Original version

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

Migrated podcast image for: Outlook

Outlook

Factual: Life Stories

True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives.

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

Outlook: The Man Behind Japan's Music Scandal

Magazines & Reviews

Takashi Niigaki

25/08/2016 GMT

The Man Behind Japan's Music Scandal

BBC World Service - Outlook, The Man Behind Japan's Music Scandal

Takashi Niigaki secretly composed some of Japan's most successful symphonies

For years, Mamoru Samuragochi was a star of Japan's classical music scene - but all the while an unknown music teacher called Takashi Niigaki had been composing his works for him.

Two years ago, Japan was gripped by scandal when a musician called Mamoru Samuragochi was revealed to be an imposter. Samuragochi was a star in Japan - he claimed to have lost his hearing at the age of 35 but had continued to write music which was hugely popular. The scandal broke when it was revealed that a part-time music teacher called Takashi Niigaki was in fact the composer of much of the music that had been credited to Samuragochi.

There is an interesting new crime writer on the block in Britain called Matt Johnson, and he has just published his first novel in paperback, called Wicked Game. The central character is a London police officer and former soldier - a role Matt knows well because for 25 years that was his job. 

Mexico has one of the highest murder rates in the world - nearly 60 people died violently every day this year. And someone has to go to the crime scene and clean up afterwards. That man is often Donovan Tavera. He set himself up as Mexico's first forensic cleaner - after an obsession that started when he was a boy.

The islands of Hawaii were formed by volcanoes from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, and there are many local legends about the goddess of volcanoes and fire, Pele. As a girl, Alison Teal was entranced by those stories. So, when the Kilauea volcano erupted early this year, spewing its lava into the ocean, instead of doing the usual thing and running away - Alison took her surfboard and hopped in the water.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Outlook

The Man Behind Japan's Music Scandal

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

About BBC World Service