On January 4 we received the following message from NAMM‘s Dan Del Fiorentino:
One of the true icons of music retailing has passed away. Mr. Mototsugu Shimamura passed away on December 26. He was 87.
Shimanmura-san grew a small Japanese music retail store into the country’s largest music retail chain. Shimamura Music has played a vital role in music education and the expansion of the music market in Japan since 1962. As both president of Shimamura Music and an active member of several industry associations, Mr. Shimamura worked to build global growth within the music products industry. His mission for his very first store is still the mission for his entire retail chain today: “Deliver our customers the joy of music to their everyday life.”
His contributions to music and music making were vast. His legacy will always remain with us.
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)