Isshi's Road Through History: the way of Kagura
Part 1: "Bikuni"
Part 1: "Bikuni"
6 years since their formation. Up to this point, Kagrra, has often displayed stories like beautiful picture scrolls. This time with their "Supreme Essence of Neo Japanesque" oneman live on April 4th at Tokyo Kouseinenkin Hall, they're taking a fresh position. Before that, we'll begin here with the first chapter in an irregular series from Isshi, called "Isshi's Road Through History: the way of Kagura."
In the future we will know and come to see the road that Kagrra, has followed―――
In the future we will know and come to see the road that Kagrra, has followed―――
"Isshi's Road Through History: the way of Kagura" starts from this point on. First of all, could you explain the meaning and intention of the project?
Isshi: When it was arranged that I got the place, I thought about what I would do for a long time, and I thought that I especially wanted to go back through Kagrra,'s history. I thought it would be a good opportunity to express the words and visuals.
So this title expresses things as they really are.
Isshi: My sense is that, isn't it like a short program that is often scheduled for around 5 minutes in the gap between other TV programs?
There are famous ones like "See the World by Train" right?
Isshi: That's right. It's quite a bit like a promenade in that sense. There are various programs that introduce places, but in that mood we're looking back at Kagrra. So, ahh, Kagrra, is written with the kanji '神楽'*(1) so it reveals an overall nuance. Ah, I'd say it suits me.
You're going back through history, so now the "present" is your starting point isn't it?
Isshi: Naturally, speaking of the present time, our newest single is "Chikai no Tsuki" isn't it? So, this (the pictures from this issue) is the development of the visual as I imagine the coupling track "Bikuni".
That's interesting. Though it's the "present time" I think it's been quite a long time since you wore red liptick, Isshi-kun?
Isshi: Ahh, that's right isn't it? I think I haven't done that much. Perhaps since "Miyako" (first major album)?
However, even though you're wearing red lipstick, these pictures and the pictures from that time are entirely different in appearance aren't they? (laughs)
Isshi: That's right. (laughs)
To start with regards to the song "Bikuni", if I remember correctly you told us in the single interview that it's something depicting a bad dream.
Isshi: Yeah. This is the tale of an undying Nun called the Yao Bhikkhuni. She eats the flesh of a mermaid, and becomes immortal, but isn't that asking too much in life for a human? Because her body will not die, so she comes to know for the first time the pain of not dying.
What is the source of that story?
Isshi: Hmm. I think it was originally a an old story from the Heian Era. A folklore, you know? So, since this name 'Yao Bhikkhuni' is something that represents the girl as she is, "Yao" has the meaning of "a lot." She's 'The Nun who lives a lot'.*(2)
Is that so? Well then, the title 'Greengrocer' should be to sell a lot of things, right?*(3)
Isshi: I think so. So, lately I've been reading various books again and I noticed something. Even the folklore of Yao Bhikkhuni, the truth is it's not a mere folklore, it seems like it's a story based on historical fact in its own right.
Historical fact?
Isshi: Even take Momotarou for example, there's a person who is the model, and there's even a model for the existence of the opponent Oni. Or should I say, human models exist for the monkey and pheasant.
I knew that Momotarou truly existed, but I didn't know there were models for the monkey and pheasant.
Isshi: So the history is interesting. In short, to be defeated is to be the villain, right? It's so in the Nihon-shoki, those who are defeated seem to be Oni and snakes and such. It seems their existence is depicted to encounter humans, and ostracize humans.
I see~
Isshi: My expectation is that it's based on such things, you know? I think perhaps the Yao Bhikkhuni could've been a human sacrifice. So, undying isn't actually undying, but it could be having substitutions, substitutions for the Yao Bhikkhuni each time.
Yet, that's a surprisingly probable story isn't it?
Isshi: Therefore, the Nun is not actually a Nun, but is actually sure to be someone keeping a Shinto Shrine and she can't come out.
