Naoto Inti Raymi My dream will never give up. I will keep moving and I will definitely catch it.

<Profile>

ナオト・インティライミ

Born in Mie Prefecture and raised in Chiba Prefecture. Traveled alone to 66 countries around the world, performing live in each location. Made his major debut in 2010. In 2012, he made his first appearance on the NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen. At the end of 2018, he held his first dome concert in about three years at Nagoya Dome. Starting in September 2019, he embarked on a nationwide hall tour of 31 shows.

After his major debut, Naoto Inti-Raymi traveled alone, visiting 28 countries around the world, during which time he spoke with Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat and was scouted by a professional soccer player in Egypt. He has had many different experiences and is now known as an artist who can fill up domes. We asked him about his student days and his message to the younger generation.

A fulfilling university life

　My four years at university were incredibly fulfilling. From the time I enrolled until I graduated, I was just as busy as I am now. I think those were four years where I gave 120% to music, soccer, studying, and playing. I lived life to the fullest, and I was building the foundation for what I am today.

　From elementary school to high school, I had people around me who supported me, I was on a path, and I was given things to do. But when I entered university, I felt like it was a completely individual game.

　No one told me that, but I guess I just felt that way. If I worked hard and something started to move forward, it was all thanks to me, but if nothing happened and I wasn't fulfilled, that was also my fault. I thought my future would be decided during my time at university, so I worked hard from the time of my entrance ceremony. I made music friends, wrote my own songs, and sold tapes with my songs on them. I made tapes with 15 songs for 300 yen. When I let people listen to them, they thought, "This is great, huh? 300 yen? That's cheap, I'll buy it," and I sold 300 copies at cherry blossom viewing parties, welcome parties, and parties. I had the feeling that something had started from here.

Dreams never give up. Dreams come true.

　This is what you might call unfounded confidence, but ever since I was a student, I have always believed that I would never give up on my dreams and that they would definitely come true.

　However, I did have a breakdown once. I debuted with Sony when I was a senior in college and released one album, but it didn't sell at all and the agency went bankrupt. I holed myself up in my house alone for eight months. But I had a dream of going on a world tour. I thought, "This is how it is now, but I'll be able to smile in 10 years." Because I had that dream, I grabbed all my savings and went overseas. I think that experience was useful when I made my major debut again.

When making music

　Basically, I have my antennae up 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and if I think a word is interesting or a word pops into my head, I make a note of it, and if a melody pops into my head, I record it in a voice memo. Thanks to all my experiences, I'm overflowing with ideas to the point of being saturated, and I don't have the time to do it all.

　Since I started working with people overseas, I've recently adopted the overseas method of creating something from scratch and recording vocals on the spot. It's a difficult method, but at my age and with all the experience I've gained, I've realized that it actually suits me. I do that more often now. I go into the studio with my co-arranger and we go from nothing to recording vocals in one day.

What I want college students to imagine

　For example, if you start thinking about what you want to do in the fall of your third year of university, when you've put on a suit and are looking for a job, I think it's overwhelmingly too late. The fall of your third year of university will come before you know it, and while some people start moving during that time, most people don't realize it and only start facing themselves once they start going to information sessions. In the end, only a handful of people get into their first choice company. I think it's a waste of a life to just get a job and go through the motions of everyday life. I want you to start moving for yourself, starting today.

　I also want today's younger generation to think about how they interact with their cell phones. I think this is an area where it will make a huge difference. I read a newspaper article that said people spend six to seven hours a day on their cell phones, but if you do the math, that means they spend three months of the year looking down. Without a will of their own, they'll just mindlessly surf the internet, look at other people's Instagram photos that have nothing to do with what they want to do, and waste time on useless information. What would it be like if you spent 20 of those years looking down, assuming you live to be 80 years old? If you look down, you might be able to see the shooting star in someone else's video, but you'll never be able to reach that irreplaceable shooting star of your own.

　We can cut the time we spend fiddling with our phones in half. For example, if we take our phone out of our pockets out of habit for 10 minutes while waiting for a train or 30 seconds while waiting at a traffic light, there's no intention behind it. If we don't do that, it can be a time to reflect on our past, present, and future, or a wonderful time to think about someone, wondering what they're up to or missing them. But swiping through photos of someone we don't even know well going out somewhere or eating ramen won't get us any closer to what we want to do, or to living a happy, fulfilling life. I think it's incredibly important to be able to use our tools with our own will, without being controlled by our phone.

