In Memoriam - Tadashi Arakawa (1947-2022)

January 23, 2022 • Addison Ching • News

Tadashi Arakawa, revered Hawaiian steel guitarist from Yokohama, Japan, passed away on February 22, 2022. He was 76 years old.

Tadashi was a regular participant in the annual Maui Steel Guitar Festivals in 2014 as a member of the group Kanika Pila, and in 2016-2018 as a featured steel guitarist in the festival's main programs.

Tadashi Arakawa at the 2018
Waikīkī Steel Guitar Festival
PC-Don Touchi

Tadashi Arakawa at the 2018
Maui Steel Guitar Festival
PC-Kumiko Kakiuchi

Alan Akaka and Tadashi
Arakawa, Yokohama, Japan
PC-Toishimitsu Shiina

Tadashi Arakawa started playing ukulele at 10 years old and during his young age he received instructions of Hawaiian music from Tony Ohtsuka and Takashi Ohtsuka (Tony Ohtsuka & Palm Serenaders, who were called the "Big Four" of Hawaiian music bands in Japan at that time).

Tadashi actively promoted and fully supported the annual Steel Guitar Renaissance (festival) held in Yokohama since 2009 which featured 14 to 16 Steel Guitar players and/or their groups. The event was normally held around the same time as the Maui festival, sometimes preventing him from participating in the Maui event.

Tadashi also managed a Hawaiian music school called the Yokohama Hawaiian Music Academy. In 2018 the academy comprised nine steel guitar students, 2 guitar students, 4 bass students, and over 100 'ukulele students.

Students from his academy also participated in the 2018 Maui festival. The Yokohama Hawaiian Music Academy Band (select academy students that included two steel guitarists, a guitarist, a bass player, and 14 'ukulele players) performed on the Open Stage. Steel guitarist Yoshiko Seo and Anegogumi also performed on the Open Stage and continue to share their talent on the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Showcase Open Stage programs.

In recent years he was an organizer of the Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival, an event to be held in Japan and a "festival within a festival" that was planned to be included in the annual Waikiki Steel Guitar Week in 2020. Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, planning and implementation of that event was put on indefinite hold due to travel restrictions preventing Japanese steel guitarists from traveling.

Tadashi was diagnosed with cancer in 2020.

He is survived by his wife Yuriko, son Daiichi, daughter-in law Mari and grand daughter Ayami.