#Bon Uta A Song From Home

[dare-g]

BON-UTA, A Song from Home (2019)

[genkinahito]

JFF+ INDEPENDENT CINEMA: A New Batch of Japanese Independent Films to Stream in 2023

A new batch of Japanese indie films have been programmed and made available for streaming over at the Japanese Film Festival+ website. Once again, they have teamed up with mini theatres (small independent cinemas) across Japan and also film experts to programme 12 indie films for people to stream online for free. Already in full swing – and available until October 31st, the films are available…

[ritahayworrth]

there's currently a free japanese indie film festival being held online! all the films have subtitles in english, spanish (latin america), thai, indonesian, simplified chinese, and traditional chinese and the films are available to watch worldwide (except japan and some others depending on the movie):

bachiranun (2021)

tenzo (2019), not available in france, belgium, switzerland, korea

an artisan's legacy, tsunekazu-nishioka (2012)

lonely glory (2022)

hanagatami (2017), not available in china, us, canada, uk, and ireland

bon-uta, a song from home (2019)

and your bird can sing (2018), not available in korea, china, taiwan, us, and canada

hey! our dear don-chan (2022)

techno brothers (2023)

a muse never drowns (2022), not available in the netherlands, and canada

a girl in my room (2022), not available in korea, china, and taiwan

follow the light (2021)

the festival will be held until october 31, 2023 :))

[kokiafans]

KOKIA in flashback - 2021

Unfortunately, the year of 2021 is not quite what any of us had probably hoped it would be. KOKIA's activities dwindle down to very sparse opportunities to perform, and so she seeks new ways to reach her fans as yet. Last year's 1 to 1 Live for you livestreams were all free to watch, with the occasional chance to pay optional tickets, but this year, she also hosts streams that are only accessible for a paying audience. These recorded concerts are recorded in big venues in Blu-ray quality to justify the price, and later get a Blu-ray release for those who missed out.

Since August last year, KOKIA has been spending more and more time in London, eventually mostly returning to Japan for business. She still manages to release a new album this year: Kono sekai no katasumi de ('In this corner of the world'), the second entry in her Stars mini-album series. Unfortunately, one of the songs has a sad note to it: she dedicates one to Titti, her dog who sadly passes away this year.

On the other hand, this album is also proof of how many people around the world KOKIA has touched over the years: she requests for her fans to send in a recording of them saying Hello in their native language, and she gets so many replies in just one week that she worries if she can even use them all. The song Hello World ends up collecting as many as she could!

◆ Lives and events ◆

January 10 KOKIA utau tada sore dake nano ni ('I just sing, that's all') (Billboard Live OSAKA) ※ 2 performances in 1 day (Promotion: Billboard Osaka 2021)

February 13 1 to 1 live for you vol.12 (1 to 1 live for you, recap)

February 27 Livestream event ※Event exclusively for members of the KOKIA fanclub, club ancoro (Translated blog post)

April 17 KOKIA ~ongaku o kudaru basho~ Vol.4 ('The place where music falls') (Nagano, Yatsugatake Kogen Music Hall) (Promotion: Yatsugatake 2021)

April 29 1 to 1 live for you vol.13 ※ 23rd anniversary stream; KOKIA chats from London (1 to 1 live for you, recap)

July 24 1 to 1 live for you vol.14 ※ Emergency livestream to replace the postponed Billboard Live YOKOHAMA performance (1 to 1 live for you, recap)

August 21 KOKIA 2021 Bon Odori ('Bon Festival Dance') (Billboard Live OSAKA) ※ 2 performances in 1 day (Promotion: Billboard Osaka summer 2021)

August 29 KOKIA 2021 Natsu matsuri ('Summer festival') (Billboard Live YOKOHAMA) ※ 2 performances in 1 day ※Postponed from July 25 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Promotion: Billboard Yokohama 2021)

September 18 2021 KOKIA live stream concert - THE MISSING PIECE- (online; recorded from Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall) ※ first paid-only concert stream (Promotion: the missing piece)

November 20 1 to 1 live for you vol.15 (1 to 1 live for you, recap)

December 4 2021 KOKIA live stream concert - Missing you (online; recorded from Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall) ※ Paid-only stream exclusive for China (Promotion: Missing you)

December 28/30/31 KOKIA home live Welcome to 1 to 1 live for you (KOKIA private studio) ※Event exclusively for members of the KOKIA fanclub, club ancoro (Blog post 1, blog post 2)

◆ Releases ◆

April 6 Release of original album Kono sekai no katasumi de ('In this corner of the world') (anco&co.) ※ second chapter in the Star series. Mini album consisting of 7 songs (Kono sekai no katasumi de)

October 5 Release of the Blu-ray THE MISSING PIECE & Missing You (anco&co.) ※ Collection of the recordings of this year's paid concert streams (2021 livestream bluray)