Maybe she's imprisoned there?
Isshi: Such a fact is circulated by people, and as time passes the Nun has become an undying Nun, I think. Well, but all of this is my own imagination.
It's awesome that your imagination has spread out that much from a single motif.
Isshi: My imagination spreads out to the completely trivial things. Therefore, in the pictures this time I have one eye nonfunctioning, but there's a reason for this too. In the past, it was said that people would do things like wound the bodies of prisoners and human sacrifices so they wouldn't be able to escape, right? So it's that.
You were particular about the details, weren't you, as expected. However, in pursuing it to that extent, these pictures are... suitably scary.
Isshi: Is that so. (laughs) But the composition depicts a Nun as seen from the side of the main building of a temple.
It fits too well. Nowadays, due to the fact that a relatively natural sense of sight has unfolded a lot, the impact was a little too much.
Isshi: Basically I like doing makeup and things like this, so it was fun to do. Maybe it comes close to the feeling of the past, around the time we made [gozen].
Speaking of [gozen], Isshi, a few days ago at the talk event when you touched on it saying "I want to see if I can do this in the future" you were talking about making that work into a novelization weren't you?
Isshi: But I won't advance like that at all, right? But, that's still the eternal theme, or should I say, I think I want to see it as a life work for myself. While novelists write various things, aren't there people who have series that continue on for a long time? Furthermore, it seems there are people writing for 17 years and are now published for the first time. As for my intuition, I think it'll come true like that.
To that extent, it's a work that you'll want to settle down and attend to right?
Isshi: Well, it's not that I want to publish it and have people read it. It's something that I'd write for nobody but myself. (laughs)
The ultimate hobby?
Isshi: Until I can comprehend it myself. But, when there aren't pauses of 'how long is this going to take' I'm really not in the mood to write diligently and then I'm thinking about doing something else.
Do you have a goal for it?
Isshi: If I can, within the year.
I'm looking forward to it.
Isshi: Ahhh, but if I say there's no time up until then, or that it depends on myself... as it is, I need resolution. (laughs)
At the same time, isn't there a way within this project in which you can once again do a visualization of [gozen]?
Isshi: There could be. All the same, after those days we included [gozen] in lives and totally constructed that world. But at that time there were various aspects remaining that we couldn't feature, and as such I think it would be interesting to give them a form. That's something I absolutely want to try to do. I think even our younger fans from the past would surely be happy.
However, if you can, I think you'd better have pictures not as scary as they are this time. (wry smile)
Isshi: This is really that scary? (laughs)
It's scary! At least, it can't be shown to children can it? Or should I say, when I was a child I wouldn't want to look at it. I certainly wouldn't be able to sleep.
Isshi: No, no, there are surprisingly many children who like scary things. People like me, who became an adult as I am without interference.
It's likely that Scary = Interesting for you, right? Did you feel that was the true meaning of scary, when you were a child?
Isshi: Maybe. But when I think 'scary', I feel like I'm getting thrilled about it, and that's completely linked to something being interesting. I haven't seen any things like spirits, but it's like 'it's so cool they exist!'
Your inquisitiveness is powerful, Isshi.
Isshi: It's cool if this happens, it's awesome if that happens, and so it seems to be something very important to me. There are a lot of ways I tie that into the world of my lyrics.
Isshi: When it was arranged that I got the place, I thought about what I would do for a long time, and I thought that I especially wanted to go back through Kagrra,'s history. I thought it would be a good opportunity to express the words and visuals.
So this title expresses things as they really are.
Isshi: My sense is that, isn't it like a short program that is often scheduled for around 5 minutes in the gap between other TV programs?
There are famous ones like "See the World by Train" right?
Isshi: That's right. It's quite a bit like a promenade in that sense. There are various programs that introduce places, but in that mood we're looking back at Kagrra. So, ahh, Kagrra, is written with the kanji '神楽'*(1) so it reveals an overall nuance. Ah, I'd say it suits me.
