Hiroshi Yoshimura was a Japanese musician and composer born in Yokohama in 1940. He is regarded as a pioneer of ambient music in Japan, known for his unique style called kankyō ongaku, or environment music. His compositions often feature soft electronic melodies combined with the soothing sounds of nature, such as flowing water, gentle rain, and singing birds. Interestingly, his album Green, released in 1986, included these nature sounds in its American version but not in the Japanese release.

Yoshimura began learning the piano at just five years old and graduated from Waseda University in 1964. Influenced by the Fluxus movement and composers like Erik Satie, he founded the computer music group “Anonyme” in 1972. His innovative approach extended to designing music for various spaces, including galleries and train stations. Yoshimura passed away in 2003 after a battle with skin cancer, but his music has since gained renewed popularity, earning him critical acclaim for his significant impact on Japanese ambient music.