【Ryohei Note Blog Post】 Thoughts after my birthday live

Original blog post in Japanese

On November 7, 2024, to everyone who came to my birthday live, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

This year’s birthday live was special for me—I was celebrated by the largest crowd I’ve ever had for my birthday, and there were so many things I wanted to share with all of you.

If even a small part of what I expressed reached you, or if it resonated with you in some way, then I feel like it was a day that truly mattered.
A birthday is the day I was born, so of course, it’s incredibly important to me. But to have so many people celebrate that day with me… It’s a moment where, as an artist and a creator, I can reaffirm that what I’ve been doing isn’t wrong, that it all has meaning.

At the same time, my birthday isn’t just about me. It’s also a day to reflect and give thanks—to my family for bringing me into this world and raising me, to my bandmates for walking this life with me, to the team that supports us even when it’s exhausting, and, of course, to the fans who continue to cheer for us and make it possible for us to perform on stage.

I said this during the final MC, and that pretty much sums up everything I wanted to convey. I even asked the production team to carve out time for me to talk at the end, even if it was a bit of a stretch. (Sorry if the schedule got tight toward the end, especially for the photo session!)

To be honest, it probably would’ve been fine to end the live on a high note, with everyone shouting, “Happy birthday, Ryohei! Woohoo, that was amazing!” And part of me thinks that might’ve been the “correct” way to close it.

But I wanted to take a moment, selfishly, to speak to you directly in my own words.

Life isn’t easy—it’s full of challenges. There are times you want to run away, moments where you feel completely powerless, and days when you’re ashamed of your own shortcomings. Still, even in the face of all that, I want to hold on and push forward, striving to become someone who surpasses their own limitations.

I don’t expect anyone to take on all of my struggles or burdens. But for the fans who’ve stuck with me, even if you only take away a small piece of what I shared, that would mean the world to me. That’s why I decided to open up, even if it wasn’t the coolest or most polished thing to do.
A lot of what I said wasn’t glamorous or inspiring.

But I stood on that stage as Ryohei, fully committed to expressing what I’ve experienced and what I feel now. I wanted to talk about what it means to create music as Azavana, what it means to be alive, how incredible and difficult that is, and why I want everyone to keep living, no matter what.
I know this is selfish, but if I could have my way, I’d want to leave this world before any of you do. Because I want to live alongside all of you, and when my time comes, I’d want you to be there to see me off. (But no following me, okay?)

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about “life and death.” Maybe life is about searching, fumbling, and eventually arriving at that fragile moment when our flame flickers out. I don’t have the answers yet—it’s just something I’ve been reflecting on.

What I do know is that I want every one of you to feel, “Supporting this band, this person, was worth it!” I never want you to look back and think, “Why did I waste my time and money on them?”

That’s why we, as a band, are pouring everything we have into this. We want you to know it was worth it. To us, music grows and evolves—it’s alive.
Sometimes a song unexpectedly becomes a hit during live performances, right? Even when the creator didn’t plan for it, fans breathe life into it, making it something explosive and special. Those songs are born out of the chemistry between the band and the fans, and that’s something we can’t create on our own.

I want to keep building those kinds of moments with all of you. I want to dedicate my life to this. Honestly, I already feel like I’ve got more than one foot in the grave!

So please, continue to support us. I promise we’ll never let you regret it. I promise Azavana will become a band you’re proud to cheer for.
We’re a damn good band, and I want to show you what it looks like when we’re standing on the stage at Budokan. That’s a dream I won’t let stay just a dream.

I want to become someone who can make that dream a reality, no matter what it takes.

Because I believe it’s better to regret what you did than what you didn’t do.
Azavana will keep moving forward, breaking through the norms of the music scene, and taking risks.

To everyone who came to the birthday live,
to those who wanted to come but couldn’t,
and to those supporting us from overseas, thank you so much!
Please keep believing in us and following us—
we’ll make sure you never regret it.

I truly love every single one of you who supports us.
Thank you.