Masahiko Shimura's Birthday Events, 2013, in Fujiyoshida

Masahiko Shimura's fans and Fujifabric fans out there, I am delighted to tell you a good news today!

This coming July 2013, 'Masahiko Shimura's Birthday Events' will be held in Fujiyoshida City to celebrate his birthday, 10th July.

Details are followed ;

Friday, July 12, 2013
'The Night Celebrating Masahiko Shimura's Birthday' ~ The First Night
Location : at Live Bar, Jugemu in Fujiyoshida City
(Please see this link for more details.   Jugemu
No English translation is available of the website, but if you are interested in, please send me an email at jrtinbkk@gmail.com. I am happy to send you a map in English.)
Time : 7 pm

Saturday, July 13, 2013
'Mini Concert Of Playing & Singing Masahiko Shimura's Songs'
Location : at Shimo Yoshida Club in Shimo Yoshida Station on the Fuji Kyuko Line
(Please see this link for more details.    Shimo Yoshida Station English language is available in this website.)
Time : 2 pm (expected to be finished at around 4 pm)
No Entrance Fee is required.

'The Night Celebrating Masahiko Shimura's Birthday' ~ The Second Night
Location : at Live Bar, Jugemu om Fujiyoshida City
Time : 7 pm

Sunday, July 14, 2013
'Mini Concert Of Playing & Singing Masahiko Shimura's Songs'
Location : at Kagura-den (Kagura Hall) in Arakura Sengen Shrine (A part of the shrine is used as a park.)
(Please see this link for more details. Arakura Sengen Park  English language is available in this website.)

Time : 2 pm (expected to be finished at around 4 pm)
No Entrance Fee is required.

Fuji Goko Acoustic Guitar Club is now looking for musicians who are willing to join their concert. No matter whether you are a amateur or a professional musician. If you love Fujifabric songs and you are happy to play and sing Fujifabric songs, then you are most welcome!

If you are interested in this event, please send me an email at this address :
jrtinbkk@gmail.com

I am very glad to give you further information and connect you with event organizers.

Mr. Susumu Ito, Executive Chairperson of these events, said to me on the phone, "Exhibitions held in December are a little sad as it is the time that Shimura kun passed away. So this time, I just wanted to celebrate his birth in a cheerful mood with people in the city and Fujifabric fans at around his birthday, 10th July."

Mr. Ito read the notebooks put on the table at the exit in Exhibition in 2011. There, Fujifabric fans wrote massages, and many of them said, "I was moved by views, people and many many more things in Fujiyoshida City." admiring his hometown.
He felt a sense of mission as a citizen of Fujiyoshida that he ought to make his hometown be deserved for such a praise.

Shimura kun simply loved music - he immersed himself in music.
He even said, "I don't want to be a man who is all right without music.".

What a fabulous event celebrating Shimura kun's birthday with people who love him so much from the bottom of their heart by playing and singing the music he made!

If you are thinking of visiting Fujiyoshida City sometime around his birthday, how about going down there during these wonderful events?
It would be your unforgettable memory, I promise!!

Fans in overseas, and non-Japanese fans living in Japan,would you help me to spread this information to your friends? It is much appreciated.
Thank you!!

2013年 志村正彦君 生誕祭 in 富士吉田

フジファブリック、志村正彦ファンの皆様、今日は朗報をお届け致します！

この度、志村正彦君のお誕生日であります7月10日に合わせて、彼のふるさと富士吉田にてイベントが開催されることになりました。

詳細は以下の通りです；

日時：2013年7月13日（土）・14日（日）の2日間　　　

13日（土）
「志村正彦を歌う会」
場所：富士急行線　下吉田駅構内　下吉田倶楽部
時間：2 pm より　（4 pm 頃、終了予定です）　　入場料は無料


14日（日）
「志村正彦を歌う会」
場所：忠霊塔のある新倉浅間神社の神楽殿
(アクセス等、場所の詳細はこちらです　新倉浅間神社）
時間：2 pm より　（4 pm 頃、終了予定です）　　入場料は無料

富士五湖アコースティッククラブの皆さんが、フジファブリックの曲を演奏することとなっておりますが、各イベントではただいま出演者を募集しております。
アマチュア、プロは問いません。
フジファブリックの音楽を愛して止まない方、志村正彦君に傾倒しているミュージシャンの皆さん、どうぞふるってご参加下さい。

