Former TOEI producer, and the co-creator of the Kamen Rider series and Himitsu Sentai Goranger, Tohru Hirayama passed away this Wednesday due to heart failure. He was 84 years old. A private funeral service for close relatives will be held in the next few days, with Mitsuru, his eldest son, as the chief mourner.

Hirayama entered Toei in 1954, and became the producer for all TOEI tokusatsu series from the 1960's to the 1980's. He was instrumental in the creation and development of the TOEI Hero series and the co-creator, along with Shotaro Ishinomori, for the original series of TOEI's two long-running franchises, Kamen Rider and Himitsu Sentai Goranger.

Source: Yomiuri Online via Anime News Network
UPDATED: Thanks to August Ragone for the additional information.

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