Jpopmp3s blog

90’s Jpop super producer Komuro Tetsuya, who produced hits for such acts as Namie Amuro, Tomomi Kahala, and TRF has been arrested by special investigators of the Osaka district public prosecutors office on suspicion of swindling 500 million yen from an investor in a bogus copyright scheme.

The 49 year old musician is suspected in a scheme to transfer the copyright of 806 (!) of his songs to an investor for 1 billion yen (approx. 10.5 million USD). Komuro allegedly neglected to mention to the 48 year old investor that the copyright to the songs had already been transferred to a record company and “other organizations”; Can you spell y-a-k-u-z-a anybody? 500 million yen had already been deposited into a bank account by the swindled investor.

Komuro was at his peak in the mid to late 90’s with songs he wrote or produced wining the top prize at the Japan Record Awards for four years in row from 1995 to 1998. The award winning songs were:

• 1995- “Overnight Sensation” by TRF
• 1996- “Don’t wanna Cry” by Namie Amuro
• 1997- “Can you Celebrate” by Namie Amuro
• 1998- “Wanna be a dreammaker” by Globe

He ranked 4th in the nationwide list of top taxpayers in 1996 and 1997 with an annual income in excess of 3 billion Yen.

Komuro has been married 3 times and alimony to his second wife, whom he was married to for only 10 months is reportedly 1 billion yen. This, and the failure of a record production company he set up in Hong Kong in 1998 called Rojam, have contributed to his debt or over 1 billion Yen.