From the October 31, 2019 issue of the Student Newspaper (Yuki Kayanuma, 10st year student at Toyo University)

Photo by professional photographer Seita Hirota

<English article>

Naoto Inti Raymi 

My dream will never break. I'll keep moving and always catch it. 

■Profile:

Born in Mie Prefecture and raised in Chiba Prefecture. He has traveled to 66 countries worldwide and performed LIVE in various locations. In 2010, he made his major label debut. 

In 2012, he first appeared on the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen. 

At the end of 2018, they held their first dome concert in about three years at Nagoya Dome; from September 2019, he will start a 31-show hall tour across Japan. 

After his major debut, Naoto Inti Raymi traveled alone to 28 countries around the world, and on the way, he met Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and was scouted by professional footballers in Egypt. We interviewed Naoto Inti Raymi about his time as a student and his message to the younger generation. 

Fulfilling university life 

 My four years at university were extremely fulfilling. From enrollment to graduation, I was as busy as I am now. It was four years of music, football, studying, and hanging out, and I gave 120% effort to them. I was rushing to live hard, I mean I was creating the foundations for what I am doing now. 

 From elementary school to high school, I had people around me who supported me, rails were laid down, and I was given things to do. But once I entered university, I thought it was an individual game. 

 No one told me that, but I guess I felt it myself. When you work hard and something starts to happen, it's because of you, and if nothing happens and you're not fulfilled, that's also because of you. I thought my future would be decided during my time at university, so I was moving hard from the first day of school. I made musical friends, wrote my songs, and sold tapes with my songs on them. They were 300 yen for a tape with 15 songs on it. I played it to people, and they said, 'That's good, this is good, eh, 300 yen? That's cheap, I'll buy it then, so I sold 300 tapes at Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties, newcomers' parties, and composers' parties. I had the feeling that something started here. 

■Dreams don't break. Dreams do come true. 

 Since I was a student, I have believed that my dreams would never break and always come true, although this is a kind of baseless confidence. 

 However, my heart broke once. In my fourth year at university, I debuted with Sony and released one album, but it didn't sell at all, and the agency closed down. I was shut up in a house alone for eight months. But I had a dream of doing a world tour. I thought, 'This is what I'm like now, but if I'm smiling after ten years, it'll be good.' Because of that dream, I grabbed all my money and went abroad. I think that experience also helped me when I made my Major debut again. 

■When making music 

 Basically, I keep my antennae up for 24 hours, 365 days, and when a word comes to mind, such as this interesting word, I make a note of it, and when a melody pops into my head, I put it into a voice memo, as if it were a habit. Because of all my experiences, I'm so overflowing with ideas that I'm saturated with them, and I don't have time to do them. 

 Since I started working with people from overseas, I've recently adopted the overseas way of doing things, like creating something from scratch and adding songs on the spot. It's a difficult method, but I've had much experience at my age and realized that I'm suited to it. I do it that way more now. I go into a workshop with a co-arranger and we go from nothing to singing in one day. 

■What I want university students to imagine

 For example, if you put on a suit in the autumn of your third year of university, start job, and start thinking about what you want to do in a hurry, I think it would be too late. Autumn in the third year of university comes quickly, and while some people start moving during that time, most of them don't realize quite it and only begin facing themselves when they start hunting to job fairs. Eventually, only very few get accepted at their first choice of company. I think it would be a waste of a life where you just get a job and go about your day by day. I want you to start working for yourself today. 

 I also want the younger generation to consider how to deal with mobile phones. A newspaper article said they spend six to seven hours a day on their mobile phones, meaning they spend three months of the year looking down. If you don't have a strong will, you're kind of surfing the internet, looking at someone else's Instagram photos that have nothing to do with what you want to do, and spending time on useless information. If you live for 80 years, what would it be like to look down for a whole 20 years? If you look down, you may see a shooting star in someone else's video, but you will never reach that shooting star of yours, an irreplaceable shooting star. 

 You can reduce the time you spend on your mobile phone by half. For example, if you take your phone out of your pocket as a habit, just for 10 minutes waiting for a train or 30 seconds at a traffic light, there is no will. If you don't do that, it can be a time to think about your past, present, and future, or it can be an excellent time to wonder what the guy is doing or to think about someone you would like to see for a moment. But swiping through photos of someone you don't know well visiting somewhere or swiping through pictures of ramen noodles is not one step closer to what you want to do, to a happy and fulfilling life for yourself. I think it's crucial to be able to use tools with your own will and not be controlled by your mobile phone. 

In charge of translation：INTERNATIONAL CHISTIAN UNAIVERSITY Mai Wako

Translated by Mai Wakao, a first-year student at International Christian University