Fujii Fumiya: I believe that the music I create will be the same whether I release it 10 years ago or later.

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Artist: Fujii Fumiya
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture on July 11, 1962, he debuted in 1983 with the band "Checkers." In 1993, his first solo single, "TRUELOVE," sold over two million copies. He has expanded his activities beyond music to include art, and in 2005, he served as the general producer of the Nagoya Pavilion at the Aichi World Expo, producing the world's largest Man'yoshu key, "Tower of the Earth." In 2008, to mark the milestone of his 25th anniversary since his debut, he reunited with his younger brother, Naoshi, as the brothers' duo "EBLOOD," after a 10-year hiatus. Their second original album, "Ants," was released on January 23rd. A long-awaited anniversary best-of album is scheduled for release in late May.

The reason for his debut and his thoughts on his wide range of activities

First of all, please tell us what inspired you to start making music and how you made your debut.
"At the time, there was a band called Carol, which was formed by Eikichi Yazawa, and when I heard their music, I wanted to try it myself, so I formed my first band in my first year of junior high school. At the time, there were only two or three people in my grade who owned an electric guitar, and just having one made you seem like a delinquent. I made my debut after winning an amateur band competition with a band called The Checkers, and I ended up becoming a super idol, which was something I hadn't even expected. Even back then, I didn't have any ambitions to "reach the top." I wanted to go to Tokyo to go to university, but I was a bit of a delinquent, and the people around me weren't studying, so I stopped studying too and got a job in my hometown. However, my girlfriend at the time was a good student, so I decided to go to college.
After moving to Kyoto, I started going to Tokyo for fun, saw the city, and decided that I wanted to live in Tokyo. Nowadays, Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Osaka aren't that different, but back then, logistics and information were completely different. That's why I wanted to go to Tokyo. I also wanted an opportunity to go to Tokyo. I didn't want to focus solely on music, but I was hoping that I could make my debut there.
So I decided to go to Tokyo. Looking back, I think it was the power of youth. After my debut, I was so popular that I didn't think about changing my path."

Not only has he provided music for a wide range of works, including Disney's Hercules, TV dramas, and commercials, but he is also active as a voice actor and actor, and has held solo exhibitions.
"I basically do anything. Right now, what I want to do is write a book. I want to write a novel. I don't watch movies that much, but I read a lot of books. Books, like movies,
You don't have to set aside a large amount of time, it fits in your bag, and you can read it anywhere without having to decide on a specific place."

Depending on the times and the music you want to make, the music you create and the way you sing may change slightly, but on the other hand, is there anything about your sound that remains the same?

"I believe that the music I create will be the same whether it was released 10 years ago or 10 years from now. In the music industry, the software and hardware used for production have changed, but the finished products haven't changed much, and in fact there isn't that much that's brand new."

When you create music, how do you create it?
"There are roughly two types of creative methods. There are those who create while drinking in their free time, and those who concentrate and say, 'Okay, let's create!' I'm the latter type, and I can't create without a time limit. I feel that 'all works are created by a time limit,' and that's true for any job. For me, the best place to create is a hotel. Because the phone doesn't ring and my work doesn't stop halfway through. When my work stops, my thoughts stop too, so I prefer to be alone, in a clean environment, and I turn off my cell phone unless I'm making a call myself."

What does singing mean to you, Fujii-san?
"It's work. I don't even hum when I sing at home. I don't use my voice outside of work."

If you weren't a musician, what do you think you'd be doing?
"I think being a musician is a job that allows you to make your dreams come true. I never had a vision of myself becoming a salaryman and working for a company. But if I hadn't become a musician, I would have ended up working in design administration, since I had always wanted to be a creator.
I think I would have gone to work at a company and gotten a job. But I wanted to go to university."

Advice from Fujii Fumiya to university students
What advice would you give to students in their late teens and early twenties?
"Studying is a student's main job, so I want them to study. If they study hard as students, I feel they will be able to absorb anything, even if it's not relevant to their studies in society. They probably don't mind reading books, reading, or writing. They seem to know a lot about things and have a desire for knowledge. It's good to decide early on what you want to be. Because you're studying for that, it's okay if it doesn't go exactly as you planned, and it's okay if it veers off into something else. If you have one dream and pursue it, you can become something related to it. Even if you can't become a musician, you could become a backing musician, or a producer or someone at a record company. It's good to think about what you love and have a desire to learn. It's true that "if you love something, you become good at it." When I don't want to think about anything, I watch parade shows. If you write or write lyrics, even if you read magazines or books, you still have some work coming in. Your antenna is always on.

Please give us a message for the students.
"Have a dream. Humans always have two choices. If you choose A or B and move forward, two more options will appear. At times like these, you need a guidepost. If you're unsure, just ask someone. Even if you ask, the final decision is yours, but you always need a dream to guide you."

Student Newspaper, June 2008