His eldest son, Shō Īmura, is the vocalist of the Japanese rock band Okamoto's.

During the 1980s, he toured Japan, Sweden, the UK, and performed at the Grande Parade du Jazz in Nice, France.

In the 1990s, he moved to London and formed a quartet with John Pearce, Dave Green, and Steve Brown.

In 2007, he made a guest appearance at the Brecon Jazz Festival, accompanied by Humphrey Lyttelton and his band.

Part of this concert was shown on BBC Four as Humph's Last Stand, a tribute to Lyttelton following his death in 2008.