You're going back through history, so now the "present" is your starting point isn't it?
Isshi: Naturally, speaking of the present time, our newest single is "Chikai no Tsuki" isn't it? So, this (the pictures from this issue) is the development of the visual as I imagine the coupling track "Bikuni".
That's interesting. Though it's the "present time" I think it's been quite a long time since you wore red liptick, Isshi-kun?
Isshi: Ahh, that's right isn't it? I think I haven't done that much. Perhaps since "Miyako" (first major album)?
However, even though you're wearing red lipstick, these pictures and the pictures from that time are entirely different in appearance aren't they? (laughs)
Isshi: That's right. (laughs)
To start with regards to the song "Bikuni", if I remember correctly you told us in the single interview that it's something depicting a bad dream.
Isshi: Yeah. This is the tale of an undying Nun called the Yao Bhikkhuni. She eats the flesh of a mermaid, and becomes immortal, but isn't that asking too much in life for a human? Because her body will not die, so she comes to know for the first time the pain of not dying.
What is the source of that story?
Isshi: Hmm. I think it was originally a an old story from the Heian Era. A folklore, you know? So, since this name 'Yao Bhikkhuni' is something that represents the girl as she is, "Yao" has the meaning of "a lot." She's 'The Nun who lives a lot'.*(2)
Is that so? Well then, the title 'Greengrocer' should be to sell a lot of things, right?*(3)
Isshi: I think so. So, lately I've been reading various books again and I noticed something. Even the folklore of Yao Bhikkhuni, the truth is it's not a mere folklore, it seems like it's a story based on historical fact in its own right.
Historical fact?
Isshi: Even take Momotarou for example, there's a person who is the model, and there's even a model for the existence of the opponent Oni. Or should I say, human models exist for the monkey and pheasant.
I knew that Momotarou truly existed, but I didn't know there were models for the monkey and pheasant.
Isshi: So the history is interesting. In short, to be defeated is to be the villain, right? It's so in the Nihon-shoki, those who are defeated seem to be Oni and snakes and such. It seems their existence is depicted to encounter humans, and ostracize humans.
I see~
Isshi: My expectation is that it's based on such things, you know? I think perhaps the Yao Bhikkhuni could've been a human sacrifice. So, undying isn't actually undying, but it could be having substitutions, substitutions for the Yao Bhikkhuni each time.
Yet, that's a surprisingly probable story isn't it?
Isshi: Therefore, the Nun is not actually a Nun, but is actually sure to be someone keeping a Shinto Shrine and she can't come out.
Maybe she's imprisoned there?
Isshi: Such a fact is circulated by people, and as time passes the Nun has become an undying Nun, I think. Well, but all of this is my own imagination.
It's awesome that your imagination has spread out that much from a single motif.
Isshi: My imagination spreads out to the completely trivial things. Therefore, in the pictures this time I have one eye nonfunctioning, but there's a reason for this too. In the past, it was said that people would do things like wound the bodies of prisoners and human sacrifices so they wouldn't be able to escape, right? So it's that.
You were particular about the details, weren't you, as expected. However, in pursuing it to that extent, these pictures are... suitably scary.
Isshi: Is that so. (laughs) But the composition depicts a Nun as seen from the side of the main building of a temple.
It fits too well. Nowadays, due to the fact that a relatively natural sense of sight has unfolded a lot, the impact was a little too much.
Isshi: Basically I like doing makeup and things like this, so it was fun to do. Maybe it comes close to the feeling of the past, around the time we made [gozen].
Speaking of [gozen], Isshi, a few days ago at the talk event when you touched on it saying "I want to see if I can do this in the future" you were talking about making that work into a novelization weren't you?
Isshi: But I won't advance like that at all, right? But, that's still the eternal theme, or should I say, I think I want to see it as a life work for myself. While novelists write various things, aren't there people who have series that continue on for a long time? Furthermore, it seems there are people writing for 17 years and are now published for the first time. As for my intuition, I think it'll come true like that.
