If We Fall into Despair, Nothing Will Begin

—What led you to become a supporter of “more trees”?

It was a matter of intuition. Hearing Sakamoto’s ideas gave me a good opportunity to reflect on the Earth and the environment within myself. The policies and activities of “more trees” feel deeply connected to the human experience. Previously, there was a movement to turn off all the lights in the world simultaneously, but I couldn’t immediately respond with an OK to that.

—Why couldn’t you respond?

A sensor in me, based on past foolish history, warned that it’s dangerous for everyone to do the same thing at the same time. Of course, saving electricity is a good thing, but it would be good if, for example, everyone truly felt the urgency and turned off their lights one by one, and it happened to become dark. I hope that even one more person who can have such awareness will emerge through “more trees.” However, to be honest, there’s also a part of me that feels despair. But as people working in the media, if we are in despair, nothing will begin.

—In terms of media, that applies to the initiators Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi as well.

When I was in junior high school, I was engrossed in listening to Happy End, Kenji Endo, and Kazuhiko Kato, and then in the late 70s, YMO emerged. But artists and listeners like myself are seeking the same thing: whether it feels good intuitively. Just as we think, “I want to hear this kind of sound,” I find it very credible that everyone has a sense that “the Earth is in danger.”

I Want to Maintain a Sense of Danger

—Could you tell us about environmental issues in your daily life?

Musashino City, where I live, is a municipality that has been working on recycling and waste issues for a long time, and its strict waste separation makes me think about the environment often. Raising children has also made me more conscious of what we eat. However, I question the excessive reactions to some food mislabeling issues.


—It’s becoming big business now.

Everyone probably feels that “if things continue like this, it won’t work,” and I don’t think we should only care about surviving in our own generation or our children’s. I don’t intend to start a revolution by upholding ideals, but I don’t want to be the aggressor either.

—So, what should we do?

Ruins and classics teach us that what we interpret from them allows stories to continue. So, what kind of story can we create in this era? Future generations will interpret whether there was intent, and if there was intent, they might weave new wisdom from it.

—Thank you very much.

Shiro Sano Official Website (Kisseido)│http://www.kisseido.co.jp/