Nobuyasu Okabayashi, "Friend", 1969

Nobuyasu Okabayashi, "Friend", 1969

In 1969, Japan's entire society was shaken by the effects of the Vietnam War and the escalation of university conflicts. The baby-boom generation was just coming of age, and was strongly inhaling the atmosphere of the times, which was a mixture of distrust of the state, anti-war consciousness, and ideals for social change. Nobuyasu Okabayashi emerged from the underground cultural sphere of Kyoto, distancing himself from commercialism and capturing in his songs the buzz of the city and the struggles of its youth. Tomoyo" is a symbolic work of this style. Based on a call to fellowship, the song was sung spontaneously at the scene of the student movement and served as a ritual to confirm solidarity during barricades and marches. It was a song for sharing the determination to act together despite doubts about state power and fears about the future. For the youth of that time, music was not a background, but a living expression linked to action and thought, and "Tomoyo" was at the
center of this expression. It is still passed down today not only because it is a symbolic document of the times, but also because it bears the memory of the solidarity and hope of the young people.