Zentaro Watanabe (渡辺 善太郎, Watanabe Zentarō, 9 August 1963 – 22 July 2021) was a Japanese musician and music producer. He debuted as a musician in 1986 as the guitarist for the band Shijin no Chi, later forming the duo Oh! Penelope with former bandmate Mutsuji Tsuji. Since the mid-1990s, Watanabe worked as a music producer, creating songs such as Chara's "Yasashii Kimochi" (1997), Hitomi's "Love 2000" and Ikimonogakari's "Hana wa Sakura Kimi wa Utsukushi" (2008). In 2000, Watanabe launched a solo project entitled Atami.
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Watanabe debuted as a member of the band Shijin no Chi, through Epic Records Japan.[2][1] By 1993, the three-person unit had released five studio albums.[1] In March 1994, Watanabe retooled the group as a duo, creating Oh! Penelope with Shijin no Chi's vocalist Mutsuji Tsuji.[1] Oh! Penelope's mini album Photograph (1995) was one of the first enhanced CDs released in Japan.[1] After releasing their debut full-length album Milk & Cookies in March 1997, the band disbanded by June.[3] After the band's disbandment, Watanabe focused on working as a music producer, producing music such as Chara's "Yasashii Kimochi" (1997) and "70% (Yūgure no Uta)" (1999), Hitomi songs such as "Love 2000" and "Samurai Drive" (2001).[2]
In April 2000, Watanabe began working on Atami (stylised as atami), a solo music project involving guest vocalists, such as Miho Hatori, Chara, Hitomi and Kirinji.[3][2] Atami's delf-titled debut album released in February 2001.[1] In 2002, the band's single "Under the Sun" with Bonnie Pink was used as the theme song for the Yōsuke Kubozuka-starring film Laundry.[3] In March, the second Atami album was released.[3]
In addition to popular music, Watanabe worked as a music producer for the films Laundry (2001), Gravity's Clowns (2009), On Next Sunday (2009) and My Rainy Days (2009).[4] In 2012, Watanabe worked as the music producer for the NHK drama Hatsukoi,[2] and in 2013 for the anime Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea.
After a long period of illness, Watanabe died from pancreatic cancer on 22 July 2021. His death was announced five days later by the Japan Federation of Music Producers.[2]
