INDEX
Harnessing Collaboration for Enrichment
-After this, you will delegate directing duties to others at HANCHU-YUEI. What are the reasons behind this decision?
Yamamoto: I consider myself a writer and an artist. However, from that standpoint, directing has its challenges. Directing involves handling people, so one must possess the skill to make human communication worthwhile. But when I invest my energy in dealing with people, I find it hard to write. The urge to write is always there, and I feel relieved when I’m writing, but I physically don’t have time to write plays. That’s the first reason why it’s become stressful for me right now.
Yamamoto: Another reason is that I believe the theater industry should encourage more collaboration between playwrights and directors. Many people combine both roles, and while it certainly allows them to present their name prominently, I think in the long run, it’s better for various directors to interpret my words in various ways. When Keiichi Sokabe and I team up for this project, it causes a bit of excitement, right? Similarly, I might feel the same excitement if I collaborate with another director, and Sokabe-san might feel it when working with another theater team. I think it’s a really good thing. If such collaborations become more casual, I believe we can both take pride in each other’s work more.
-I think you probably have a lot of thoughts on this subject. I would like to interject a little. In music, this is a story about the division of labor, isn’t it?
Sokabe: Well, that’s mostly true.
-You know, in bands, there’s this kind of curse where you’re expected to handle everything from conception to the final product on your own. But back in the heyday of Kayo-kyoku with figures like Tsutsumi Kyohei and Matsumoto Takashi, division of labor was fully functional. And I think recent idol songs also operate on a similar principle. So, maybe you felt a sense of urgency because you were drawn to that idea for yourself?
Sokabe: Yeah, that’s right. Since The Beatles, almost every band has played their own songs, and especially since punk, they’ve gone DIY, managing everything from management to running their own labels. For me, I’m right in the thick of that. I handle management, accounting, everything related to the company, and I write and sing the songs myself. But when asked if that holistic entity is really me? Well, not exactly.
Just yesterday, I was asked by an idol to submit a song, and I created a very rough demo with the intention that the recipient could have fun playing around with things like tempo and arrangement. I enjoy the idea of not meticulously planning everything to the end result myself, but rather having moments like, “Oh, you did it like this!?”
Sokabe: But you know, it was totally different when I was younger. For example, when we made music, technical professionals always got involved. We’d ask engineers to adjust the sound, because I couldn’t accept anything that didn’t sound exactly like what was in my head. But after I turned 50, I’ve started to appreciate it when things turn out like, “Oh, you did it that way!? That’s amazing!” Finally, I can see it that way now [laughs]. So, I admire and think it’s wonderful how you have that peace of mind.
