Interview with Aki Yashiro "Why Does the Queen Keep Taking on New Challenges?"

"Behind the Scenes of Effective Expression" focuses on "successful promoters of expressive activities" across various fields. Aki Yashiro, who has released numerous hit songs since her 1971 debut and remains a top singer today. We spoke with Ms. Yashiro, who continues diverse activities this year including rock festival appearances and concerts in Mongolia, about the background and feelings she puts into her songs.

Through a fortunate connection, I was appointed Mongolian Cultural Ambassador this year and visited Mongolia. On July 31st, I performed at the "Japan-Mongolia Cultural Exchange Concert" held at the Mongolian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. I sang about 17 songs in Japanese, including my own hits, jazz, and blues. I would explain the song's meaning, the interpreter would convey it, and then the intro would begin. The venue was packed with about 500 local attendees. Everyone was moved to tears. I truly felt the songs reached them—even without shared language, the soul of the music connected. I also premiered my new song "JAMAAS (Truth Has Two Sides)," set for release on October 19th. This song is beloved nationwide in Mongolia and truly wonderful, so I decided to add Japanese lyrics to introduce it to Japanese audiences.

On August 3rd, we held a "Concert Offering Songs to Heaven and Earth" at the "13th Century Village," about 100 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar. It's a place recreating 13th-century Mongolian life, with a stage right in the middle of the steppe. Singing on such a vast plain was a first for me, and it was incredibly moving. At first, there were only about 20 sheep nearby, but as I sang, more and more gathered. Hundreds of sheep, horses, and cows became my audience.

At that moment, while singing "Sweet Home, Kumamoto" from the Kumamoto support song, as I sang "Sweet Home, Kumamoto~," I felt that this sky connects to my hometown of Kumamoto too. I wondered how the people of Kumamoto were doing, and I spontaneously sang, "Sweet Home, Hang in there, Kumamoto." The words "hang in there" just came out. No matter where you are on Earth, the sky is the same, isn't it? We're always connected.

The stage at Mongolia's "13th Century Village." I passionately sang 14 songs in the vast grasslands.

 

And this past July, I performed at "FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL" for the first time. Just like when I sang jazz in New York and it was all "Hey!"—at Fuji Rock, it was "Genki~!" (How's it going~!). It's interesting, isn't it? My whole personality changes during the intro. Since I paint, the situation becomes a visual in my head, and a story starts playing out. This voice is just giving voice to that. So wherever I go, I'm just watching those images, so it's totally fine. I think my experience singing in Ginza clubs back then was huge. Before that, I didn't really understand what kind of songs I was singing. Once, when I was singing about a woman's heart, the ladies were listening with tears in their eyes. Huh? I thought, is that how I should sing it? Then I had the same experience with a different song, and I realized, ah, this is what it means to sing from the heart. That's how I cultivated it, this Yashiro enka style.

At concerts, people often tell me, "Your song really encouraged me. Thank you." When happy people hear a sad song, they feel, "How many unfortunate people there are! I must cherish this happiness." When sad people hear it, they think, "There are people even sadder than me. Well then, I can keep going." Either way, they listen to my song and decide to keep trying. It's like a cheer song, I suppose. Hearing "Thank you" makes me very happy. My father often said, "If you sing good songs and people respect how you live, they'll always say 'thank you'." I didn't understand that philosophy in my twenties. But now, I get it.

When I sing in places like Mongolia or at rock festivals, like this time, people might think I'm taking on all sorts of challenges. But for me, it's not a challenge. The heart of the song connects everywhere, no matter the place. That's another philosophy I inherited from my father. He always said, "Souls connect." So when I'm told, "This time it's over here," I just say, "Okay," and do it without any pressure.

What I'm really looking forward to now is the Tokyo Olympics. I hope I can do something to help, both for Japan and for everyone coming from abroad.