◆ Other releases ◆

April Update of the smartphone app game RED - Pride of Eden ※ Performed the new song Nice memories (RED Pride of Eden)

May 25 Release of the smartphone app game Artery Gear: Fusion ※ Performed the theme song Satellites (Artery Gear Fusion)

June 1 Release of the digital album Synapusyu no uta 2 ('Songs of Synapusyu') (tuneCORE) ※ Performed the March theme song Ready to Rock n' Roll (Synapusyu)

December 1 Release of the album Synapusyu aiue-o! de hajimaripushu ('Synapusyu let's start with the ab-c!') ※ Performed the March theme song Ready to Rock n' Roll (Synapusyu)

◆ Other ◆

March Broadcasting of the TV Tokyo program Synapusyu ※ Performed the March theme song Ready to Rock n' Roll (Synapusyu)

August 19 Showcase trailer of the smartphone app and PC game Gran Saga ※ Performed the song Inochi no monogatari ('Story of Life') (Gran Saga)

December NC Japan K.K. 20th Special Thanks ※ Used the song Arigatou... ('Thank you...') (NC Japan)

◆ Videos with links to watch ◆

Showcase trailer of the smartphone app and PC game Gran Saga, song Inochi no monogatari ('Story of Life'): 【Gran Saga】 showcase 【Gran Saga】 KOKIA: Inochi no monogatari

[kimonobeat]

aiko bon: Official “Eriashi” liner notes

aiko’s 14th major label single, released November 6, 2003. aiko performed this song during her second appearance on the year-end show “Kouhaku Uta Gassen”.

Eriashi (えりあし; Back of Your Neck)

Bathtub (バスタブ)

Futatsu no Hohobana (ふたつの頬花; Two Cheek Flowers)

Eriashi (instrumental)

(Thank you parasmichael for the commission!)

☑ Eriashi

I cried a little bit when we were mixing this one. I’ve broken up with guys I liked before, but to me it’s never for the rest of timeーI hope they have a good life, but I’ll always get to see them again. I think that even though the feelings I had for them might be gone by next time I see them, brand new feelings will bud instead because they were someone I once loved from the very bottom of my heart. I guess that’s how this song came to be? This song still makes me feel so sad that any time I sing it, tears start welling up in my eyes. (laughs) Right around the part in the lyrics where I say, “If I find you 5 years from now”. Ahh… that part just makes me feel so sad. I almost feel like I shouldn’t really say this myself, but they’re such sad words to say. It’s a positive thing though, of course. I remember writing down the words “Sorry for playing dumb” in the first verse and then writing the rest all in one sitting afterwards. And when I got to the ‘5 years from now’ passage, I thought, “Oh, I’ve got something here!” I could feel my heart tighten up at that spot, so I added it into the song. Like “Kabutomushi”, I didn’t think it was all that compelling of a song. I was very happy when the director told me to record it. The more I heard it in the studio, the sadder I got, and the more I fell in love with it. I was just sitting there getting sadder and sadder all by myself, you know? I’m really glad I wrote it thoughーI got super emotional during the concert I got to do because of this release. I’m also glad so many people got to hear this song. It’s been especially important for singles to have a lot of impact lately, don’t you think? They need to leave a strong first impression, if you know what I mean. I was nervous about how people would react to a slow ballad like this. I think it got through to all the people who appreciate songs like this being released though, which makes me glad we released it as a single after all.

☑ Bathtub

This song is about getting into a fight over the phone, then getting into the bathtub to calm down and wanting to apologize. Phones appear in a lot of my songs. In aiko songs, all phones are just regular ol’ phonesーnever cell phones or pay phones. They’re all just regular phones. But both then and now, whether it’s a cell phone or home phone, they’re all pretty much the same thing when you’re talking to the person you like, right? I don’t ever use texts or pagers because they’re too dated. Plus. I’d rather leave it up  to whoever’s listening to decide what era they’re in. The arrangement on this song’s absolutely perfect. I just love it. It feels really good to sing, too. Singing high songs and uptempo, cheerful songs is exhilarating, and it gives me such a great sense of accomplishment when I’m done singing it. But you know, when I’m halfway through this song, I enter an almost dream-like stateーI don’t strain myself, and I don’t really try to put all that much effort in it either. I just sort of sing it in a nice, relaxed way.

