In the first part of the interview, Yuto Uchino from The fin. talked about their relationship with China, where their 1,000-capacity shows got immediately sold out, with their years-long manager Kazuto Yamazaki.
In this second part of the interview, Yuto refers to the current situation of fast-growing Asia and the future of Japan. He stresses a sense of crisis for the country. The problems are deeply ingrained and can’t be solved overnight. However, facing reality and discussing it in order to take the right actions should be the first step to changing the future. The fin. ‘s history, spanning over a decade, is a testament to that.
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The rapid growth of Asia’s economy and culture. His sense of crisis for Japan
-Besides the last part of the interview, any other reasons for The fin.’s success in China?
Yuto: In the first place, there is a lot of Japanese music being listened to in China, and I am sure that King Gnu and Official HIGE DANdism, which are popular in Japan, are also listened to in China much more than The fin.I think The fin.’s fan base is not so different in China than in Japan. People who like Western music or indie music like The fin. It is the same in Japan and China, but China has a bigger pie, so it just seems to be more popular there than in Japan.
Yamazaki: I think the percentage of people who listen to Western music is higher in China than in Japan.
Yuto: All of the Chinese customers who come to The fin.’s live shows can speak English. So many of them consume English-language content, such as TV dramas and movies, and I think they listen to The fin. music in that context. I think the biggest thing is that we are Japanese.
In April 2012, Yuto Uchino and Kaoru Nakazawa started their full-fledged activities as a four-piece band in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. They feel the emotions of loneliness, joy, and sadness that they, as Japanese, can relate to in foreign pop music such as Metronomy, Tame Impala, Washed Out, and Friendly Fires, and as young people living in the same era, they empathize with them to create music that is not bound by the Japanese rock format.They are active both in Japan and overseas, using the Internet media to transmit their music to the world with a sense of synchronicity.
https://www.thefin.jp/
Yuto: We are often told by our audience that “The fin. is the first Asian band to sing in English on such a large scale.” Now there are bands like Sunset Rollercoaster, but a few years ago there weren’t that many, and people would often say, “The fin. is the first Asian band like this.”Maybe there is a context of “they gave us courage” or something like that.
-So, fans support The fin. as a leading artist in Asia like BTS.
Yuto: If you go as far as BTS, I think the game is different, but the fin. has been making music that I think is interesting, and I have been doing it only on the basis of whether the music is recognized or not. As a result, I am very happy that our music has become popular in China, but of course, I think that was partly due to the fact that we are “Asian” as well.
If the music is heard only in a certain country or region, it must be due to various factors happening in that country or region. But if the music is listened to not only in Asia, but also in the whole world on average, it would mean that the music is really good, and that is my current goal.
-The fin’s fans are not only in Asia but in Europe. The band seems to step toward the goal.
Yuto: On Spotify, the number of listeners is Taiwan, Japan, and the U.S., in that order. Asian countries are growing economically now, so it is natural for the number of Asian artists who are active in the world to increase. How this will affect the West in the future will not only affect music, but other businesses as well, and I think it will happen at the same time.
-Southeast Asian countries have also been developing remarkably in recent years.
Yuto: So, on the contrary, Japan is in trouble if it doesn’t do its best here. In terms of music, we lost out to Europe and the U.S. when Apple Music and Spotify were introduced, and since the early 2000s, people have been talking about “globalization.”
In 2023, when I think about what globalization was all about, I realize that it was nothing more than the growth of Western companies. So now they are desperately trying to get out, but by the time they opened their eyes, it was too late.
Yuto: However, the GAFAM story may not continue forever. The way we listen to music is changing along with technology, and the reason people connect to Apple Music and Spotify now is because they have a database of music, but I think we will start sharing that database.
When that happens, I think we will enter an era where money is paid to the people who have the databases, but the money will go directly to the people who are creating the music. Of course, I think it will be a long time before that transition occurs, so although we are currently doing business based on web2, I think it is important to move forward with an eye on what is next.
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Giving a chance to grow is vital for the future
-Your thoughts on the Japanese music scene are eye-opening as you’ve seen many countries.
