India, May 13 -- To call singer Hiroshi Kitadani an icon is almost an understatement. In the world of J-pop (Japanese pop music), he is a legend. And his fame and following is compounded by the fact that he is behind some of the most recognisable songs from the anime world, notably We Are!, the theme song of the global phenomenon, ONE PIECE. The 62-year-old was recently in India to perform We Are! in front of an Indian crowd for the first time. On the sidelines, Kitadani sat down to talk to Hindustan Times about his India trip, ONE PIECE, and his love for Indian films.

Kitadani has said that We Are! saved his life. The song came to him at the lowest time in his career. "It was truly my lowest point after my debut. The offer for We Are! c...