☑ Futatsu no Hohobana

I had this song already when we were recording for the album, so around September 2003 I’d say. I wrote this song hoping to sing it live sometime. A long time ago, I used to not like concerts all that much. Well, it wasn’t so much that I didn’t like themーI wanted to like them, but there was always this part of me that couldn’t help but be scared. I cried a lot in the dressing room after concerts. I didn’t know what to do. The more I did them, though, the more fun they became, and then I finally realized that all those people had come to see me, aiko. Now that I understand that, a lot of the time when I’m writing an upbeat song, I picture faces in the crowd. Venues. Images pop into my head: “Here’s how they’d cheer for me. They’d probably do this, huh?” That happened with this song too. It’s about how you feel like you can do anything, like you’re invincible when you’re with the person you love. Which is something you can feel moments at a time, but is very difficult for people to feel over a long stretch of time, you know? We want that feeling to last forever because we find ourselves doubting the other person. I mean, I always do. (laughs) That’s why I long for it. Then I took those moments, those feelings, and weaved them together into a song.

[nekkyousagi]

Fire Sparks in the Bamboo Grove

In which Otake first meets @dearmadalice‘s Shigezane!

***

It was a strange meeting of generals, one Otake had never thought she would witness in her lifetime. Once isolated from the parlay and politics of the world of nobles and warlords, she felt a bit out of place being present in these exchanges between allies. Lord Yoritsuna had been speaking at length with the visiting Oda General, Shibata Katsuie, about a sudden change of plans due to the incident of that day. Their faces hidden in shadow from the low candle light, they appeared as gloomy as ever, studiously and meticulously adding calculations and struggling to voice their concerns.

Otake completed her task of setting down freshly brewed tea before the two warriors, glancing back and forth at them, as they continued to simply stare in musing at the strategy maps and documents strewn across the floor. She frowned slightly at the monotone hum of their voices and softly mumbled words. Though she was grateful to be of use to Lord Yoritsuna, and was not ashamed to do her best at whatever task she was given, being in the company of such gloomy men was exhausting. After pouring the tea, the forest general excused her, and after a polite bow Otake exited the room with a sigh.

Thoughts of home clouded her mind as she followed a torch-lit path to the open space within the camp. Things had changed so much since her departure from the forest village, and though they were hard times, she had started to miss the more simple problems of home. Of course, it was pleasant having warm, hearty meals daily and soft bedding, but Otake felt pangs of guilt whenever she would accept them, while her family still had to hunt and forage. Otake would often refuse these prepared meals and run off to hunt alone in the forest when she was not on duty. No one had scolded her for it, so it seemed no one was bothered by her absence.

Torchlight danced and sputtered nearby, crackling and flicking its gold embers. Otake glanced at it musing over the events of the day, and the glow brought back to mind the image she’s almost forgotten. Heartbeats pounded beneath her breast and her face flushed pink. Memories of the day returned, flashing, the mad rush to return to the camps, the chaos of invading forces, the loud firing of cannons…

***

Otake whirled around, trying to dodge falling cannons and the blast of firearms as the battle raged on. It had been a sudden attack, a foreign army from the north rushed into the mountain camp, seeking the armaments no doubt. Oda forces were of the few using foreign weapons so it was no surprise that others would seek to take them. Lord Yoritsuna had not assigned her to the battlefield, but caught off guard as they were, everyone was forced into defense. She winced at the tightness around her chest, struggling to breathe. It had been one thing to serve tea and do simple scouting routes with her chest bindings, that had been a requirement of women warriors, but this was becoming too burdensome. Jumping behind some pine brush, tanto in hand she cut the bindings, removed the wrapping and exhaled in relief. Drawing the other blade from its sheath, she readied herself to leap through the fray and get to safety.

Cannon fire wrung out again, shouts of startled men and soldiers falling from the smoking towers caught her off guard and she tumbled out from behind the bushes. Bits of ash fell from a twilight sky, as she raced passed the battling warriors. Glancing up she noticed the invaders banners wafting in the breeze, deep blue with a golden circle. Having been in the service of Lord Yoritsuna for such a short time, she had no knowledge of clan banners and crests, all she knew was this was dangerous and she needed to survive.

In the chaos, she failed to see a samurai running right toward her and they nearly collided. Startled, Otake stopped short and kicked out her feet, striking the man in the chest, knocking him over. Quick as hawk talons, she caught his arm and pulled it behind him, pinning him to the ground, setting her knee into his backbone. Readying her blade, she reeled back and moved to pierce him through the neck, quick like the prey she hunted, when she heard him cry out, “Wait! W-wait! Hold on a minute!!”

In that moment, Otake stopped and looked down at the man she’d caught. Her heart fluttered in her chest at his appearance. Though flushed with exertion and dirty from the battle and being thrown to the ground, her eyes followed a river of gold. Golden eyes squinted up at her, bright like the sun. Donned in crimson robes and bright sea green belt, he stood out so brightly compared to the other warriors. And his face…only old and gloom-ridden men had been her company for so long but this man…he was different.

She leaped up, releasing him as soon as she’d caught him, and stepped back into the shade of a nearby pine tree.

