"Mag People No. 3 Takako Shirai"

-What made you decide to become a member of Magcal Table?

"Magcul" was started by Governor Kuroiwa's appeal to bring together the power of all of Kanagawa, including Yokohama, and make Yokohama and Kanagawa a bustling entertainment city like Japan's Broadway. That's why people from a wide variety of fields, including stage people, event planners, record companies, newspapers, and television stations, gathered together.
Perhaps it was because I had produced the theme song for the National Tree Planting Festival held in Kanagawa Prefecture in 2010 and had also been active as an environmental ambassador that I was honored to be invited as a representative of the artists.

-What have you felt so far about Magcal, in which you are involved as an artist representative?

Shirai on stage at the Prefectural Government Assembly Hall

It's been very interesting because I've been involved in the initial start-up, from the very beginning, right from the ground up.
I'm an idealist, or should I say, I have a lot of dreams, so I get quite nervous in meetings. I'm worried that I'm talking too much about big dreams and unrealistic things. But I think that artists are the ones who make these things happen, so there's always a struggle. We always run into money issues. We have to understand that dreams and reality are mixed together, and we have to discuss things with people in various roles, so I find it quite difficult to decide on one thing at a big table.
At Magcal Table, everyone is working on various things, so I was like, "Did that happen?" There were many things that I didn't know about, even though I was the sender of Magcal. I wish I could have participated more. I regret that I was busy and couldn't participate.
I feel that "Magcal", which is an abbreviation of "Magnet Culture", is not well known. If it is not widely known, we need to create an opportunity to make it more known. Then, we thought that some kind of trigger was needed, so last year, talk arose about holding a rock festival called "Takako Fes".

- Takako Fes? That's a Magcal festival, right? What exactly is it about?

From the left: pianist Ayuko Higuchi, Mr. Shirai, and torn player Kumiko Oguri

Actually, I've been planning a "Girls Rock Festival" for quite some time now, and whenever I meet female artists, I always talk to them. So I talked to everyone at a dinner party with Governor Kuroiwa, saying, "Maybe this project would be good for Magcul?!" They all agreed, and we got started right away. In the 20th century, the world led by men did a lot of good things, but it also caused a lot of unimaginable pain, such as war, radiation, and the environment.
So, although I don't have a maternal instinct as a woman, I have always wanted to hold a festival with that purpose in mind, as I have always used my power to raise my fist to protect peace and the environment.
I also thought, "You can only do this when you're young" (laughs), and I've been calling out to everyone at Magcal for about four years, so I was really happy that everyone at Magcal agreed with me. The timing of the Magcal PR campaign coincided with the project I was working on. Fortunately or unfortunately, it seemed like the times needed it.
In order to let more people know about Magcal, we have written a proposal to hold a "MagFest" as a springboard, and we are currently in the process of discussing it. We are all working to make the "MagFest" a reality by the year after next, which is appropriate for Magcal, which is based on girls' rock and love. However, we are currently looking for a specific venue, but we have not been able to find a place that looks exciting or interesting. Anyway, we think that the major mission of "Magcal" is to send out a "fireworks" in a good sense and spread the appeal of Kanagawa not only to Kanagawa but to the whole of Japan, and even to people all over the world.

-Why do you think Magcal is not well known and has not penetrated the market very much?

Shirai points the microphone at the audience and sings along with them.

Today at the Vietnam Festa, when I asked the visitors, "Do you know Magcal?", less than 10% of them raised their hands. I realize that it is a really difficult and tough task to get people to know about it.
I understand that the works led by Magcal are at a very high cultural level, but are they a bit too maniacal or difficult? I think it would be good to have more everyday, ordinary performances.

- Mr. Shirai, you wrote the school song for an elementary school in Yokohama and have also been appointed as an Odawara hometown ambassador. What is your motivation for being involved in so many community-based activities?

At the end of my 20s, I lived in London, a place I had always dreamed of and admired rock music. It was only when I lived there that I realized for the first time that I was truly Japanese. In my teens, I was very happy just immersed in the bathtub of Western music, but after actually living there, I returned to Japan with the conviction that "I can't risk my life for London, but I can risk my life for Japan." Looking back, it was a time when I was trying to become a true Japanese person.
My hometown is Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. When I think about the fact that we only have one life, and I feel like I have to do this, I can do my best wherever I am, as if it were my hometown.
I am currently working in a field in Ohara, Kyoto. Last year, I worked on the cover artwork for the album "Namida River" that I created with lyricist Osamu Kitayama. Kyoto is the place I call home next to Kanagawa Prefecture, where I spent six impressionable years in junior and senior high school, and it is a very important place in Japan. I wanted to cultivate the soil at the foot of the forest with my own hands.
In the last 30 years or so, the world has become more convenient at a tremendous speed, and people have moved away from using their hands, sparing effort, and sweating to protect what is important. Even threading a needle is difficult. I don't think people can evolve without using their hands. I'm disappointed when I see young people just looking at their smartphones even in places full of nature. Before I knew it, Japanese kimono was also an endangered species. That's why I naturally raise my fist in rock! (laughs) I want to do as much as possible when I think, "It would be great if this happened!" The discoveries, experiences, and emotions I get from facing such things have become songs, words, and are connected to my way of life. With the Olympics coming up soon, I want to cherish the days of protecting the wonders of Japanese nature and culture on a global scale.
*The term "hot-blooded" was coined by Takako Shirai.

-Finally, please tell us about your future prospects for Magcal.

Both the 21st century Kanagawa Prefecture choral song "I Want to Be the Wind of My Hometown," created in 2001, and the theme song for the 61st National Tree-Planting Festival in Kanagawa, "Let's Go to the Forest!", are songs that are filled with feelings for hometowns.
With the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Olympics in 2020 approaching, I think there is still a long way to go before we can carry the "Magcal Mikoshi" with the Magcal leadership in the same spirit as before. I hope that we can use the power of music to spread the Japanese spirit of "peace" from the "MagFest" in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Thank you for your support for the event! Please check out the Magcal website every day and support us.

I live in Kanagawa Prefecture, so I can go anywhere, anytime. I want to spread the word about Magcal more and more, so please feel free to contact me!

Takako Shirai's upcoming activities

In March 2018, I am planning to perform a live concert with Yama Osamu in Odawara.
More details will be posted on the official website soon, so be sure to check it out!

TAKAKO SHIRAI THE PEACE ON EARTH – Takako Shirai