Ringo News 2015

[deadgrandma]

I dunno, NIPPON isn't on the Taiwan disc... so maybe she wont.

[deadgrandma]

Just posted on her twitter.

[tsukigimehime]

I think that what the people who wrote on the song/its "imagery" also took issue with was what was read as an allusion to wartime (this is in the midst of nationalist and extremists protesting and threatening to kill Korean people, the Prime Minister attempting to reorient Japan as a country with an active army...so it makes sense that people could be hypersensitive to anything that resembles that)

Here's her comment following the bit zero translated (it was a great translation imo, thanks!!) about the line "the faint scent of death" which was singled out as "war imagery" in particular.

　Interviewer: 「NIPPON」に「淡い死の匂い」という言葉が使われていることを、問題視する声もありました。

There were also some who expressed issue with the words "the faint scent of death" used in "NIPPON."

Ringo: ああ、特攻みたいだとおっしゃっている方がいましたね。全然考えてもみませんでした。神風特攻隊が美意識としてカッコイイと思っていて、好きで書こうとしているとしたら、もっとやり方があると思うんです。この歌詞だって「死に物狂い」という体験をしたことがある方にとっては、別に何てことのない、素通りするような表現ですよね。

Ah, yes there were people who likened [that line] to the kamikaze units. I didn't even attempt to consider that. Were I trying to write about liking kamikaze units and finding them to be cool and have an aesthetic beauty, there would be other ways to do so. Those who have experienced "desperation" would think nothing of the expression in this lyric and pass it right over.

たとえば歌っていても、どうしても表現したいことがあって、立て続けに畳みかけるようにずっと声を出していると、急に鉄の味がする時があるんです。私が「淡い死の匂い」と書いたのは、そういうようなことなんです。毛細血管が切れていってるような瞬間って、あるじゃないですか。ただそれだけのこと。本当に、なんでこんなに死をタブー視するのか……。

Even when singing, for example, if there's something you want to express no matter what, you continue to sing out without stopping, as though pressing for an answer and it reaches a point where you suddenly taste iron. That is the "faint scent of death" I wrote about. There's a moment where it's like your capillaries are bursting. It's just an expression of that. Really, why is death viewed as so taboo...



It goes on to talk about death from there, and other questions about the songs on HIT, and her dream cabaret

[zeroryouko]

Originally Posted by tsukigimehime

Even when singing, for example, if there's something you want to express no matter what, you continue to sing out without stopping, as though pressing for an answer and it reaches a point where you suddenly taste iron. That is the "faint scent of death" I wrote about.

I love it! That actually explains *so* much about the way she performs.

[deadgrandma]

Someone should get her gums checked... :-p

[tsukigimehime]

Originally Posted by zeroryouko

I love it! That actually explains *so* much about the way she performs.

Doesn't it! I also agree that Sunday was probably her best performance of NIPPON yet, and one of her best overall lives in a while. I think she likes to go all out, which it's hard to do with a tour, since you have to preserve yourself to stay in good condition over several shows, she was super powerful at fuji and you really felt it... I hope there are lots of vids and pics from rockin on this weekend too

here's the full article, which I don't feel like translating all of, and you may already have, but it's a good read imo!

[zeroryouko]

I will check it out, thanks. I only found the portion I quoted earlier, when I looked. My Japanese is *really* not that good, so I thought I was lucky to find even that much...

[gekokujyo]

^ thanks so much for the article! Am not a frequent buyer of japanese magazines so it's always nice to be able to read about her thoughts in her own words.

[FadedSun]

Where can I find the performance of NIPPON everyone is mentioning from Fuji Rock?

Also, could someone post a link to that interview about NIPPON? I want to send it to somebody and have them read it.

[waranghira]

UGH. The blaring brass on those vids. I can't even hear the guitar and drums. Noudouteki sounds greatly less groovy.

I wish the brass wouldn't sound this obtrusive in Taiwan.