INDEX
Self-Care Depicted in “Uraniwa”
“Uraniwa” is also the title of your self-organized project In your self-written liner notes, you mentioned, “I wrote it while imagining a safe place that no one could invade.” When did you create this song?
(Note: the self-organized event “Uraniwa” was first held in December 2023, with Jiro Miwa as a guest, followed by appearances from Higa Moe, Ryuuta Soudou, Uki, Takuro Ishizashi, Yoji Makino, and Yujiro Kudo).
Murakami: I wrote this song around the time I started the project. I’ve always thought that my own project could be a place for self-care. I’ve always felt that live houses are high-threshold spaces for newcomers. So, I wanted to create a place where performers and audiences could transcend their roles, a place where everyone could freely listen to music or not, just be there. When I thought about this, I immediately thought of “Uraniwa.” In my mind, an “Uraniwa” is a symbol of a place that only I know, a place for self-care. I hope my singing space can become such an environment.
Here is the backyard, no one peeks in
Murakami Nagisa – “Uraniwa”
The words I speak, I won’t let them reach anyone
Here is the backyard, no one peeks in
Inside my chest, there is a big hole
The importance of self-care and safe spaces seems to be a major theme for modern people. What does self-care mean to you, Nagisa?
Murakami: For me, self-care starts with truly thinking about myself and focusing on that. I believe that by truly looking at my own wounds, I can also see the wounds of others. So, thinking about myself isn’t just for my own sake. Even when I create works through introspection, I feel that it ultimately connects to others. After all, self and others are inseparable. Even if you’re not consciously trying to connect, you eventually do, and even though it feels like you’re closed off, there’s always this sense of being opened up.
Do you think there is a self-care aspect to creating music, Abe?
Abe: I think there is. Of course, I make a living from it, but I also get frustrated if I don’t create. I have my own ideals, and though I’m nowhere near meeting them, making music helps me feel saved in some way. So, it’s definitely for myself. But when I make music for myself like that, people I never intended to connect with end up gathering around, and I think that’s our way of making friends. I don’t go to after-parties or to bars, but with music, I can play with everyone. So, it’s really helpful. I’ve been thinking a lot lately that without music, I’d be in a pretty tough spot.
