"Any situation where there is no music? Iya, to explain, it is not unusual. Most of the time when working, I am surrounded by music, but I am conscious of situations and times when there is no sound as I try to compose and put it down."

As each question is raised, he answers in a calm tone of voice and with a calm expression, bringing out the importance of each word.

"My own way of handling music, it is heard by others, but what do I think of it...
When I think about it, it is to express completely the shape of the music one perceives.
Music is an exit-door for my heart, it is a main gate for me. So, I don't want this feeling to be taken away. "

As a student, upon returning home, Inaba-san would say to himself, "I will continue to listen to music earnestly." In university, he studied to become a mathematics teacher, but discovered that the atmosphere of the staff room did not agree with him. He had second thoughts about the route he had chosen, and disliked the exclusion of music from the balance of things. At 24, Inaba-san made his debut as part of B'z, who have since released hit song after hit song to the world for 15 years. About 7 years ago, "Inaba Koshi" began his solo activities.

"When composing melodies, discoveries are constantly made during casual moments. When walking the dog, when bathing, when preparing to sleep, the moment compels. (laughs)
Difficulties with lyrics? U~n, yes that's so... For example, "wait, the language of rock," is like a rule of sorts, and to be as free as possible, you have to think about it. "

In one of the recorded songs, "I'm on Fire," the phrase "At the thought of you, my breath seems to stop" is sung with passionate love.

"To express the reality of the uplifting feelings inside, that are not visible from the outside~~. How to show this state, describe these circumstances? Well, I tried expressing it with passionate lyrics in a quiet ballad."

At first glance, Inaba-san is cool and speaks lightly. But from his works and from his singing, it can be seen that behind the exterior is concealed a a great passion. This song, "I'm on Fire," not so few people feel this completely represents Inaba-san himself.

"One can say, that when you love someone, something valuable to your companion, for the sake of your companion, becomes valuable to you. As to behavior, what your companion thinks becomes very important to you. "

Family, friends, lovers~~~. Certainly, the feeling when you think about the people you love makes a person strong.

"One has the feeling it's not complete if there is no hurt at all. So, it's completely unreasonable. When you're worried about it you hurt them, and by repeating this, the distress of hurt, finally you will meet your real partner."

(Stiltzkin explains the gist of this tough sentence: He's talking about finding a good lover, and how only through repeated worrying and confiding, etc. can you find the one that's right for you, while the others are driven away, etc)

Even when he's wounded/hurt, he's still thinking of someone. This kind of attitude of the heart is unmistakably created by Koshi. We would like to ask more about another side of him. For example, what kinds of hobbies does he have?

That's not to be left out (laughs). In the past, if I was asked, what's your hobby, or what are things do you like at the moment, I felt very troubled, I felt like I was dragging down the tension (laughs). Now, I ride (motor)bikes, so I can talk about hobbies that should be a hobby. The feel of the wind as you ride towards a finishing point, riding 1000km with the wind, the movement of the bike; the feeling is so different.
Then, the sense of danger is also a charm.

Then, if you could be born again, what are your thoughts on being a motorcycle racer?

"Ah, that is good. If you think about it, all craftsmen, so to speak, are kakkoii. So, if my origin was different, and next time I don't do music, instead I will be a really cool carpenter. I think as long as you get to keep using your hands, life is good."

But, in this life, the decision to "keep making music" has already been made.

"In the past, I used to say, 'I would like to continue to do this until 50 years old.' However, recently I've been thinking otherwise. If you do it properly now, at 50 years old, the result is that one will naturally still be continuing to make music. This is what I think."

Owari~