In the story of Mr. Tanimura’s life, his wife, Ako, who is five years younger than him, is indispensable. Mr. Tanimura met Ako around 1975, when Alice had yet to have a hit song. It was love at first sight for Mr. Tanimura, and he proposed to her on their first date one week after they met, and two and a half years later they were married in a church in Kobe. They were blessed with an eldest son the year after their marriage and an eldest daughter in 1980. Furthermore, while raising their child, Ms. Ako supported him for a long time as the president of Mr. Tanimura’s private office.” (Entertainment-related person) In addition to being a wife and mother, Ms. Ako was also a noted producer. Not only did she serve as president because she was his wife, but Ms. Ako also possessed a business sense. She sometimes went out of her way to negotiate with people in the music industry and the media. In 2004, Mr. Tanimura developed shingles. At the age of 55, his body, which had been overworked, began to scream. At that time, as the president of the office, she suggested that Mr. Tanimura, as his wife, take a leave of absence. Mr. Tanimura, who spent half the year in the countryside for concerts, was at first perplexed because he had nothing to do. However, he began to find joy in spending time with his family.” (Source: Entertainment-related person) Ms. Ako, who supported Mr. Tanimura both publicly and privately, continues to protect his “achievements” even after his death. In April of this year, a change in the structure of the private office took place, and the longtime director resigned, but she remains as the office president and is responsible for managing Mr. Tanimura’s musical legacy and handling copyrights. It seems that Ms. Ako’s wishes are the main reason why Mr. Tanimura’s “present” life has been kept so secret. As mentioned above, Mr. Tanimura has two children. Mr. Tanimura doted on his daughter. He even boasted that they could communicate with each other even if they didn’t talk. They even went so far as to boast that they could communicate with each other even when they were not speaking to each other. However, she became reluctant to allow Mr. Tanimura to interfere with the details of her life, and after her daughter got married, she did not visit her parents’ home and sometimes lost touch with them. When his eldest son married in 2010 and gave birth to his first grandchild, Mr. Tanimura relaxed his attitude toward him. When her eldest son, whom she married in 2010, gave birth to her first grandchild, Ms. Tanimura relaxed. However, his son caused trouble in 2017 when the police intervened, and his name disappeared from the firm. Since then, he is said to have been insulated from Mr. and Mrs. Tanimura. Until then, their son had been living in a tower apartment with a monthly rent of 1 million yen, but he moved out for a fresh start. Even so, they divorced soon after. After that, they moved repeatedly and are now living in an apartment in Tokyo with a rent of several tens of thousands of yen, but there are few people involved who can be contacted. She was not invited to Tanimura’s funeral, either. Ms. Ako seems to have realized that even her own son can become so embroiled in a rut that it is impossible to repair the relationship. She has to take responsibility for everything on her own. “Managing the music copyrights of many famous songs means that there is a lot of money involved. It seems as if she is distancing herself more and more from others in order to protect her husband’s legacy. The fact that she does not tell her relatives about the grave, the remains, or the memorial service for the third anniversary of her husband’s death may seem extreme, but it may be unavoidable for Ms. Ako.