お申し込み・お問い合わせは、こちらのサイトから、メールにてお願い致します。
ライブバー　ジュゲム　富士五湖アコースティッククラブ　ホームページ内お問い合わせフォーム

この企画を立ち上げて下さったジュゲムの伊藤進さんは、4月に発刊された富士吉田文化協会の「雪解流」という冊子に、志村君への気持ちを綴っていらっしゃいます。この文章の中に、このイベントへの思いが集約されていると思いますので、ここに一部引用し、ファンの皆様にご紹介させて頂きたいと思います。

一昨年の同じ時季（2011年）、富士五湖文化センターで志村君の企画展を訪れた際、数冊のファンの方々が自由に記入できるメッセージノートを読ませてもらった。そこには志村くんの愛した富士吉田を訪れ素晴らしさに感動したなど、わが町を称賛するメッセージで溢れていた。多くのファンの方が愛してくれる富士吉田の住民としてそんな思いにふさわしい街にしていかなければならないという使命感を持った。（以下、省略）

同じ音楽を愛する者として、志半ばでこの世を去った志村君の残してくれた楽曲を歌い継いでいきたいと思っている。志村くんのファンは、今後益々増えていくであろう。彼の楽曲が醸し出す優しさやジレンマ、そして真っ直ぐで素朴な歌声が、今を生きる我々の心に響くからであろう。

多くの志村くんのファンが、今後も富士吉田を訪れてくれるであろう。
（中部分、省略）志村くんは音楽を手段として富士吉田の名を全国に広めてくれた。次代を担う子どもたちにも志村君の音楽を伝えていき彼の楽曲を大切にしてもらいたい。志村君の残してくれた無限の魅力を伝えられるような街になっていけたらと思うのである。

伊藤さんは、「12月に行われる企画展は、どうしても湿っぽい気持ちになってしまう。でも、志村君のお誕生日のある7月に、もっと晴れ晴れと明るい気持ちで、地元の皆やファンの人達と一緒に、彼がこの世に生まれてきてくれたことをお祝いするイベントをしてみたいと思った。」と、おっしゃっていました。

純粋に、切ないほど音楽を愛し、音楽に没頭した志村君。
「音楽がなくても大丈夫な人にはなりたくないですね。」と、言っていました。

彼の作った音楽を、彼の大好きだったふるさとの地で、彼のことを大好きな人たちが演奏し、彼がこの世に生まれてきてくれたことをお祝いする。

なんてステキな企画でしょうか。

志村君のお誕生日に合わせて、富士吉田を訪れようと計画していらっしゃる皆さん。
少しだけ日程をずらして、この3日間に合わせてみてはいかがですか。
きっと忘れられない思い出になること、間違いなしです。

Masahiko Shimura's Exhibition in 2012 "All About Youth" ~ Chime at 5 pm, Resound Into The Sky - Report 2

23rd December 2012
It was a bright sunny day in Fujiyoshida City.
Mt. Fuji kept a watch on us with hanging over snow smoke in a freezing cold air.

Since the day before the Exhibition, a lot of preparation had been taken in Shimo-Yoshida Club (a cafe opened for travelers) in Shimo-Yoshida Station on the Fujikyuko Line.

Here, his friends took ... Shimura kun's motor bike that he actually rode in Tokyo!

The motor bike was shown also in the exhibition in 2011.
It was a warm thoughtfulness of his friends for the fans who missed it two years ago.

It was still as shiny as before, and that shows how much his family takes care of it. This time, his bicycle was also displayed.

When imagining these are the bikes which actually took Shimura kun to a supermarket or his office, it was quite moving... Thank you, Bikes, for carrying Shimura kun and supporting him in his everyday life!

Many of his pictures were displayed on the day in Shimo-Yoshida Club.

Some of you might remember that there were high school students' and their teacher's writings displayed on the wall at the stair hall at the exhibition in 2011, and they met with an enthusiastic reception from the guests at that time.

This time, in 2012, a reading space for the writings was specially set up at Shimo-Yoshida Club on the 23rd, and at Fuji Goko Cultural Centre on the 24th. A male fan was interviewed by CATV Fuji Goko, a local TV station, and said, "High school students' writings got to my heart. I felt love.".
It was just so... moving!

