2019-12-31
The program “Hibari Misora Sings a New Song,” which I introduced the other day, will also be broadcast during tonight’s NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
It is an attempt to recreate Hibari Misora’s singing voice perfectly through AI and have her sing a new song titled “Arekara.”
What this undertaking reveals is the greatness of Japanese people, both men and women, who fulfil their proper duties in their respective fields.
The Yamaha engineers brilliantly reproduced Hibari Misora’s vocalization, yet everyone pointed out that the singing voice they believed they had perfectly reproduced on a computer was different from her actual voice.
The Yamaha engineers therefore sought the cooperation of Professor Shinji Yamada’s laboratory at the Kanazawa Institute of Technology to analyze Hibari Misora’s vocalization.
She had used a complex vocal technique with features in common with the traditional singing methods of the Mongolian people.
The other day, when the morning had been pleasantly clear, I suddenly felt like visiting Mount Hiei for the first time in a long while.
As usual, my route was Hieizan-Sakamoto Station, Cable Sakamoto Station, and then Mount Hiei.
As you know, the National Treasure Konpon Chūdō was undergoing restoration work, but it was still possible to enter.
Displayed above the corridor on the return route are the following words of Saichō.
The Admonitions of Dengyō Daishi
What is a national treasure?
Treasure is the aspiration to follow the Way.
A person who possesses that aspiration is called a national treasure.
Illuminate one corner.
This itself is a national treasure.
Every person who participated in the undertaking described at the beginning is therefore a national treasure.
At the exact opposite extreme are the people who control the news departments of television stations and the commentators who appear on wide shows.
They are the opposite of national treasures; they are the nation’s junk.
That is why the only thing they can do is harm the country.
For example, there are many female commentators—their number is the highest in the world.
They receive appearance fees so enormous that ordinary workers cannot even imagine them.
They read the Asahi Shimbun provided in their dressing rooms and comment exactly as the program producers intend.
They receive enormous appearance fees simply for doing that.
Despite this, they comment that women are discriminated against in Japan.
They comment that Japanese women are not happy.
They read the Asahi Shimbun provided in their dressing rooms and comment exactly as the program producers intend.
They receive enormous appearance fees simply for doing that.
One entertainer whose name is known throughout the world commented himself, “I have earned fifty billion yen so far.”
It is inconceivable that these people read the monthly magazines and other publications to which I continually refer.
In other words, without knowing the truth at all, they make foolish and shallow political comments in accordance with the wishes of the television stations.
That is because the television stations provide them with enormous appearance fees.
For example, they accept the truly foolish criticism of the Cherry Blossom Viewing Party, made in step with the opposition parties, as entirely correct and criticize Prime Minister Abe without the slightest doubt.
People like them are the very embodiment of “one general achieves success while the nation perishes.”
People of such a level receive extraordinarily high appearance fees that ordinary workers find impossible to believe.
To be continued.