Bassist Mitsuru Ono, one of the key figures in Japan's jazz boom, passed away last month, it was learned on Wednesday. On January 2, he succumbed to pneumonia at a hospital in Hachioji, Tokyo. He was 78.

After graduating from high school in 1945, he joined a swing band led by musician Toriro Miki. He then became part of the jazz boom by forming the group Big 4 along with Hachidai Nakamura, George Kawaguchi, and Hidehiko Matsumoto.

After that, Ono became part of Six Brothers, a band that performed with legendary enka singer Hibari Misora. Ono and Misora had a very friendly relationship, earning Ono the nickname of "Hibari's first love" and leading to rumors that the two were engaged.

Ono created his own band, Mitsuru Ono & The Swing Beavers, in 1959. He was also seen frequently on NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen.