On May 24, 2024, Satoshi Yamaguchi, drummer (RADWIMPS) and Visiting Researcher at Keio University, gave an inspiring talk to alumni and students of all of SPICE’s 2023–2024 courses in China, Japan, and the United States. This was the first time that a special online session was held for all of SPICE’s courses. Rylan Sekiguchi facilitated the session, and Dr. Makiko Hirata served as an interpreter.

Drummer Satoshi Yamaguchi joined the rock band RADWIMPS as a freshman in college. When he was 20 years old, the band made its major label debut and quickly grew in popularity, earning multiple #1 hits, awards, and recognitions. According to Satoshi, “Everything was smooth sailing.” However, in 2009 Satoshi began to suffer from musicians’ dystonia, a condition that made it increasingly difficult for him to play the drums. According to Satoshi, “in 2015, in the middle of creating music for the megahit anime movie Your Name that would catapult RADWIMPS to worldwide fame, I made the difficult decision to leave the band on an indefinite hiatus. It was an extremely emotional and painful time for me.” Today Satoshi is a small business owner in a town called Hayama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan—growing rice and running an ice cream factory—and is also a Visiting Researcher at Keio University, where he conducts research on musicians’ dystonia with Dr. Shinya Fujii, Director of Neuromusiclab at Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus. He is also collaborating with Dr. Takako Fujioka, Professor of Music at Stanford University, who is a neuroscientist investigating brain functions related to music. Together they work on a research project that focuses on physical and psychological health issues in drummers in the United States. Satoshi hopes to understand his condition better and eventually return to the stage.

In the special online session, Satoshi shared his unique life experiences—both successes and setbacks—and how they have shaped his attitude and perspectives on life. In his opening comments, he noted, “I would be very happy if I could share with you some insights that I have gained through my experiences and words that have supported me during difficult times, and if they could provide some hints for your future life.” As students and alumni of SPICE’s courses reflected upon his talk, multiple insights that he shared especially stood out and are important lessons for youth. These insights are shared below through eight excerpts from his talk.

First, while reflecting on his youth, Satoshi noted,

Not long before I joined RADWIMPS, when I was in high school, I formed a metal rock band with my music-loving friends in my hometown of Yokohama and played the drums. I was so busy with my band and part-time job that I didn’t study much, especially English, which I was very bad at. It is hard to believe that I am speaking in English in front of you today.

Satoshi’s presentation in English to the biggest audience of students SPICE has ever convened was an inspiration for students who are studying English in Japan and China, and English language learners in the United States.

Second, while reflecting upon a band competition as a high school student, he noted,

… our [metal rock] band’s goal was to participate in a national high school music festival held once a year at Yokohama Arena! How fascinating to have the chance to perform on a stage big enough to hold 10,000 people, isn’t it? Of course, the auditions were tough, and we were unsuccessful in our first and second years, but in our third year, we finally made it to the finals. On the day of the show, we were full of confidence. After successfully completing our performance as the first band, we listened to our rivals, saying “None of the other bands were that good.” However, when I heard the last band’s song, I was shocked beyond belief. It was RADWIMPS. Some of the lyrics of one of their songs made me think that someone else seemed to know my heart better than I. RADWIMPS won the competition, my band lost.

Satoshi ended this segment of his talk by noting that “Perhaps the day will come when your biggest rival today will become your best friend.” This statement really seemed to have resonated in students, as they all knew that Satoshi eventually joined RADWIMPS.

Third, Satoshi reflected upon a life-long lesson that he learned from one of his fellow RADWIMPS band members. Satoshi recalled,

Toward the end of my first year of college, my [metal rock] band broke up and RADWIMPS was looking for a new drummer, which led to me joining. We were creating new songs, but at the time I could only hit a simple 8-note beat, which is often played in rock music. One day, Yojiro, the songwriter, said to me, “Satoshi, you are not allowed to play an 8-note beat without a reason.” When I was confused, he said, “We are going to make music that has never been made before. We are aiming for a future where a genre called RADWIMPS will be born, just like rock, pop, and jazz. To do that, you can’t just play the beats that have been around before, can you? You have to pursue your own new beat.” At another time, he said, “Your children and grandchildren will one day listen to the beats you play. Are you sure that’s the best beat?” It is embarrassing to look back now, but at the time I did not have his kind of vision at all.

Throughout his talk, Satoshi underscored the importance of creativity. I believe that his statement, “You have to pursue your own new beat,” has remained in the minds of many students. Another insight that he shared was that “Out of limitations come innovations. Being forbidden to play the 8-note beat, which I was most familiar with, allowed me to use my imagination, which had been dormant inside me, to ask, ‘What can I do then?’” One beat that was created at that time became the basis for the theme song of Your Name.

