koichi Hamada - A Composer

Born in Tokyo in 1936, Koichi Hamada, Professor Emeritus of Economics, Yale University, and University of Tokyo, specialized in International Finance. In 2012, he was appointed as a Special Advisor for Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and thought to be one of the architects of "Abenomics."

Koichi was interested in music composition in his childhood and composed several children’s songs addressed to the idyllic country scenes of rural Japan. Some short solo pieces for violin and piano, and chorus pieces were composed as well. He won a competition for his composition of the melody of the “Cheer Song” for the baseball games of the University of Tokyo.

Although in academics he specialized in economics, in much of his spare time he took music lessons and audited music classes at Yale (e.g., composition class for performers), the New England Conservatory and the Neighborhood Music School in New Haven.

It was a long awaited wish that his music would be listened to and enjoyed by audiences on both sides of the Pacific. He was extremely delighted that the dream came true when Mr. Takeshi Nakano and other friends kindly helped to create and produce a commercial CD of his compositions. “Doves for Peace” was published for his eightieth birthday.