A letter to 45 year old Fukuyama Masaharu
Dear 45 years old Mr Fukuyama Masaharu
Hello, I’m 35 years old Fukuyama Masaharu.
Now at the age of 45, where are you reading this letter? I hope it is this studio at Yuurakucho Nippon Broadcasting, but is it so? Are you feeling nervous? Is it in the late night? Is it in the regular daytime?
Are you still in front of the radio? Though it is still a very new studio now, the booth which a 45 years old you are in, must be filled with strange graffiti and dirt. Then behind the glass, there should be staff whom have gained a bit wrinkles. There must be memorable incidents which happened in these ten years.
Needless to say, the place of the radio booth was chosen as one of the places in part of my life, at the age of 35. In align with your dream as an All Night Nippon personality, 18 years have passed since you left your home town in Nagasaki, desiring ‘something not exist here’ and wanting to go to ‘anywhere apart from here’.
To a 35 years old me, I know the meaning of utopia is ‘there is no such place.’ I also realize the limit ‘anywhere apart from here’.
Even so, the place of my life is ‘anywhere apart from here.’ At my hometown’s horizon, and at the place I am now, I am unable to feel satisfied. My soul is ‘between hope and despair’, ‘between calm and passionate’, ‘between ideal and realistic’. I constantly swing like a pendulum. I always have this dream of ‘not here but where’, and continue to pursue for journey.
Bandelaire*, founder of France modern history said in fear, ‘ To me, the most fearful thing is to live every day.’ He called the dream to travel is ‘To put a seal for pursuit of a nobleness soul’. The people, who lived their lives in such agony, expressed themselves as being ‘poets’.
I am not placing myself on par with the great bard in the past. On similar grounds, it may be my fate having chosen music as my bread and butter job.
Perhaps 45 years old you will especially understand, the place which I most feel at east, is neither my hometown, nor the place I live. It is only the fleeting moment during the travel journey.
As far as I maintain that cumbrance soul, perhaps I will continue to travel till I die in pursuit of ‘anywhere apart from here’, unless I quit music.
Fukuyama Masaharu, 35 years old. I chose ‘the fleeting moment during the travel journey’ as a place in my life. I wish for the best of Mr Fukuyama Masaharu, in 10 years later, to take good care of yourself and your own progression. Yours sincerely.
2004 July 17th Saturday, slightly before 1am
From 35 years old aristocratic bachelor Fukuyama Masaharu
PS. Are you still singing this song now?
(「遠くへ」 was played after Masha read the letter)
*Charles Bandelaire
PS. Ask before you re-post my translation.
=======================================
This was a letter which Masha, at age of 35, wrote to himself of 45 years old during ANN program on 17 July 2004. I cannot recall what was the reason he wrote the letter. But what I can recall is that was the time when ANN radio at お台場 was moved back to 有楽町.Seemed like the studio was opened to selected listeners. Masha purposely read out this letter in the usual studio so that the selected listeners and those in front of the radio could listen to his letter. That was also the time when 荘口さん resigned from ANN.
I've kept his letter for 10 years! It's amazing! Wanted to translate this quite some time back but kept waiting for the right moment.
Time flies, and it's so fast that at a glance 10 years had gone. I always feel fortunate to be able to grow with Masha and witness how he ages gracefully. And I always tell myself that ましゃのファンになって良かった！
ましゃ、ちょっと早いですけど、４５歳お誕生日おめでとうございます！
Hello, I’m 35 years old Fukuyama Masaharu.
Now at the age of 45, where are you reading this letter? I hope it is this studio at Yuurakucho Nippon Broadcasting, but is it so? Are you feeling nervous? Is it in the late night? Is it in the regular daytime?
Are you still in front of the radio? Though it is still a very new studio now, the booth which a 45 years old you are in, must be filled with strange graffiti and dirt. Then behind the glass, there should be staff whom have gained a bit wrinkles. There must be memorable incidents which happened in these ten years.
Needless to say, the place of the radio booth was chosen as one of the places in part of my life, at the age of 35. In align with your dream as an All Night Nippon personality, 18 years have passed since you left your home town in Nagasaki, desiring ‘something not exist here’ and wanting to go to ‘anywhere apart from here’.
To a 35 years old me, I know the meaning of utopia is ‘there is no such place.’ I also realize the limit ‘anywhere apart from here’.
Even so, the place of my life is ‘anywhere apart from here.’ At my hometown’s horizon, and at the place I am now, I am unable to feel satisfied. My soul is ‘between hope and despair’, ‘between calm and passionate’, ‘between ideal and realistic’. I constantly swing like a pendulum. I always have this dream of ‘not here but where’, and continue to pursue for journey.
Bandelaire*, founder of France modern history said in fear, ‘ To me, the most fearful thing is to live every day.’ He called the dream to travel is ‘To put a seal for pursuit of a nobleness soul’. The people, who lived their lives in such agony, expressed themselves as being ‘poets’.
I am not placing myself on par with the great bard in the past. On similar grounds, it may be my fate having chosen music as my bread and butter job.
Perhaps 45 years old you will especially understand, the place which I most feel at east, is neither my hometown, nor the place I live. It is only the fleeting moment during the travel journey.
As far as I maintain that cumbrance soul, perhaps I will continue to travel till I die in pursuit of ‘anywhere apart from here’, unless I quit music.
Fukuyama Masaharu, 35 years old. I chose ‘the fleeting moment during the travel journey’ as a place in my life. I wish for the best of Mr Fukuyama Masaharu, in 10 years later, to take good care of yourself and your own progression. Yours sincerely.
2004 July 17th Saturday, slightly before 1am
From 35 years old aristocratic bachelor Fukuyama Masaharu
PS. Are you still singing this song now?
(「遠くへ」 was played after Masha read the letter)
*Charles Bandelaire
PS. Ask before you re-post my translation.
=======================================
This was a letter which Masha, at age of 35, wrote to himself of 45 years old during ANN program on 17 July 2004. I cannot recall what was the reason he wrote the letter. But what I can recall is that was the time when ANN radio at お台場 was moved back to 有楽町.Seemed like the studio was opened to selected listeners. Masha purposely read out this letter in the usual studio so that the selected listeners and those in front of the radio could listen to his letter. That was also the time when 荘口さん resigned from ANN.
I've kept his letter for 10 years! It's amazing! Wanted to translate this quite some time back but kept waiting for the right moment.
Time flies, and it's so fast that at a glance 10 years had gone. I always feel fortunate to be able to grow with Masha and witness how he ages gracefully. And I always tell myself that ましゃのファンになって良かった！
ましゃ、ちょっと早いですけど、４５歳お誕生日おめでとうございます！