Graduate of Meji University in Tokyo, Japan. During his studies at the university, Kawana was in the university’s broadcasting club and produced the first music competition among the six most prestigious universities in Japan which received much acclaim by the public. The commercial radio stations decided to continue it as a regular weekly program which lasted for many years.
After graduating, Kawana started working at Sankei Hall as a producer. He produced more than 200 concerts per year. When Sankei Hall was established, it was mainly a classical music oriented hall. However, his innovative ideas of bringing various entertainers from overseas changed the hall to Japan’s central hall just like Carnegie Hall in the US. There, he produced B.B. King, Yves Montand, George Shearing, George Chakaris, Harry Belafonte, Thelonious Monk, Mitch Miller, and more.
When Sankei Hall closed for renovation in 1971, Kawana became an independent producer and worked for Japan’s Fuji Television, Nippon Broadcasting Inc., and Canyon Records.
Kawana independently produced entertainers and artists such as Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Sammy Davis Jr., Tom Jones, Stevie Wonder, Harry Belafonte, Charles Aznavour, Marlene Dietrich, Glen Campbell, Sha-Na-Na, Kate Bush, Perry Como, David Soul, Mireille Mathieu, Irene Cara, Joan Jett, Joe Cocker, Foreigner, Rough Cat, Menudo, Scorpion, and many more.
Kawana successfully produced Japan’s first outdoor concert where Japanese rock bands collaborated with Pink Floyd.
1972, Kawana produced as many as 300 concerts.
In the commercial field, Kawana produced Kate Bush for Seiko Watches, Candice Bergen for Minolta Cameras, Dean Martin for Toyo Rayon, and Tom Weiskopf for Adlance.
Kawana also produced music programs for television and directed theatrical performances. He participated in “Tokyo Music Festival” for fourteen years as its producer.
In other fields, he produced the Atami San Remo Music Festival, the Japan Academy Awards, Seiko World Super Tennis, the Bolshoi Circus, F.I.N.A Synchronized Swimming, the World Youth Soccer Games sponsored by Coca Cola, the Mona Lisa painting exhibition, and many others.
One of Kawana’s distinguished accomplishments was, upon the introduction of laser video disks to the market by Pioneer Electronics, he was the first to coordinate, record, and obtain exclusive copyrights for Japan from the concerts of Elton John, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Commodores, Blondie, Joe Cocker, Doobie Brothers, Kenny Logins, George Shearing, John Waite, Tom Petty, Night Ranger, Foreigner, Sting, Rita Coolidge, and more than fifty other artists (mainly in the US and Europe). Toshiba and Toho (a motion picture studio) also requested Kawana to do the same. Because of his accomplishments, it was the start of copyrights becoming a commercialized commodity in Japan.
Kawana was the first recipient to ever be awarded two Grand Prizes ( in 1973 and 1979) in the Popular Music category of The Japan Arts Awards, the most prestigious award in Japan.
Kawana is chairman & CEO of International Foundation For Education & Performing Arts US-JAPAN Association, Inc. (IFEPA US-JAPAN Association, NPO) and a board member of International Foundation For Education & Performing Arts (IFEPA,NPO). 2008, IFEPA is starting “GLOBAL MUSIC FESTIVAL IN LOS ANGELES”.