INDEX
Yamato: “Kaika carried a profound secret that she couldn’t share with anyone, and it is through her experiences that she is able to bring pure and vivid scenes to others.”
“Higurashi no Uta” is a song you wrote back in high school, right?
Kaika: Yes, that’s right. There was a time when I was really into walking, and I used to walk home for about two hours. During that time, I thought about a lot of things… It might be part of my personality, but at that time, I didn’t tell my friends about my activities as Hanab. But sometimes, I wonder, ‘What would have happened if I had just said it normally?’ Or I would think about how I sometimes struggled to speak properly in school… This song is about all those thoughts I had during that time.
Yamato: I see… so the idea that “the experiences only Flower can understand are reflected in Kaika’s output” has this meaning as well. Hearing you explain it concretely really helps me understand. Moreover, I think the teenagers listening to this song will likely relate the lyrics’ mention of “everyone” to the “everyone” in their own classrooms, creating an intriguing sense of overlap.
While I stand frozen in place, a gust of wind sweeps her away,
And I wonder, “If that’s how it is, isn’t that enough?”
I linger over a goodbye that doesn’t feel like a loss.I couldn’t shed tears with everyone, couldn’t share a laugh in the same space,
Kaika “Higurashi no Uta”
Now, no one speaks of it anymore, and these tears don’t come suddenly.
What was it I wanted to say, again?
How did you perceive this song, and what made them want to create a music video for it?
Yamato: From the first impression I got when listening, it was clear that there was an overwhelming, profound emotion behind it. This wasn’t about small, everyday misunderstandings or trivial matters. The video itself is minimal, showing a small world with just the protagonist, but inside their mind, there’s a huge problem unfolding—like massive waves crashing through both the heart and the body. The story that came to me while listening emerged from that feeling. While translating the music into a visual form, I found that with “Higurashi no Uta,” the video came out with more force than I initially intended—almost as if the accelerator was pressed harder than the brake. Of course, music and film are different mediums, so no matter what, the final form is bound to differ. But still, I felt a fear that it might not fully align with what Kaika-san envisioned, that it could step outside the boundaries of her intended image, and I carried that fear throughout the filming process.
How did you personally feel about the video?
Kaika: I absolutely love the music video. Every time I watch it, I end up crying… I’m sorry. (Tears up) I’m sorry, I don’t even know why.
It’s okay, take your time.
Kaika: At school, when everyone is wearing the same uniform, doing the same thing in the same place, the protagonist is cleaning the pool and dancing alone. Suddenly, colors appear, then fade away, and there’s this time of release even though it’s suffocating, then it’s over… But then, she’s cleaning the pool again, laughing with the other kids, and I really love that scene. I also love the part where, after the pool is filled with water, she swims freely in her uniform. It’s like breaking through the sense of confinement, and for that moment, she can swim anywhere. I felt that energy from the video, and it really gave me courage. Thank you so much.
Yamato: Thank you for speaking from such an important part of your heart. It truly means the world to me.
Do you think the tears you shed came from the sense of confinement you felt during your high school years syncing with the video, or do you think it was more about your current state of mind, Kaika?
Kaika: I think it’s a bit of both… But rather than it being something I directly relate to myself, it was more about that feeling of whether to take that step or not, whether it’s okay to move beyond it or if it’s better not to. There’s this frustration and conflict, and watching the girl in the video take that step, knowing that she might still struggle and suffer afterward, but seeing her swimming so beautifully despite all of it, really struck me. So I think, rather than directly relating it to myself, it was more about feeling “encouraged.” That feels like the right way to express the emotions I felt.
Yamato: The tears that well up during scenes where you smile and laugh with others or swim freely like a fish in water seem to reflect your resonance with the hope that comes after struggle—seeing the light beyond the anguish, and continuing to move forward despite everything. It really makes me feel, “Ah, this is Kaika.” Just as you mentioned at the beginning that the idea of “light and shadow” is a misunderstanding, in order to reach the center of the light, the personality of Kaika was born. And even now, the battle continues to make your life better.
Yamato: The song seems like it’s telling a personal story, but there’s also a sense of uncertainty about who the “thank you” is directed to. For me, it felt like the “I” that exists as “myself” is expressing gratitude for being able to walk through life, even with its struggles, and that “thank you” is directed toward the world. It’s not just about ending on the note of personal suffering; it’s about the desire to give something back to this world, and that feeling surpasses everything else.
Yamato: “Higurashi no Uta” itself has this empowering quality… no, it’s more delicate, filled with the desire and feeling of wanting empowerment, just on the edge of it. I believe that the protagonist received this and swam forward in the way they did. The elements of the song were visualized in the video, and when I think about how the words from the past and the feelings of the present Kaika met in this way, my heart trembles.
Kaika: But truly, it’s thanks to what you created.
Yamato: Not at all. Since you wrote the song, this video is of course your work as well—you’re its creator! Confronting unavoidable situations as a teenager, even though it was a world you dreamt of, and carrying a big secret you couldn’t share with anyone, you fought through that sensitive period. Because of that, I believe you, Kaika, are an artist who can bring pure and vivid scenes to many people.
