DIRECT TALK(VISION VIBES)

Draft transcript

Alex Steullet / Host:

I'm Alex Steullet and this is Vision Vibes: The podcast that hopes to give you inspiration and tools to live a more satisfying life. This story was originally broadcast on television as part of the interview series Direct Talk. If you enjoy listening, you can head to the NHK WORLD website to watch. You'll find interviews with people from all walks of life.

One of the problems we face when trying to keep up with the news is that the information we receive doesn't always paint a good human picture. We're bombarded with casualty numbers, global politics, troop movements, and the occasional human interest story. We’re only told either what’s terrible or what’s incredible; not much about the actual lives of the people involved.

As a result, we come to see the people in the news as two-dimensional characters in a three-dimensional world. We try to understand what's happening to them without understanding them.

Today's guest helped me see the people of Ukraine in a bright new light. Tempei Nakamura is a professional pianist and composer who would often play concerts in Ukraine before the war. He fell in love with the people and the culture, and is heartbroken by the ongoing conflict.

Together, I'd like to explore how the Ukrainian people feel about music, and what good a musician can do in a world of missiles and tanks. Let's join narrator Lae and dive into today's episode of Vision Vibes.

Lae / Narrator:

One Japanese musician has the ears of many Ukrainians.

Nakamura Tempei is a Japanese pianist, based in Europe and the United States.

He's given performances in countries around the globe, but Ukraine is by far his favorite.

Sound of piano:

Nakamura Tempei:

The joy Ukrainians feel toward music, and how they express that emotion, that joy, is so very passionate. It was the kind of fervor that I had long been searching for. And... I fell in love... with Ukraine.

Lae / Narrator:

Tempei tickles the ivories with memories of Ukraine and world peace never far from his mind.

Sound of piano and clapping:

Lae / Narrator:

Nakamura Tempei made his professional debut in 2008 and has been touring the world ever since.

He doesn't just perform indoors, but busks on his electric keys whenever and wherever he can.

Sound of piano:

Lae / Narrator:

He also composes. To date, he has penned more than 100 compositions, but only one bears the name of a nation - Ukrainian Fantasy.

He wrote it after his first visit to the country in 2010, and he visited Ukraine annually until the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Tempei has traveled the world, but Ukraine holds a unique fascination for him.

Sound of piano:

Nakamura Tempei:

Ukraine was one country that was under my radar. I got the feeling I would experience things I'd never experienced before and see things that were out of the ordinary for me, so I was excited about visiting the country.

The moment I landed the scenery before my eyes was amazing, something I had never seen before. That got my pulse racing.

One thing I felt that was different there to the rest of Europe... was the joy Ukrainians feel towards music, and how they express that emotion, that joy, is so very passionate. It's like a mass of passion.

They seriously listen to music. I mean... It's the kind of fervor that I was searching for. The kind of emotion I was searching for. This... made me fall ... in love with Ukraine... and... from there I was touring, almost every year.

Sound of clapping:

Nakamura Tempei(in Ukrainian):

Good evening. How is everyone? I am Nakamura Tempei. Thank you.

Sound of clapping:

Sound of piano:

Voice of television interviewer:

Why do you like to come back actually to our country and perform here again?

Nakamura Tempei:

Okay. I think, Ukraine has so many good culture especially for music and there are so many talented musicians. I am inspired many musicians from Ukraine, and I like Ukraine and Ukrainian people, that's why people are very pure and modest, and this sense is little bit similar and common with Japanese people.

Lae / Narrator:

The pandemic curtailed Tempei's visits to Ukraine. And his disappointment at being unable to play there was exacerbated by the Russian invasion. Not a day goes by without him thinking about the country and people he loves.

Nakamura Tempei:

I never imagined it would come to war. I felt a deep sense of despair... when the war began. It wasn't something happening in some far-flung country. It was a place where... all my good friends actually live.

Every day, I see tragic videos and photos posted by my Ukrainian friends on social media. It's surreal, but these are people I know and these are places I've been, you know? Part of me feels it's surreal; part of me is sad that these places are being destroyed. It's more than me being sad; it's obvious that they are going through a tough time. There, I stopped to think about what I could do for them, and I began a campaign by uploading videos in support of Ukraine and called for donations to their cause.

And that's the best I can do, right? I can't just jump on a plane to help them. Even if I did just turn up now, I'd be in the way. The only avenue available to me right now to support them is through my music.

Lae / Narrator:

Tempei uploads his past performances and streams live on his YouTube channel, calling for donations for the war in Ukraine. He had collected over 10,000 U.S. dollars, in less than six months.

An event that occurred when Tempei was a child also motivates him in his charity.

Sound of clapping:

Tempei began learning the piano from the age of five, but quit when he was in junior high school. Then disaster hit.

The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake with its epicenter just south of Kobe struck in the early morning of January 17, 1995.

The family was asleep on the ground level of their home. The house around them collapsed, but their lives were miraculously saved by the piano Tempei played.

After many years without touching one, he took the piano up again at 18 with an interest in progressive rock. He entered a music school, then went on to major in classical piano at a university of arts. Upon graduation, he made his debut as a solo pianist.

Nakamura Tempei:

The fact that I was a victim of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, of course, has a lot to do with it. Therefore, if there are people in need, I have a strong desire to help them out however I can. You also had the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. Now, it's the people of Ukraine. And I can't just sit back and watch.

They are... proud to be Ukrainian,... but... at the same time they feel an inferiority that might stem from their oppression. That's who they are. And when I play one of their Ukrainian songs or greet them in their own tongue, they are very grateful. Their applause is thunderous,... full of joy,... and at times everyone in the concert hall will start singing.

Sound of piano:

Nakamura Tempei:

I have benefited so much from knowing Ukrainians. And it's because I have benefited, that I probably would not forgive myself if I didn’t do anything. It goes without saying that I'll reach out and lend them a hand. They have helped me so much.

Sound of piano:

Sound of clapping:

Sound of piano:

Lae / Narrator:

June 2022. With the continuing unrest, Tempei could not see himself visiting his beloved Ukraine. So, in lieu, he performed at Kumano Hongu Taisha, a grand Shinto shrine in his native Japan, where he dedicated his tune, Spiritual Road, to the deities in prayer for peace in Ukraine.

Sound of piano:

Nakamura Tempei:

Many people have lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic. People have even committed suicide. And now you have many lives being lost in Ukraine. I cannot save lives through my music, but I can soothe their souls. I want to... save lives... soothe souls... as many as I can, so I choose "life."

Sound of piano:

Alex Steullet / Host:

As his message to the world, Tempei wrote "Inochi," the Japanese word for life, or life force. He reminds us that living is about more than being alive--that every soul has a yearning for beauty and connection.

Before the war and the pandemic, Tempei was a merchant of beauty. He would bring the gift of music to the people of Ukraine. He connected with them not with words, but spiritually through his melodies.

I was particularly moved by his description of the reactions of his Ukrainian audience. Their excitement, their joy and love. When at his recital, the audience joined in and sang the words to the song he was playing, I could feel their passion. For a few moments, I felt connected to them as well.

If you have the time, I encourage you to listen to Tempei's music. You'll understand more about him than I could possibly describe with words. Through his expression, you may even begin to understand a new dimension of Ukraine and its people. I certainly did.

That's it for today's episode. Thank you for listening. You can find the transcript, as well as our other stories, on the NHK WORLD website. I've been Alex Steullet, join us next time for more mind-expanding insights from inspiring people on Vision Vibes.