Mr. Kazuyuki Kobayashi, a Japanese language teacher at Yamanashi Prefectural Josai High School in Kofu City, took up the lyrics written by Masahiko Shimura as a topic in  his writing class, and his attempt was highly evaluated and has been reported in the local newspaper, Yamanashi Daily Newspaper in June 2011.

Today, please let me introduce you one of the fascinating students' writings about the lyrics.

Something Warm With Life         By Hikari Kondo 

Any of Fujifabric's songs are highly attractive by somehow.  It is probably because we can smoothly overlap our regrets and feelings left in the past with the songs written by Masahiko Shimura.
'The Shimmer Of Heat' ('Kagero' in Japanese. English translation of the lyrics is available in Page in this blog.) is the song which vividly reminds me the scene of a hot summer day.
When I heard the song for the first time, the part of the lyrics

"Surely, there might be many things lost by now
Surely, even though, That person is passing with no change"

left a great impression.

Not only memories of a fun boyhood, but also Sadness, in which those moments cannot be gained back any more, can be felt from the song.

In my opinion, "many things lost by now" are the feelings towards someone or scenes in old days.
In this song, I could feel Sadness towards something, which existed there and was taken for granted, eventually goes away at the end when time passes by, and I could also feel nostalgia, longing for himself in childhood.

'All About Youth' (' Wakamono No Subete' in Japanese) is my favourite song of all which stroke my heart the most. Every time it gets darker in the evening and I hear the chime at 5 pm, I remember this song nowadays.
This is my opinion that the person, whom 'I' want to bring some words to,  and the one who repeatedly appears in the lyrics, might be not only a partner or friends but also 'myself' in the past.

I, myself, receive courage from its gentle melody and the lyrics of this song. It is because not only Sadness towards the past, which never comes back any more, but also dedicated strength to the coming future, seem to be embedded in the part, "I quietly and gently start to walk on".

Mr. Mashaiko Shimura makes a form of his own memories and traces by singing songs. I think that is why any song of Fujifabric's become alive brings us warmness, and it, somewhere, possesses strength which gives a supportive push forward to listeners. It was my feeling that many of Fujifabric's songs talk to teenagers, like  us, the importance of living dearly every moment of our life. I could have met a big power of songs from here, I feel.

Thank you to you, Miss. Hikari Kondo, for allowing me to translate your lovely writings into English. It was my real pleasure. Knowing that teenagers read the lyrics of Shimura kun with a profound insights was just so great. I was also very glad that such attempts have been made in Yamanashi Prefecture, Shimura kun's home.
Wishing more young people enjoy the world of Fujifabric all over the world!

After ten years of time, if these students will be given an opportunity to write about a song of Fujifabric's again, what would they write...I wondered. It must be very interesting to see as they will be at about the same age as Shimura  kun when he passed away. What would they write after climbing several steps up stairs of life ?

Will be continued to the next report!

Today's song is, of course, 'All About Youth'.

富士山 ユネスコ世界文化遺産 登録へ

富士山が、ユネスコ世界文化遺産に登録されることが決定致しました。

昨日、山梨県から中継された富士山を見て、興奮なさったフジファブリック　志村君ファンも多かったと思います。全国ネットのニュース番組でも、忠霊塔からの眺めが放送されたと聞きました。皆さん、色々な思いであのニュースをご覧になったことでしょう。

私も遠く離れたタイの地にて、知らせをききました。
志村君、天国でも報道されましたか。志村君だったら、なんて言ったでしょうね。
そんなことも思いながら、静かな心持でニュースをきいていました。

タイ国内にも、世界遺産として登録されている地が何箇所かあり、長年こちらに身をおく者として、ユネスコの世界遺産については多々考えるところはあります。複雑な思いを抱えながら読んだ今日の「風林火山」（山梨日日新聞1面の下欄にあるコラム。朝日新聞でいうと「天声人語」のようなもの）は、もやもやとしていた私の心の芯まで響きました。