To that extent, it's a work that you'll want to settle down and attend to right?
Isshi: Well, it's not that I want to publish it and have people read it. It's something that I'd write for nobody but myself. (laughs)
The ultimate hobby?
Isshi: Until I can comprehend it myself. But, when there aren't pauses of 'how long is this going to take' I'm really not in the mood to write diligently and then I'm thinking about doing something else.
Do you have a goal for it?
Isshi: If I can, within the year.
I'm looking forward to it.
Isshi: Ahhh, but if I say there's no time up until then, or that it depends on myself... as it is, I need resolution. (laughs)
At the same time, isn't there a way within this project in which you can once again do a visualization of [gozen]?
Isshi: There could be. All the same, after those days we included [gozen] in lives and totally constructed that world. But at that time there were various aspects remaining that we couldn't feature, and as such I think it would be interesting to give them a form. That's something I absolutely want to try to do. I think even our younger fans from the past would surely be happy.
However, if you can, I think you'd better have pictures not as scary as they are this time. (wry smile)
Isshi: This is really that scary? (laughs)
It's scary! At least, it can't be shown to children can it? Or should I say, when I was a child I wouldn't want to look at it. I certainly wouldn't be able to sleep.
Isshi: No, no, there are surprisingly many children who like scary things. People like me, who became an adult as I am without interference.
It's likely that Scary = Interesting for you, right? Did you feel that was the true meaning of scary, when you were a child?
Isshi: Maybe. But when I think 'scary', I feel like I'm getting thrilled about it, and that's completely linked to something being interesting. I haven't seen any things like spirits, but it's like 'it's so cool they exist!'
Your inquisitiveness is powerful, Isshi.
Isshi: It's cool if this happens, it's awesome if that happens, and so it seems to be something very important to me. There are a lot of ways I tie that into the world of my lyrics.
Isshi, your interest in History, Literature, and Ethnic Culture clearly distinguishes you from other bandmen.
Isshi: I like ghost stories, and I like history, there are a lot of things I like, you know? History in particular, I think for me it's knowing about it and understanding various things and getting a sense for it. Ahh, probably if we're speaking of the children of today, young children don't have interest in things like history at all, but if they know about it they'll want to know more, so depending on the situation I don't really feel as if there's a problem.
That's just like you, Isshi. It seems your thoughts regarding a world of strange illusions and a world of Japanese style are unchanging.
Isshi: This will never change. And yet, I read books and get more various knowledge, so I think from here on I should have my mind made up to voice various different opinions from the established ones.
What kind for instance?
Isshi: The one thing I'm thinking of now is, 'Were the Three Sacred Treasures really three items?' The truth is, I think they were four items weren't they?
And the basis of that is?
Isshi: Because Japanese people, from a long time ago, have a tendency to hate odd numbers. As the character is written, it's an "odd" number, right? Using such bad numeric characters, would they expressly make it three kinds? So I think in addition to the Jewel, the Sword, and the Mirror, there must be one more.*(4)
(His own advanced courses unfold endlessly from this point.)
That's it. Isshi, it may have been good for you to go to University and attend seminars on things like Historical Culture. If you'd done that you'd surely have written interesting papers right?
Isshi: University, huh? But, the point is that thinking about it freely this way is interesting, and I wouldn't much like to be taught 'This is like this' from another person. (wry smile)
Isshi: I like ghost stories, and I like history, there are a lot of things I like, you know? History in particular, I think for me it's knowing about it and understanding various things and getting a sense for it. Ahh, probably if we're speaking of the children of today, young children don't have interest in things like history at all, but if they know about it they'll want to know more, so depending on the situation I don't really feel as if there's a problem.
That's just like you, Isshi. It seems your thoughts regarding a world of strange illusions and a world of Japanese style are unchanging.
Isshi: This will never change. And yet, I read books and get more various knowledge, so I think from here on I should have my mind made up to voice various different opinions from the established ones.
