Sing and shout ... until die!

This week in Small Business Japan (26 Jan, 2025)

In the musical Friedrich Nietzsche, Kukai (one of Japan's most respected monks from the 9th century), Kenji Miyazawa (a popular poet and children's author from the early 20th century), and ‘The Little Match Girl’ also appeared. You still don't really understand, do you? I didn’t either 😅

The original author and director of the musical, Toji Kamata, calls himself a ‘Shinto songwriter’ and is also a ‘freelance Shinto priest’. I think this means a Shinto priest who does not belong to a shrine, although I don't know how many other people have such a title. 

In the musical, Kamata, in his mid-70s, who is also the ‘resident singer’, strums his guitar and sings along as the performers sing about this world. It has a mysterious worldview, which I don't think I can explain well in words. I mentioned Kamata here because, despite having stage 4 cancer, he has been so active as a Shinto songwriter and a scholar of religious studies almost without a break. Incidentally, Kamata is also a professor emeritus at Kyoto University.

While being acutely aware of his impending death, there is a sense of urgency in his desire to do what he wants to do and meet and talk with the people he wants to meet until the day he dies.

Dr Toshihiko Hasegawa, a public health expert and a friend of Kamata's for 50 years, says, ‘This is how Japanese people should die in the future!’ Dr Hasegawa, who has a deep knowledge of the demographic structure and elderly care in Japan, says that many Japanese people are pessimistic about the future due to the declining birth rate and ageing population, but the image of Kamata singing, until he runs out of energy just before his death, is the image that people who live in the future should pursue. (By the way, Hasegawa also appeared in the musical) 

I, as one of a generation with a large population volume (I'm a baby boomer's baby), felt somewhat inspired. I can't play a guitar or flute as Kamata does, but I felt encouraged as if I had been given a hint as to how I want to die when I get older. Hasegawa points out that this view was completely opposite to the one Yusuke Narita of Yale University had when he caused controversy about two years ago by saying that elderly people should consider 'mass suicide'. I agree with Hasegawa's point.

I may have surprised you by writing about death in my newsletter all of a sudden. But to live is to die. As a Japanese person who is at a loss as our society ages and the birth rate declines, I wanted to share this feeling with you. 

Kamata continues his activity energetically, but I can feel that he is losing his strength over time. But his singing voice is still ringing in my head, as it is natural for him to strum his guitar and sing or shout until ‘that time’ comes. 

You can watch Kamata's YouTube videos here. It's only in Japanese, but I recommend it to those who are interested in religious or spiritual topics. 

The inevitable future? ’Japan’s shrinking population: reimagining cities and society

I recently watched a Japanese news program on TBS titled ‘Japan’s shrinking population: Reimagining cities and society for a future with fewer people.’ I found it very informative for anyone living in Japan now and in the future, and I translated and summarised it in English below.

Small Business JapanYumiko Horie