名文です。

ネットでも閲覧可能ですので、ここにご紹介致します。
山梨日日新聞　「風林火山」　2013年5月2日付

私達山梨の人間にとって、いつでもそこにあるのが富士山です。
ふるさとから離れるまで、さほど意識などしていない人も多いでしょう。

でも辛い時、悲しい時、苦しい時、悩む時、いつでも変わらずそこにいて、励ましてくれるのは富士山です。
第二次世界大戦中には、開拓団として多数の方々が山梨から旧満州へ旅立ちました。戦後ずいぶん経ってからも、山梨からはブラジル始め南米へと移民する人々が、後をたちませんでした。

その人たちの心の支えとなったのが、故郷の富士でした。

その後、一度も富士山を見ることなく亡くなった方々も多かったと思います。皆さんの思いは、いかばかりだったでしょう。

志村君は「志村日記」の中で、富士山の存在がどんなものであるかを、分かりやすく書いてくれています。また「浮雲」の歌詞には、富士山に誓った志村君の姿が感じられます。

この度は当初の予定「富士山」から異なり、「富士山と信仰・芸術の関連遺産群」としての登録となりました。
日本政府がユネスコに提出した推薦書には、25件の構成遺産も含まれており、富士講などの「信仰の対象」、葛飾北斎などの浮世絵に代表される「芸術の源泉」、また富士山の美しい景観は国際的に知られているため、日本文化を象徴するという「名山としての景観」の三本柱でアピールされたそうです。

確かに成田国際空港に行くと、富士山のオンパレードで、広告と一緒にあちらこちらで見かけますし、お店には海外向けのお土産として富士山ものが多数並んでいます。
世界にその価値が認められ、「遺産」として国際的に認知されることは、日本人として祝福すべきことです。

しかし富士山と共に暮らす山梨県人にとって、世界遺産登録前も登録後も、いつだって「そこにいてくれる」富士山であることに、なんら変わりはありません。泰然自若なあの雄姿に、季節を感じ、自分を感じます。
そして私達にとって、富士山に代わるものは、存在しないのです。

宗教と名の付くものの中に類似するものが無いほど、或る意味、大いなる「信仰の対象」ともいえるのではないでしょうか。

最後に、富士山に関するステキなサイトを見つけたので、ご紹介致します。
NHK甲府放送局によるサイトで、地元の私達もみたことがないような富士山の様々な表情を、ご覧いただけます。
NHK甲府放送局　まるごとふじさん

今日の一曲は、「ペダル」。
なぜか私はこの曲を聴くと、富士吉田の上空を、一台の自転車が街を駆け抜け、富士山麓の蓊鬱たる樹海を越え、どんどんスピードをあげて青空の下、颯爽と富士山の頂上目掛け駆け上がり、空に上っていく図を想像します。
この曲のもつ疾走感を、ほかのバンドのどの曲でも味わったことはありません。

志村君の愛した富士山。
次に「吉田の宝」から「世界の宝」になるのは、志村君、あなたの番ですよ！

Masahiko Shimura's Exhibition in 2012 "All About Youth" ~ Chime at 5 pm, Resound Into The Sky - Report 1

Fujifabric fans in overseas, thanks for waiting!

The Masahiko Shimura Exhibition was held by his close friends and young officers of Fujiyoshida City Hall (as some of his close friends work in the city hall, and other young officers were willing to help as volunteers) again last year, 2012, in his hometown, Fujiyoshida City.   What was special this time was that the evening chime at 5 pm in the city was changed to the melody of one of famous Fujifabric's songs, 'All About Youth' (Wakamono no Subete) for the anniversary of Shimura's death on the 24th of December 2012. The event was limited for three days, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of December 2012, but there were also an exhibition of his personal memorabilia including his guitars and musical equipment, and live concerts by his fans.

It is my pleasure to write a report on these events again this year.
Concerning the fact that I, myself, could not attend the events this time, I have no confidence in telling all the stories throughout the course of events, but it is my promise that this report will be written at my best.

22nd December 2012    at 5 pm
The familiar limpid melody of 'All About Youth' (Wakamono no Subete) was beautifully arranged into the sound of chime, and it resounded solemnly across the city of Fujiyoshida.

Please enjoy watching the video on You Tube.

(This video was filmed by Junior Officers Team in Fujiyoshida City Hall at Fuji Goko Cultural Centre on December 22nd, 2012.)

