Mottos of Japanese music artists: words that resonate with the heart

95% of male guitarists do it to get girls’ attention!Char

Smoky – Char LIVE 2018 “Yaondayon”

There are plenty of people who start playing an instrument to be popular with women, but when someone like Char—who is probably among the top five guitarists in Japan—can openly say such a thing, it means playing guitar to be popular isn’t something to be ashamed of.

At some point I realized that if we don’t take the wheel ourselves, we won’t be able to protect our members when it counts, we won’t be able to protect our families, and above all, we won’t be able to protect our fans.TAKURO

GLAY TAKURO 20101006 (2)

These are the words spoken by TAKURO—GLAY’s leader and guitarist—when he left a major label in 2010 to launch GLAY’s independent label, loversoul & music associates (now LSG).

They strongly reflect TAKURO’s character: prioritizing not personal gain or public image, but first and foremost protecting the bandmates beside him, his family, and the fans who always support them.

Whether that past was good or bad will probably be decided in the future.YOSHIKI

YOSHIKI Live at Carnegie Hall NY “Endless Rain” Composed by YOSHIKI American TV PBS Special

These are the words of YOSHIKI, the leader of X Japan, who is also active as a composer and pianist.

When you look back on the past, there may be many unpleasant things.

But if you can overcome them, grow, and be reborn, surely even that past will turn into something precious.

I’ve got no choice but to do it—and I will. Even the smallest step is fine; if you keep walking every day, you can get anywhere.MIYAVI

MIYAVI – Real?

These are the words of MIYAVI, a rock musician active on the global stage.

He reminds us that taking one step at a time toward what we want to do is important, and that by not stopping or looking back but moving forward even just a little, we can cultivate the strong conviction that we will definitely reach the place we want to go someday.

When you get to this age, you start to think that, somewhere along the line, you might be betrayed, no matter how much you trust the other person. But even if you think you might be betrayed, I believe life becomes incredibly lonely if you don’t have feelings of care for others.Hyde（L’Arc～en～Ciel）

Hyde: A Collection of Beloved Malapropisms 1/3

A statement from hyde, the vocalist of L’Arc〜en〜Ciel, who is also active with VAMPS and as a solo artist.

From these words, one can sense that despite boasting tremendous sales and having a long career, he continues to pursue music energetically because he believes it is important to keep caring about people and thinking of his fans.

Make difficult things easy to understand. Make what’s easy to understand interesting. Make what’s interesting profound.Masatoshi Mashima

[Hiroshima #3] Longing for Andalusia Masatoshi Mashima

He’s a guitarist who has been active from THE BLUE HEARTS to The Cro-Magnons alongside Hiroto Kōmoto.

I feel that these words express how to convey what you love and what you want to say effectively.

The way things are communicated clearly, entertainingly, and deeply in a step-by-step manner also comes through in the songs, doesn’t it?

I usually think that all kinds of unpleasant things are a form of energy. That’s exactly why I live believing I don’t have stress.GACKT

GACKT「Last Song」MUSIC VIDEO

These are the words of GACKT, who is active as a singer-songwriter and actor.

By thinking that all unpleasant events are actually energy that helps you grow, it feels like you can endure even the bad things.

His words convey GACKT’s strength.