GOICHI

About GOICHI

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“He is originally from somewhere north, where it snows a lot.”

Even though Goichi, more than once, had told me that he was from Kanagawa, a prefecture next to Tokyo, I somehow used to keep changing his hometown in my head until recently. It’s not the way he dresses himself. He wears the clear atmosphere of northern people tightly on him. From the way he talks, laughs, and looks, I automatically rewrite his hometown as a snowy region where, for me somehow, people are shy but have strong will.
Although I cannot remember exactly when was the first time I saw his performance, it must be Oppe in Saitama where I saw him almost every time I go. Kinn, the only dweller and the manager of the place, an old friend of Goichi, suggested and encouraged him to perform live. As an artist himself, Kinn has organized events and festivals at Oppe, where I used to enjoy Goichi’s performance and talking with him. Goichi becomes a trickster around the fire pit.
Finally, at last, let me briefly talk about his music. He sings about the world that he sees through the eye of “boku.” In Japanese language, we have many terms to mean “I” with slight differences. In my impression, “boku” sounds humble, hesitated sometimes, naïve, and pure. He sings in a size of his life and expresses at a universal level. His songs are strong because of the lack of self-confidence, I feel. Because I can see hope from his voice.
I like the way he orders strong liquor after his performance, thinking like “Uh, I was terrible…” and the way he talks back with surprise and doubt to some people who compliment him and asks him for his CD.