Photo/Illutration Singer songwriter Shinji Tanimura (Photo by Hidemi Shinoda)

Shinji Tanimura, a singer-songwriter who fronted the popular folk rock band Alice and was known for “Subaru” and a string of other hits that also brought him fame in China, has died. He was 74.

Tanimura was recovering from an operation he underwent in March for an intestinal inflammation, according to his music agency. He died Oct. 8.

Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1948, Tanimura debuted in 1972 as a singer and guitar player of Alice, which he formed with Takao Horiuchi and Toru Yazawa the previous year.

The trio rose to fame with their 1977 hit “Fuyu no inazuma (Winter Lightning).” Other hits include “Johnny’s Lullaby” and “Champion.”

Tanimura also forged a successful solo career. His 1980 hit “Subaru (The Pleiades)” and “Iihi tabidachi (Good Day, Good Departure),” which he wrote for Momoe Yamaguchi, are among the most popular in Japan’s popular music catalogue.

He also taught music at the Tokyo College of Music and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Tanimura had an army of fans in China, many of whom took to the social media platform Weibo to pay tribute to him.

One fan posted, “He was my favorite Japanese male singer,” while another quoted the lyrics of “Subaru” in Japanese.

Tanimura’s songs have been covered by well-known singers in Hong Kong and Taiwan since the 1980s.

According to Chinese media, nearly 50 of Tanimura’s songs have been translated into Chinese, including “Subaru,” now regarded as a classic.

Tanimura often performed in China over the years. The venues included the Shanghai expo in 2010 and events to mark anniversaries of Japan-China diplomatic relations.

(Sotaro Hata, a correspondent in Beijing, also contributed to this article.)

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