Otake basked in the presence of the stranger picking up his fallen spear as he stood, tossing his golden hair and quickly brushing the dirt from his nose. Her heart was pounding now as she took in his wild appearance. Kimono disheveled, eyes bright with adrenaline, heaving hard breath in the dust and smoke of the battlefield. Catching sight of her, the stranger seemed startled.

“O-oh! Sorry Miss, I didn’t see you coming. But you’ve got a mean right hook. Really knocked the wind out of me! Haha.” He swaggered a little, placing a hand on his neck where she’d almost cut him, sweating nervously.

Spotting a symbol on his red kimono, she was intrigued by the crest of bamboo leaves and fluttering birds. Otake pointed to it with her short sword and said, “What clan are you?”

“Where are my manners?” he man chuckled. “Date clan is where I’m from. Don’t worry were just paying a friendly visit to your lord.”

“Lord Yoritsuna?”

“Yoritsuna? You work for him?” the stranger grimaced, glancing around. “Oh, I thought you were working for the bowl cut kappa Katsuie. No matter, whatever clan you hail from, I won’t hurt you.”

Otake stared at him, frowning. “Why not? I almost killed you.”

He smiled gently, eyes glinting in the waning light. “A real samurai would never hurt a lady.”

Otake blushed at that remark. She almost could not keep his gaze, it was piercing and yet kind. He was beautiful. She was sure…he was the most handsome man she had ever seen.

He strutted now, placing the spear on his shoulder and tossing his hair once more. “Date Shigezane’s the name.” Grinning broadly, he radiated confidence. “May I ask yours?”

Breath almost seemed lost to her, as she trembled, still grasping her twin short swords in her hands. They felt itchy and sweaty. She was sweating now and not from the battlefield. Pressing her lips together nervously, she replied, “Otake.”

“Oh,” Shigezane sighed, his eyes wandering down to gaze at her round shoulders then came back up to meet hers again. “Otake…that’s a pretty name. I would’ve almost thought you were going to say…Kaguya.”

“Kaguya?” Otake raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, you know, Kaguya! The bamboo princess?”

“Oh, no I haven’t heard of her.”

“Well,” Shigezane sidled closer to her; she could almost feel his warmth on her face. “Kaguya was born among the bamboo groves but turns out she was really a maiden of heaven, so beautiful even the emperor sought her hand.” Otake watched the sparkle of setting sunlight dance in his amber eyes. “Have you come down from heaven to grace the world of mortal men with your beauty…Lady Otake?”

Such sweet words, she did not know how to react. On this chaotic field of battle, she was being wooed by an enemy soldier! Her faced flushed a deeper red, sweat beading on her forehead and her heart raced.

From somewhere in the distance a battle cry rang out. A duel was raging atop the hill; Otake caught sight of emerald wind and azure lightning. Master Katsuie was fighting some general she did not know, but the air was full of static like a lightning storm. The golden haired samurai turned to look, and remarked, “Ha, looks like Bon’s got him on the ropes. This’ll be over soon.”

From across the now cooling battlefield, a deep stern voice shouted toward them. “Shigezane! Stop flirting and get back to your post!”

A frown crossed the golden samurai’s face. “Fine! Gimme a minute, Tsuna!”

Otake found herself at a loss as he turned to face her again, his sunshine smile still bright as mid-day though the sun had already set. “I hope our paths will cross again one day.”

And quick as they had met one another, he was gone. Otake remained there under the pine tree until the troops began to regroup. She watched as the blue and gold banners fluttered away toward the horizon, and the boisterous shouting of the Date warriors had abated.

***

The stars shimmered brightly in the evening sky, and she marveled at their twinkling as she had most of her life living in the countryside. But this time, it felt different. Master Shigezane of Date Clan…had he really called her a maiden of heaven? Impossible! She was just a homely country girl. Her soaring heart began to fall like a star as she realized he may have been joking with her. Or perhaps…

Otake smiled to herself and giggled a little, remembering the way he strutted, flexed his well toned arms and chirped sweet words. Oh, how much he reminded her of a bright feathered flirting cockerel. Gazing off to the star-studded north, Otake smiled to herself, and softly sang a folk song her grandfather had shared with her, from an island by the sea…

“Basabasa no yami

Waishi no keiro hikari

Take wa no uta ga

Osore wa nai…”

(Basabasa in the dark)

(Light a path for me)

(Songs in the bamboo grove)

(I am not afraid)

The magical cockatrice hiding in the bamboo forest, with a tongue of flame, had brought fire to her soul with his tender words and handsome form. Otake hoped and prayed he had not been an illusion, merely an apparition so like the vanishing Basan bird in fairy-tales. She remembered his warmth, his smile, and the sparkle in his eyes. The mothers and grandmothers of her village had told her stories of falling in love…could this be…? Otake held her hands over her heart and prayed that she would somehow...someday...see Master Shigezane again.