Mr. Shimura used to say, " The view of Mt. Fuji is the most beautiful from here, on the first floor of Fuji Goko Cultural Centre."

Fujiyoshida City where Shimura kun loved the most, Mt. Fuji which always supported him mentally, and Fuji Q Highland Amusement Park where he had the sensational encounter with Tamio Okuda at the age of 15 - they all can be viewed in one sight.
It was the moment that the whole city was enfolded by the melody that Shimura kun left for us.

Executive chairman of Masahiko Shimura's Exhibition, Mr. Masato Watanabe, said, "The chime subsequent to the triumphal concert at The Fuji Goko Cultural Centre in 2008 and the one at Fuji Q Highland Conifer Stage (Fuji Fuji Fuji Q) in 2010,  I am very glad that our team could have offered a little help to make Masahiko's dream come true.", in an interview looking deeply moving.

　　　　　　　　　
(Members of Team, 'Rojiura No Bokutachi' stringing up a memorable banner on to the front entrance at Gekkoji Station. It says, "Wish Dream Come True! Let Us Listen To You, Fujifabric!" on the banner.)

Captain Masato ( Mr. Masato Watanabe is affectionately called this name.) has been a friend of Shimura kun since 6 years old, and went to the same Primary school and Junior High School with him. They used to live very close by, too.

According to the story of Captain Masato, he started feeling strongly that "I want citizens of Fujiyoshida City to know more about our friend, Masahiko. It may be our duty to tell the people that there was such a great musician coming from this town." when he met many fans who keep showing their warm affection to Shimura kun. He was working as a member of the project team of Exhibition in 2011, too.

Since then, he has been suggesting to the Fujiyoshida City to change the chime rung from the loudspeakers  throughout the city.
At about the same time, there were the same requests from some of the citizens, and the dream has come true at last.

"It was our wish to arrange the song, retaining its true value, to the sound of chime.", said the team. The chime has turned out to be simple, heartrending and moving as they wished.

Please allow me to explain more about what 'chime at 5 pm' in Japan is for fans in overseas.

In countryside in Japan, like Yamanashi Prefecture, official disaster radio (officially called 'radio communications for disaster prevention and administration' or 'Bosai Gyosen Musen' in Japanese) takes a great part in our everyday life. The tall loudspeakers are set in every area in the city or the village, and everyone can hear the sound from these speakers without any exception. Official disaster radio is designed for an emergency use, especially for natural disasters where  normal telecommunications cannot be used.

In Yamanashi, these speakers are not used only for emergency but also for something even more - more to do with our everyday life. For example, a particular melody is heard from the loudspeakers telling is the time (working as a time signal) normally at 5pm, often in the morning at 11 am or at noon, too. These chime help farmers to know the time without checking his/her watch (Well, not only for the farmers, I guess. As I am often noticed the time by the chime!)

The melody of chime varies between cities, towns and villages.

On the day of the anniversary of the end of Pacific War, of atomic bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki,  the mayor of the city asks the citizens to offer a silent prayer for the souls of the victims through the loudspeakers, too.

On the top of it, some local news can also be heard from the official disaster radio.
For instance, appearance of a wild animal, such as a bear, a monkey, and a wild bow, a remittance fraud, a suspicious person in the area, a missing person, in the area is announced as a warning.

Now can you imagine how great it was for us that Shimura kun's song was used as chime telling the time at 5 pm in Fujiyoshida City?
Can you also imagine how much influence that carried in his hometown?

I have heard that Shimura kun's old neighbours, who have known Masahiko Shimura since little, came outside everyday during these three days to listen to chime at 5 pm praying for him with two hands putting together looking up the winter sky.

"Want to rewind the sequel of the disrupted dream..."
(quoted from the song, 'All About Youth' 'Wakamono no Subete')

It was the day that his friends, his family, close neighbours, Fujiyoshida citizens and Fujifabric fans witnessed that one of Shimura kun's dreams has come true at his hometown.

The next report will be about memorabilia at the exhibition and live concert in Shimoyoshida Club and Fuji Goko Cultural Centrethe on 23rd December 2012.

Today's song is, of course, "Wakamono no Subete". English translation of the lyrics is available in Page of my blog. English translation of the lyrics in Page

Thank you for reading!