SIRUP Reflects on Past, Present, and Future: Emphasizes the Importance of Living by Personal Values

Turning Small Successes into Significant Life Changes

-It has been seven years since I became a member of SIRUP. How do you see yourself now?

SIRUP: I really like the person I am now [laughs]. I think many people feel the same way, but after I turned 30, my life became more enjoyable. I have experienced various things to some extent, and I have a sense of being free from various ties. Also, the people I find enjoyable are often younger than myself, and because I am always with friends like that, I have the feeling that I am being updated day by day.

-It is wonderful to be able to say that you like who you are now. I think there are still many people who do not have confidence in who they are and their choices when living in this society.

SIRUP: I think there is a kind of despair in society, especially among the younger generation, as well as myself. For example, I think there are students who have not experienced entrance and graduation ceremonies due to the corona, natural disasters, unequal legal systems, etc. There are so many things that make them despair. I myself have had the most depressing times in my life in the past few years, and even in the midst of these times, I had to tour and made various comments because I did not want to stop the music scene, but each time I did so, I received anti-comments on SNS. I don’t feel like I’m being “beaten up” because I see it as a phenomenon that “this is the kind of society where people express such opinions,” but when I see offensive words, I feel really hurt.

-How do you maintain hope and confidence in the midst of the despair you feel about this society and all the current situations?

SIRUP: At the time of my depression, it became impossible for me to get involved with others, and I spent about 10 days alone, which is the exact opposite of what I have been talking about. I was able to recover and move forward by getting involved with people, but if I cut off relationships with people, it would have been a complete disaster for me. At that time, I felt like I was able to say to myself, “I’m going to die anyway, so I should do what I want.

People often say, “I’m going to die anyway,” and everyone knows it, but it is difficult to put that feeling into one’s body. We are made to think of death as hopelessness, but it is as simple as boiling water on a fire. It is a really simple story that has been told for hundreds of years: life is going to end in reality, so it would be a waste to stop and hesitate, worrying about various things.

SIRUP: In order to live in this society, you have to work and earn money, but it is important to enjoy what you do without killing yourself in the process. If it is not healthy to keep doing something, you should take a break and live the way you want to. What is important on top of that is that you should never perpetrate harm to others or yourself. I believe that it is not right to trample on someone else’s life, or to exercise privilege only for oneself in the midst of discrimination, prejudice, and inequality that exists.

-I think there are many people who have a hard time taking the first step or procrastinate in doing what they love.

SIRUP: I think it is good to start training from small things. For example, you always wear the same shoes, but try wearing different shoes today. Making small changes like that, and recognizing them as successes, will make a big wave in your life. Even if you make a big decision and feel that you made a mistake, it is totally okay because it is just one phase in your life. Especially if you are a teenager, you can totally rewind from here, so you might as well make a big decision. There are unlimited possibilities, so I would like to tell them not to be afraid. But I would recommend that you start with something small.