I consider myself powerless.
When I hear a bad news,
I try to forget about it,
I go to my comfortable futon,
and try to go to sleep.
Even when I see children
crying on TV,
I'm too busy keeping my peace,
for my family in my small room,
I look the other way
to avoid the news.
But Neil said,
"The fire still burning
on the other side".
And gave me, who considers myself powerless,
a courage to make,
"the first step" forward.
To write this message,
is my "the first step".
Toshiki Migita, 32,
Shibuya, Tokyo, publisher
You gave me courage to keep moving forward.
Thank you from my heart.
Teppei Tada, clarinet player
I think the love for the country should be felt naturally as same as the love for the family, neighbors and hometown where we grew up.
I think this scenery is well described in Neil's "Far From Home".
Neil was born in 1945, the same year Japan renounced military power. We should be proud of the fact that since then, for 60 years, we didn't have to live with war.
And now, the leader of Japan has sent our soldiers (of the Self-Defense Forces) to the Middle East under the name of "International Contribution". It first started as under the favor of the United Nations, then became the part of "Multinational Military Force" over night without the soldiers’ knowledge. Japan became a supporter of Bush's " Holy War".
However, Japanese citizens are not aware that we are actually in the war. Maybe we are too used to living in peace. Controlled by the government's skillful brainwashing, citizens (especially younger generations) do not even realize they are ignorant.
We need a new leader to go back to the demilitarized country that we have been proud of to the world. In my opinion, that leader is not a politician but the people.
The mural painting "Tomorrow's Myth" by Taro Okamoto was recently reproduced. The motif of this painting is the Hiroshima bombing, and it is gaining the high reputation of "Guernica" by Pablo Picasso. I wish this piece will be recognized internationally as a monument created by the only country which has experienced the atomic bomb.
I've been singing for more than 30 years. I sing songs of Neil Young and others whose words I can relate to. I've been hoping to express my thoughts through these "Borrowed Tunes".
The way Neil Young lives is my guide for judging my life for more than 30 years.
Although my part is small, I want to keep acting on issues with this tool of expression.
"Loup Garou" O'shima
46, Osaka, a member of "LAZY HORSE"
Then when I read the translation, tears fell down on my face.
This world is distorted and common sense is no longer common sense.
But maybe we, ourselves, are the ones who are distorted.
And maybe we have been giving up.
Although Neil is shouting out, I think all of 10 songs in this album are noble love songs.
Made to regain the world of common sense.
Made to regain our clear mind.
I will keep listening to this album for a long time.
Feeling Neil's love surrounding me...
naka, 48, Osaka, businessman
I was born on January 27, 1957 in Osaka.
I'm 49.
Born near Osaka Castle, the view of it was always outside of my window, and I used to play in it.
I currently live right next to it. The area where the OBP Hotel New Otani is located. This area used to be surrounded by barbed-wire with a "Keep Out" sign until I was about 16.
Was it the Artillery Quarters? The actual name may be wrong but it was the building where bullets were manufactured. The whole area was burnt down by the air raid attack in WWII, leaving nothing but the almost burnt down building in the middle.
You may wonder why the area was barbed-wired. I hear it was to prevent people who tried to get to the building to collect the scrap metals right after the end of WWII. The non-fiction book "Osaka Apache" by Yan Sogil (Korean Japanese writer) describes the situation.
I, of course, never experienced war. But I was aware about the building very near, within 10 minutes ever since I could remember. My father told me about the story, and told about the people called "Apache".
There is also The Self-Defense Force maneuvering ground near Osaka Castle. Once a year, I witness the endless line of tanks and trucks passing in front of me coming from Ikoma base going on Chuo Dori to Osaka Castle. Passing takes more than one hour.
War? The Self-Defense Force?
Back then, the TV show "Combat" was very popular. I was a fan, too.
Cool!
But in the scenes, people were shot to death. It was not very real since it was on black and white screen, but I saw the site of where people got killed.
If Japan decided to participate in war, then decided to enforce the military draft, would I have the guts to go to a war zone?
I witnessed the protests against the Japan-US Security Treaty in 70s and 80s. The historical protest by Tokyo University students taking place at Yasuda Auditorium. The protest of the novelist Yukio Mishima expressed by hara-kiri (ritual self-disembowelment). The protest by the socialists taking place at Asama villa. The farmers’ protest against locating Narita Airport on their land. I've seen it all, but I've never participated in any nor taken any side at all.
I've never even thought of being non-participant as good or bad.
But now, Neil Young's message is weighing on me heavily.
We are seeing war as reality now. We all must to speak out.
Get the thorough understanding of the current situation, and take it as reality, and send the message out.
We mustn't avoid the matter of course.
We must take action necessarily.
I feel these things. These common things.
Peace? It is a complicated problem.
However, I truly believe that no one supports killing people.
This is very simple-minded, but honestly what I felt.
I support Neil Young.
hiro
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