What kind for instance?
Isshi: The one thing I'm thinking of now is, 'Were the Three Sacred Treasures really three items?' The truth is, I think they were four items weren't they?
And the basis of that is?
Isshi: Because Japanese people, from a long time ago, have a tendency to hate odd numbers. As the character is written, it's an "odd" number, right? Using such bad numeric characters, would they expressly make it three kinds? So I think in addition to the Jewel, the Sword, and the Mirror, there must be one more.*(4)
(His own advanced courses unfold endlessly from this point.)
That's it. Isshi, it may have been good for you to go to University and attend seminars on things like Historical Culture. If you'd done that you'd surely have written interesting papers right?
Isshi: University, huh? But, the point is that thinking about it freely this way is interesting, and I wouldn't much like to be taught 'This is like this' from another person. (wry smile)
By the way, I'm mentioning it again at the end, how do you feel about the way you materialized the world of "Bikuni" this time?
Isshi: I think it's that I have parts of both extremes, and wanted to give them form. "Chikai no Tsuki" is "Chikai no Tsuki", and it was a greatly realistic song for us, but "Bikuni" is "Bikuni" and it has a climax that tends to things inherited from the past, and we absolutely don't deny the past. I'm happy that we could diligently give it form like this.
Because "Bikuni" has a certain meaning that goes along with the eerieness that the tracks on "Nue" (the first album) have, right?
Isshi: That's the flow of it, and in fact I think we'll do something a little unusual for our oneman this time.
Is that April 4th at Tokyo Kouseinenkin Hall?
Isshi: The younger fans for sure, and also the staff, and the people who know Kagrra, from a long time ago, they'll absolutely be surprised. It's not just the design this time, but the extent of our history at this coming live. And so, I think I especially want to present a concept with regards to Japanese style. It'll be striking, seriously!
Isshi: I think it's that I have parts of both extremes, and wanted to give them form. "Chikai no Tsuki" is "Chikai no Tsuki", and it was a greatly realistic song for us, but "Bikuni" is "Bikuni" and it has a climax that tends to things inherited from the past, and we absolutely don't deny the past. I'm happy that we could diligently give it form like this.
Because "Bikuni" has a certain meaning that goes along with the eerieness that the tracks on "Nue" (the first album) have, right?
Isshi: That's the flow of it, and in fact I think we'll do something a little unusual for our oneman this time.
Is that April 4th at Tokyo Kouseinenkin Hall?
Isshi: The younger fans for sure, and also the staff, and the people who know Kagrra, from a long time ago, they'll absolutely be surprised. It's not just the design this time, but the extent of our history at this coming live. And so, I think I especially want to present a concept with regards to Japanese style. It'll be striking, seriously!
Notes:
My translation of Bikuni is here.
*1 - 神楽 is Kagura (entertainment of the Kami); that's how it's written in the Japanese title of this series.
*2 - 八百比丘尼 is Yao Bhikkhuni, sometimes translated as "The Eight-Hundred (year) Bhikkhuni."
*3 - 八百屋 is yaoya, or Greengrocer.
*4 - ...4 is an unlucky number too though, because it's pronounced the same as 死, "death" ...The funny thing is, I think Isshi completely missed this fact, because Isshi considers 4 as a lucky number; it's also pronounced the same as 志, the "will" part of his name.
My translation of Bikuni is here.
*1 - 神楽 is Kagura (entertainment of the Kami); that's how it's written in the Japanese title of this series.
*2 - 八百比丘尼 is Yao Bhikkhuni, sometimes translated as "The Eight-Hundred (year) Bhikkhuni."
*3 - 八百屋 is yaoya, or Greengrocer.
*4 - ...4 is an unlucky number too though, because it's pronounced the same as 死, "death" ...The funny thing is, I think Isshi completely missed this fact, because Isshi considers 4 as a lucky number; it's also pronounced the same as 志, the "will" part of his name.