Yuto: I think the fundamental problem is that Japanese people are becoming outdated. It is only natural that if an outdated person creates something, it will sound old-fashioned, isn’t it? A decade ago, people might have thought that Japan was a developed country and Southeast Asia was a developing country, but things are changing at an incredible pace now. Exporting culture is a very sensitive thing, and I think you have to be ahead of the curve in order to inspire people.
Yuto: If a country is not ahead of the curve, artists who are ahead of the curve will not be nurtured, so I wonder what is happening in Japan today. I think it is interesting because there is a different context in terms of music, and what YOASOBI and others are doing, on the contrary, I don’t think Americans can do. In that sense, anime is great, and Japan has always been in the lead, but even that is changing these days. The times are really moving fast, so I never know what will happen …
-Admiration for Japanese culture is undoubtedly a thing, but it may not last forever.
Yuto: I think there are many interesting artists in Japan. Japanese people are very particular and detailed, and they are good at playing instruments. I believe that such soil and temperament exist, and if something is added to it, interesting artists and music will spring up … I think the most important thing is to “give them a chance to grow.”
There are a lot of talented people out there, but those talented people quit halfway through. That is the problem. The reason why I am able to continue is because I have Mr. Yamazaki and others who control my activities, and if I can continue, I can grow and create interesting music. I hope that more people will have that chance.
Yuto:When you think about it, instead of trying to go outside, It might be more interesting to think in a way like “What kind of music does Shibuya have?” People who are doing interesting things in Shibuya can make a living only in Shibuya. If you can make a living by performing at a live house in Shibuya once a week and have people show up, I think the quality of what you produce there will be more export-worthy. Touring around the world is a very difficult task.
-Having people come over is also a way, as well as Japanese people going abroad.
Yuto: Yes, there are so many possibilities, and it is an interesting time, but it is also a time when it is difficult to see. But if you keep looking ahead and do interesting things, you will probably see a bud somewhere.
The fin. has always been like that, like a turtle, continuing to do what I believe in, and spreading little by little to people who found it, and it is still going on today. It takes a lot of luck to have that kind of staying power, and it’s a very difficult thing to do, but I think the only way is to keep on doing it.
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From the desire to make music to cultivating the soil. Yuto’s view on the way of life as artists
-Lastly, what advice would you give anyone aiming to go abroad and become a global artist like The fin.?
Yuto: If I were to tell people in the music industry, I would say to go anywhere first. If you have your own artists and you want to sell them in Asia, you should try to organize a live show in Asia, and you will definitely learn something. It is hard for local people to think of inviting someone who has never been to Asia before.
The fin. happened to be invited at an early stage, but once you go there, people will think, “These people are coming,” and the most important thing is to show the local people that you have a proper fan base. “If this person comes, we will get this many people, so next time we will do this much promotion and get five times as many people”, and so on.
-How about artists?
Yuto: I think it is good for artists to try living abroad. The most important thing for artists is their senses, but if you are born and raised only in Japan, you will only acquire Japanese senses.But if you live abroad, you can deliver your message to a global audience. This will broaden the range of people who will listen to your music. Going to England was a big deal for me. The music I make has changed since I went to England.
-It was at a similar time that Chinese fans boomed. I don’t know how relevant these are, but changing mindset has much to do with it.
Yuto: I think there is definitely a relationship. If I were to give one more message to artists, it would be, “Pursue what you love and never stop doing it.” If you create something really interesting, someone will definitely like it and it will spread. I don’t know when that will happen, but I think the most important thing is to never stop.
When I was in my early 20s, I didn’t know what I was doing and just wanted to “make music”, but now I have the desire to “improve the soil. In order to do that, I think it is important to look at the negative aspects, to isolate the problems properly, and to see what can be seen after the problems have been crushed one by one.
-We can only figure out the right actions by facing the negative side.
Yuto: That’s right. In that respect, Thom Yorke is amazing. He has been talking about the problems for a long time, and 20 years later, he is a prophet. But I think that’s what being an artist is all about. They look at the social trends and throw out their own attitude and stance. I think I am gradually starting to go down that path.
