Name your fave Japanese artists that you wish translated!! ~Delivering Japanese music overseas~

Hi, this is Japanese writing this blog while living in Germany, working his ass off to bring more of the Japanese music to the other countries (esp Europe).

As many of you Japanese music fans know,

it is not easy for the Japanese music to reach non-Japanese speaking people. One of the biggest reasons is because Japanese lyrics don't really tell you anything unless you know the language.

Typically, when non-Japanese people say they like the Japanese music, this is how it goes:

1. Like the melody (Good looks can be added)

↓

2. Look up the meanings to the lyrics

↓

3. Like even better

↓

(4. Start studying the Japanese language and/or come to want to go to Japan)

So this is the typical order, it seems. (Let me know if you got an objection.) And this also means that 

the more of non-Japanese speaking people understand what's being sung in the Japanese songs, the more of them will like the Japanese songs. 

- Yes, simple as that. (I hope this is not just because I'm simple minded.)

This is the reason why I've been translating, subtitling then uploading the videos of one of the bands on my project, YELLOW STUDS and THE VALVES, especially the music videos of YELLOW STUDS, because of the contract I, as a proper contract, have with them, which I don't with THE VALVES. 

(For example this song is one of the songs that make me feel like "aw, I absolutely NEED to deliver this overseas.. Would be such an ultimate level of waste otherwise..." - https://vimeo.com/103512851 )

Some of you might say "why don't Japanese artists sing in English or something?" Yes, I think that would make sense a lot as well. In fact Miyavi, X JAPAN, Crossfaith, One Ok Rock and some others have started singing in English and they ARE indeed accepted worldwide.  

BUT, Personally, just personally, as a Japanese (although I cannot represent all the other Japanese people), I prefer getting the feels of what they really are singing so I can get into the world of the lyrics. A Japanese band, for example, who were born and grew up in Japan singing in non Japanese language... hmmm... from them, I will not able to get the feels of what's really sung. Which, seemingly, is the case with many other Japanese people as well. For example, X JAPAN's 'KURENAI,' a song mostly known being sung in Japanese, but another version in English (from like 30-ish years ago), I, with no intention to do so, perceive lots of emotions coming from the Japanese lyrics. But not as much from the English lyrics even though I know and understand all the English lyrics. (Thanks for calling me a hard core fan! *hundred bows*)  

Andddd.. another example would be... Crossfaith, I guess. Listening to Crossfaith, I definitely go like "Ohhh this is sooo coooool!! *headbanging*" but never really feel like "aw, wanna look up what the lyrics are!"   (This is NOT like I am trying to criticizing Crossfaith, but it's just that - I think - they are, in the first place, not even intending to make it the first priority to put us into the world of their songs by lyrics, but more by the atmosphere and performance. I really do think they are a great band and it is brilliant to see a Japanese band getting earsplitting applause outside Japan.)

For being able to enjoy entertainment, I suppose it's crucial not to feel any kind of uncomfortableness. Thus, when I hear English written songs by Japanese bands and their English pronunciation isn't great, I find it difficult to enjoy or get into the world of the lyrics. 

Honestly I sometimes think that, from the perspective of yours who know English, probably Japanese bands would be better off singing in English? But I'm actually the type who prefer things in Japanese as it is in Japanese... Sooo (aside this band called THE VALVES who have recently been featured in the latest INITIAL D movie that is now being played in the cinemas in Japan,) I never really thought about asking a band into my project and pushing them up to Europe... Maybe I am a bit weird?

(I would appreciate anyone's opinion on this!)

Anyway, what I would like to do as ideal lifework is...

I want to do translation for Japanese songs, promote Japanese artists / bands and make a living off it :DDD

I know I'm not the best with English but I once seriously thought about translating and subtitling THE BACK HORN, 9mm Parabellum Bullet and some other artists as I'm quite a bit of fan of them. But not to mention there's no video of theirs that I can do so without their official approval. (I've already emailed them if I could promote them and even show THE BACK HORN's upcoming movie as part of my movie festival project, but no peep so far xD)

My translation & subtitle work 

↓↓↓

https://vimeo.com/user29561367/videos

So, now that you know how serious I am, I do have a favor to ask you. Which is...

Please let me know your favorite Japanese artists / bands that you would like to have me translate :D 

https://www.facebook.com/Actwitness (preferred)

https://twitter.com/Junichi_KTanaka

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/actwitness

Indie artists would make things easier. 

(｡◕∀◕｡)ﾉ⋆

Don't forget to Like my Facebook page and *maybe* get notification from it :D

Thanks for readinggggg.