Asian Kung-Fu Generation
(stylized in all caps) is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Yokohama in 1996. For its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotoh, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada (musician), Takahiro Yamada, and dr ...
's fifth studio album, ''
Surf Bungaku Kamakura
is the fifth studio album released by the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation, released on November 5, 2008. The album peaked at the second position on both the Oricon charts and ''Billboard Japan''. Its lead single, " Fujisawa Loser" m ...
'', released on October 15, 2008. The single's
b-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
is a cover song from American rock band
The Rentals
The Rentals is an American rock band fronted by vocalist Matt Sharp. Sharp has been the only consistent member since the group's inception. The band's best selling single is "Friends of P." (1995). The Rentals released two albums, ''Return of t ...
.
Music video
The music video for "Fujisawa Loser" was directed by Naoto Nakanishi. It received a nomination for best Conceptual Video at the 2009
SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards
Space Shower Music Awards (formerly Space Shower Music Video Awards) are an annual set of music awards sponsored by Japanese Space Shower TV. The prizes have been awarded since 1996.
Winners in main categories
Best Video of the Year
Best ...
. The highly conceptual PV explores the thoughts of a young musician who has just received a letter of employment once his
job application
Work, labor (labour in Commonwealth English), occupation or job is the intentional activity people perform to support the needs and desires of themselves, other people, or organizations. In the context of economics, work can be seen as the huma ...
is approved of. He now has to decide the path of his future and choose between two life choices: being a
salaryman
The term is a Japanese word for salary, salaried workers. In Japanese popular culture, it is portrayed as a white-collar worker who shows unwavering loyalty and commitment to his employer, prioritizing work over anything else, including family. ...
or being in a rock band. The decision is metaphorically portrayed as race in which the man is split into two personas–a salaryman and a guitar player–and races against himself to the goal at the end of the finish line.
The race is broken down into four stages, each of which contains unique obstacles for both contenders:
*First stage: The salaryman is forced to wade through an overly crowded train while the musician must play in a heavy rainstorm for an audience of merely two people.
*Second stage: The salaryman deals with excessive and exhaustive desk work that never seems to end while the musician and his band must hold a long tour, performing at numerous clubs each and every night to a small audience that fails to grow.
*Third stage: The salaryman must choose to start his own company, become company president, or become a CEO. When he runs through the second door he lands facefirst in a box of sand next to a dead salaryman who chose freelance. The musician has to compete with other artists for his major debut at increasingly famous stadiums with the
Tokyo Dome
is an indoor stadium in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium (whose former site is now occupied by the Tokyo Dome Hotel and a plaza for this stadium). In Japan, it is often us ...
at the top of a steep slope.
*Fourth stage: The salaryman has the opportunity to become CEO, but fails to grab his mantle when it comes to life and runs away. He is then chased off by a
grim reaper
The Grim Reaper is a popular personification of death in Western culture in the form of a hooded skeletal figure wearing a black robe and carrying a scythe.gold disc award but it floats away just beyond his reach before shattering to pieces. He is then chased around by a giant spiked orb with the word "stress" written on it.
*Conclusion: As the two near the finish line and their goal–a house and beautiful
Caucasian
Caucasian may refer to:
Common meanings
*Anything from the Caucasus region or related to it
** Ethnic groups in the Caucasus
** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus re ...
wife–multiple men wearing black bodysuits with the word "anxiety" written on them tackle the two and try to prevent them from reaching the end. Finally, the two make it to the finish, only for the house to come to life and run off with the woman to a speedboat where her husband waits with a bouquet of roses. The two kiss and sail away, waving goodbye to the two bewildered men. The video concludes with the man staring blankly at his acceptance letter.
Track listing
Personnel
*
Masafumi Gotō
or Gotch (December 2, 1976) is the lead vocalist, main songwriter and rhythm guitarist of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Masafumi met fellow band members Kensuke Kita and Takahiro Yamada while attending a music club of Kan ...
– lead vocals, rhythm guitar
*
Kensuke Kita
(January 24, 1977) is the lead guitarist and backing singer of the Japanese Rock music, rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Kensuke met fellow band members Masafumi Gotō and Takahiro Yamada (musician), Takahiro Yamada while attending a music cl ...
Kiyoshi Ijichi
(born September 25, 1977) is the drummer of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Name the Night, and instrumental band Phono Tones. Ijichi credits the origin of his drumming ability to playing in marching bands in junior high.
He me ...
– drums
*
Asian Kung-Fu Generation
(stylized in all caps) is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Yokohama in 1996. For its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotoh, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada (musician), Takahiro Yamada, and dr ...