Like Ryuichi Sakamoto, producer Takeshi Kobayashi is a leading artist actively involved in social causes, notably through ap bank, which he co-founded with Kazutoshi Sakurai and others. Since last year, he has been particularly active not only in supporting disaster victims but also in environmental protection initiatives.




"I certainly thought it was a good cause," Kobayashi recalls. "But at first, I hesitated a little. Why cover The Beatles now? The Western music of The Beatles felt a bit distant from Japan's current situation. However, in this inward-looking music scene where Japanese music dominates and Western music is less heard, I thought that by presenting a creative, contemporary cover of this classic of pop and rock by us Japanese, we might be able to convey future possibilities and hope to a Japanese society that lacks leadership and is in chaos. If we could achieve that, I felt it would be acceptable to borrow the power of the West, represented by The Beatles."