Tribute to Takuro Morinaga: A Life of Passion to the Very End

Mr. Morinaga, a self-proclaimed otaku, beloved under the nickname Moritaku

On January 28, economic analyst Takuro Morinaga passed away at the age of 67. In December 2011, he announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He was later diagnosed with cancer of unknown primary.

 

“After graduating from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Economics, Mr. Morinaga joined the Japan Monopoly Corporation (now Japan Tobacco Inc., JT). He later served as a researcher at Mitsui Information Development and Sanwa Research Institute, where he gradually made a name for himself. In April 1995, he gained attention as a guest commentator on Beat Takeshi’s TV Tackle (TV Asahi), and in 2000, he became a commentator on News Station (TV Asahi).

He was the first in Japan to use the title of economic analyst. While the show’s MC, Hiroshi Kume (80), was known for his sharp-tongued style, Mr. Morinaga’s appeal lay in his calm yet incisive analysis, making their exchanges highly popular,” said a news program director.

 In his personal life, Morinaga is known as a collector of miniature cars and Rika-chan dolls, and is a self-confessed otaku. He was nicknamed “Moritaku” and loved by many people.

Even after being told that he had little time left to live, Morinaga continued to write and appear in the media while fighting his illness, and until the day before he passed away, he continued to express his thoughts in his own honest words. He was interviewed by “FRIDAY” four times. His first appearance in the October 21, 2016 issue was as a collector. The following is a partial transcript of the interview.