Biography
Yūji Ōno (also credited as Yuji Ohno) is a Japanese composer, arranger and jazz pianist. Born on 30 May 1941 in Atami, Shizuoka, he began playing piano in elementary school and later studied at Keio University, where he performed in jazz ensembles. He made his recording debut in 1966 and turned to composing in the early 1970s, initially for television commercials before working on dramas and films.
Ōno is best known for his long association with the Lupin the Third franchise. He composed the score and theme for the 1977 television series Lupin the 3rd Part II and provided the music for the feature film The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), directed by Hayao Miyazaki. He continued to score subsequent Lupin the Third anime series, specials and films, including Lupin the Third: The Mystery of Mamo (1978), Lupin the Third: Farewell to Nostradamus (1995) and Lupin III: The First (2019). Other credits include Captain Future (1978) and Space Adventure Cobra (1982). Ōno died on 4 May 2026 in Tokyo.
