BGM Hiroshi Takano - 目覚めの三月
Today I worked late. It was a fine day, and I felt sad as usual. But I tried to keep my routine without thinking that sad mood. I put my memo pad on the table and started writing my ideas in English with my frixion pen. I also read a book, listen to music, and post various interesting topics or the link of my blog in some chat groups on WhatsApp. If I keep on doing "what I should do", my feeling starts following that task. Sometimes I think that everything seems to be in vain. What can this task mean? But, probably I would keep on doing this routine even if the world would end. It is not for any beautiful ideal, but just because of my nature.
Today I read Peter Barakan's book "Oh This Side Of The Radio". Japanese have a great expression. "People have the past". In this book, Peter Baracan talks about how he influenced Japanese culture of music, and how he changed that culture through the activities as a DJ, a journalist, etc. Reading this, I thought how it is impressive because he kept on worked as an introducer of music through his life. Can I live the life without any wondering like him? It makes me think that. Me, although I have kept on having an ideal of writing something since I met Haruki Murakami at my teen days, but I admit that I once wondered a lot. Even now, I am just looking for how to live in darkness.
That Peter Baracan's book gives me an interesting topic, which is about the difference between Japanese culture and English culture. When Peter Baracan does his DJ in English, he does talk about some hot and serious topics as politics and international issues. I thought about my experiences by that. I also talk about that kind of politics when I am with friends on Discord or WhatsApp even if I don't know politics well. In Japan, it is different to stand on the stage to talk about politics in a calm and gentle mind. Indeed, we can talk about that on Twitter, but on Twitter it often products some frictions and battles losing gentleness. Therefore it is difficult not to get in any battle, but treat others as friends and do discussions.
How does that difference come from? Thinking about that, it became the time to start my work. I guess that is related with the phenomenon that protest songs of politics rarely become any great songs on the hit charts. Are there any great musicians as U2 and Bruce Springsteen in the world? Indeed, I won't think that it should be thought as "Japan is wrong" simply. This is never any irony. That kind of gentle phenomenon can be the greatness of Japanese culture. Japan have its great point of view so Japanese should follow that, not copying other countries' culture automatically. We can sing "our" protest songs or love songs. I like Mr. Children and Spitz, and I enjoy those Japanese tunes like grunge and britpop. That's great!
