Hudson Soft veteran Takahashi Meijin reveals he is currently recovering from heart surgery 

Japanese game industry veteran and former Hudson Soft executive Meijin Takahashi has revealed that he is currently recovering from heart surgery (as reported by Game*Spark). 

In his recent January 16 blog post, Takahashi explained that he suffered a suspected heart attack around 2 years ago. After consulting with doctors about chest pain again recently, he was hospitalized on January 10 and underwent successful bypass surgery on the 11th. He reports that he is currently recovering in hospital. Takahashi thanked fans for their concern, who in return sent him warm messages expressing relief that he is ok and praying for his speedy recovery. 

Takahashi was an executive at the now defunct Japanese game developer Hudson Soft, best known for making the Bomberman series and Mario Party games. Although his real name is Toshiyuki Takahashi, he got the nickname Meijin (“Master,” usually used to refer to outstanding chess players) when he taught gaming strategy at a nationwide gaming tournament held by Hudson in 1985. He is well-loved by gamers in Japan for his accessible presentations of games during the NES era, his tips columns and his legendary gaming skills (like his infamous “16 shots per second” trigger finger speed). 

Back in January last year, Takahashi Meijin shared his opinions on the impact of modern gaming on children, particularly the harsh language used in the Japanese esports and streamer scene as well as the ultra-realistic violence in some games in recent years.