It's been reported that folk singer Minami Masato has passed away. He was 76 years old. 

This announcement was made on Minami's Facebook account. While holding his concert at THUMBS UP in Kanagawa on January 7th, Minami became unconscious and was transported to the hospital. He was surrounded by family when his death was confirmed. It's believed that he took his last breath on stage.

Minami wandered around Mexico, the United States, and Europe while studying Spanish at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. After returning to Japan, he started singing message songs that he wrote himself on the streets and at anti-war rallies. He released his first album "Kaikisen" in 1971.