Masahiko Togashi

Masahiko Togashi (富樫雅彦) was born the 22nd of March, 1940. Togashi was acclaimed as a professional jazz drummer from as early as his teens, when he played in Sadao Watanabe's jazz group. He was a pivotal figure alongside Masahiko Sato, Masayuki Takayanagi and Yosuke Yamashita in the development of free jazz in Japan in the late 1960s. However, in 1969 Togashi lost the use of his legs in an accident. He soon developed a new drumkit (one that wouldn't require the use of his legs) and returned to playing eighteen months later.