In 1942, he went to Indonesia to pursue his career in singing but later returned to Japan in 1946. There, he joined a jazz band and played music among allied-occupied forces for their entertainment. He quit the jazz band in 1957 and started to write songs for popular singers. His first hit was "黄色いさくらんぼ" in 1959. It was followed by another big hit called "バラが咲いた" in 1966. 