Fourth, while Satoshi openly shared his experience with musicians’ dystonia, I witnessed the very serious looks on the faces of the students and alumni. He reflected,

… when I was 24 years old, my right foot suddenly stopped moving while playing the drums. This was a symptom called musicians’ dystonia, as I later found out. The bass drum, played with the right foot, is the foundation of music. The dystonia made it impossible for me to express myself musically as I had imagined. For the next six years, I continued to perform, trying to do the best I could. However, the symptoms gradually became worse, eventually spreading to my left foot, and I no longer found pleasure in playing music. Then in 2015, I made the decision to give up being the drummer of my favorite band in the world and take an indefinite hiatus. It was one of the heaviest and most painful moments of my life.

I am confident that Satoshi’s reflections prompted many students to think about the “heaviest and most painful moments” in their lives and ask themselves, “What can we learn from these moments, and how can we use these lessons as we go through our lives?”

Fifth, Satoshi reflected upon the continued success of RADWIMPS and noted,

When I was exhausted both mentally and physically, I came across this town, Hayama…[with a view of] Mt. Fuji over the sea. When I saw this scenery, for the first time in a long time, I felt a sincere emotion. I loved the state of mind I was in when I was looking at this mountain. I felt that this town was calling me. Trusting this intuition, I decided to move to Hayama with my family. Shortly after I started living in Hayama, I encountered these rice terraces… as I deepened my relationships with local farmers, I learned that rice terraces were facing a number of difficulties and their survival was at risk. I began to wonder if I could do something about this place that had saved my life.

Hayama’s rice terraces are visited by Silicon Valley Keio International Program (SKIP), an international exchange program between Keio and Stanford students. Through such programs, Satoshi is giving back to his community by “respecting tradition while innovating it,” and Satoshi hopes that all students will consider this as well for communities that have made a difference in their lives.

Sixth, 20 years later, RADWIMPS has become one of Japan’s leading bands, and Satoshi commented that “my three sons sing our songs every day! I am now once again feeling the amazing power of having a vision.” Satoshi urged the audience to “imagine what the future looks like, and then truly believe that it can be realized,” which is such a powerful message for youth. Also, about half a year into his farming life, the film Your Name was released in September 2016. Satoshi was impressed with the film but felt that,

… the whole world was telling me, “You made the wrong choice.” And I couldn’t even listen to the past songs of RADWIMPS anymore. I was also disappointed in myself for not being able to honestly be happy about the success of a band without me. But it was also music that saved me from such feelings…. If success is all there is to life, then it might mean that I, who could not share in the worldwide success of Your Name, would be unhappy for the rest of my life. But is that really true? There might be other ways to find happiness. That’s how I came to think of it.

Following this reflection, Satoshi decided to seek his “own kind of honest enjoyment” and encourages students to seek theirs as well.

Seventh, during a recent research visit to Stanford University, he was introduced to Stanford Taiko through a student whom he met through SKIP, and also met Roy and PJ Hirabayashi, founding directors of San Jose Taiko. Sekiguchi, who moderated the seminar by Satoshi, used to be a performer with both Stanford Taiko and San Jose Taiko. Reflecting on a San Jose Taiko performance, Satoshi stated,

I have seen many shows in my life, but this was the first time I had ever seen an encore that not only involved all of the performers but the audience as well dancing in a circle. It made me rethink the essence of what music is. And as I played with people who truly love taiko and music, I gradually remembered the joy of playing instruments. After all, I want to play drums again… [While observing taiko and talking with PJ, Satoshi realized that] It is ‘using the voice to make the real bass drum sound.’ It happened while I was learning a new beat for taiko. In the taiko community, there is no musical score, and rhythmic patterns are taught orally.

He commented to students that “singing and the voice are the most fundamental instruments that humans have,” and that “other instruments are an extension of them.” He is currently working on the research and development of a new instrument using the voice. He believes that he will find his own “new sound” and the day will come when he will once again stand on stage as the drummer of RADWIMPS.

Eighth, Satoshi concluded his talk with two reflections on his life. The first was “Difficulties can be a catalyst to create new value.” He stated, “In life, difficulties are inevitable… No one in this world can live alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Likewise, if someone asks you for advice, please listen intently with the attitude, ‘What can I do for you?’” The second was “What has been does not determine what will be, but what will be gives meaning to what has been.” He stated, “In the future, when you are choosing a career path, a place of employment, or anything else, you may be wondering, ‘Is this really the right choice?’ Or, after you have made your choice, you may feel that ‘This is not how it was supposed to be.’ I believe that the important thing is not what you choose, but what you do after you choose. I was on the verge of great global success but was unable to witness it. But I have been valuing what I enjoy, what I like, what I want to do, and as a result, I am living very happily now. If you ever lose your way in the future, I would be happy [if you] remember that there is someone living life like this.”

SPICE is grateful to Sabrina Ishimatsu for organizing this special online session. SPICE hopes to feature another musician in a second special online session in 2025.

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