[3] He is known for his virtuosic guitar playing and skilled musicianship, composing and performing across various different music genres.

His father went to Japan from Nanjing, China after World War II and married his mother, whose surname was Takanaka.

He took daily lessons from Shigeru Naruke, who taught him the basics of music theory and guitar playing.

In 1972, after Flied Egg disbanded, he joined the Sadistic Mika Band[1] formed by Kazuhiko Kato, and from there he began working as a professional guitarist.

[1] Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Takanaka continued his output, releasing over twenty albums and singles under Kitty Records until 1984 and EMI from 1985 to 2000.

In 2014, at the 13th Tokyo Jazz Festival, Takanaka also demonstrated a custom-built guitar which featured a model train set.