The following is my own English translation of an article posted on the
Asahi Newspaper website.

   The conductor of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra Takashi Asahina,
   the oldest currently active conductor, and winner of the Cultural
   Medal, has died on the 29th.  The was 93 years old.  His home address
   is Sonohara Kitamachi 4-4-3, Nada-Ku, Kobe City.

   Amid the chaos of the post-war era he founded the Kansai Symphony
   which he developed into the Osaka Philharmonic.  In his latter years
   his interpretations of Beethoven and Bruckner, along with other German
   composers, had come to be particularly highly regarded internationally.

   He was born on July the 9th,1908 in Tokyo.  In the older Intermediate
   School system he taught himself the violin, and during his days at
   Hoogaku University Law School was active in the student orchestra.
   Although he graduated in 1931 and took up employment at the Osaka
   Dentetsu firm, his ambition to become a professional musician led
   him to resign from his company position after two years.  In 1940 he
   made his first real debut when he conducted the New Symphonic Orchestra
   (the present day NHK Symphony Orchestra).  During the Second World
   War he conducted the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Halbin
   Symphony Orchestra on the Chinese continent, where he was joined by
   musicians who had assembled from Europe, thus lending his performances
   an international flavor.

   Amid the chaos of the post-war years, dressed in clogs and jersey he
   withstood the poverty of the orchestra's lean years through thrift
   and enthusiasm.  In 1947 he founded the Kansai Symphony Orchestra.
   After receiving corporate and state funding he developed it into the
   current Osaka Philharmonic.  From the 1950's he increased his activities
   in Europe and guest conducted orchestras including the Berlin
   Philharmonic to international acclaim.

   In 1979 he received the Asahi Award, and in 1968 received the Cultural
   Achievement Award.  In 1994 he became the second classical musician
   to become the recipient of the Cultural Medal since Koosaku Yamada.

   Amongst past position include that of the Chairman of the Japanese
   Association of Conductors.  He was, as a member of the Association
   for the Hashin Earthquake Rebuilding Foundation, a representative
   of the classical musical world's positive contribution to society.

   With his recordings of the complete cycles of Beethoven and Bruckner
   he had completed more recordings than any other Japanese artist.  A
   conductor who had performed the Beethoven's 9th Symphony over 250
   times he was a conductor loved by all.

   Maestro Asahina had been scheduled to perform the Beethoven 9th on
   the 29th and 30th end of year concerts with the Osaka Philharmonic.

The original Japanese article can be found at the following URL:

   http://www.asahi.com/obituaries/update/1229/002.html

Satoshi Akima
Sydney, Australia