Since the Kouhaku Utagassen 2007 I’ve been listening to some of Makihara Noriyuki- san’s songs over and over. The song Green Days, which he sung at the event caught my emotions and I went to buy the single cd. On that cd is the song どんなときも。 ‘07 (Anytime Version 2007). This has been playing in my head over and over today. I think this song explains in simple terms what I’m feeling these days, and even at the end of the day I’m moved by listening to his voice and imagining the words playing out in my head. There are various translations all over the internet if anyone cares to look for it. I’m not going to add a link to any in particular because I understand the song my own way and dont want to rely on any given translations. I think the song expresses a feeling of overwhelming pressure(the spaces between building get tight) but at the same time such emptiness and loneliness (smiling to oneself in front of the mirror). There is sometime so sad and yet so comforting to this song- sort of the feeling of thinking how small we are in comparison to other planets, the solar system and anything else out in space- it’s a similar feeling, but probably very different too.
I wish I was more fluent in Japanese. It’s strange, people often say that the most romantic, the most poetic languages are those of Europe- French, Italian, Spanish, and so on. German is easier for me to correctly communicate in- writing, grammar, speaking, etc, but time and time again, I’m touched with the poetics and words from Japan. Right now the book I bought 2 years ago, in attempts to teach myself more Japanese is sitting next to my desk. I ought to look into it again. Let’s appear to be calm, the song says again.