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SKY-HI – Management no Hanashi 2, Afterword
In 2024, SKY-HI published his second book with Nikkei, マネジメントのはなし ２ / Management no Hanashi 2
I translated the afterword below.
To all of you wonderful readers who took the time to read this unique book, which chronicles the unique values born of a unique life—thank you very much.
I feel like the previous book focused on corporate management and organizational management, but this time I talked a lot more about the music industry it seems.
I have two reasons for this.
The first is, more people are realizing that Japan’s music and entertainment industries are stagnating. Some of the points I raised in Management no Hanashi about the structure of the music industry are actually things I’ve been pointing out – on and off – since I was in my twenties, but they never really became a topic of conversation, lol. Then at a certain point, they started gaining attention, and now they’ve even become the kind of issues that spark backlash. In other words, it has reached the point where it is viewed as a matter of public interest.
The other reason is, the entertainment industry has actually slowly started to change, and I believe we should recognize that BMSG was one of the catalysts for that change.
The music industry will change. I’ve been saying this since before I founded the company,”Either the world changes or I die” LMAO.
So why am I so determined to change the music industry? Is it just because I’ve reached a global audience?
The answer is simple. It’s because there are far too many Japanese artists and idols who would be miserable if things didn’t change. Actually, depending on the situation, this isn’t limited to Japan.
Some of you might think that, having lived the kind of life I described in the preface, I must lead a truly fulfilling life… but in reality, I’ve spent the past twenty-odd years struggling to survive. During that time, I’ve seen countless comrades disappear. I can’t even bring myself to hope that, “Somewhere out there, someone is watching over me.” I am simply filled with regret.
And so, you’ll find “the future me” scattered all over the place, across all kinds of genres.
As for me, I’ll never forget the bitter experiences I’ve had. In fact, I’m actually grateful for them, because they’re what fuel this obsession and my insane motivation for work. Long live bitterness! It’s bitter! Delicious!
The only way to overcome this trauma is to save even just one person who is on the verge of becoming the me “back then”. I want everyone to be happy - this goes for the artists in BMSG, but also non-BMSG artists and idols. For that, I’d put everything on the line, as many times as it takes.
I have an unshakable belief in the goodness of people, and I’m fired up every day to make sure this reform happens! I’ll be careful about not burning out.
…Oh, and don’t think this has nothing to do with you. By the time you’ve made it to this afterword, you’re already part of the revolution.
“Thinking only of yourself is selfish and shameful,” “Being cheerful, friendly, and energetic is what matters most,” “There’s beauty in striving and doing your best”… These are the kinds of lessons everyone learns in elementary school, yet they are what the world lacks and needs the most right now.
Let’s live our best lives together. I will support you! Please cheer and support us too. Let’s cheer each other on.
Well, even though I’ve left this until the very end, I want to conclude by expressing my heartfelt love, gratitude, and respect for Yokoda-san, Yamamoto-san, Azuma-san, photographer Ueno-san, and everyone else who has supported this series, and everyone involved with this book.
It’s not “someday”. The moment you close this book, a small revolution is taking place in the music industry.
So let’s enjoy music – and this life – to the fullest!
Hope you enjoyed!
Please note I translate these for free and I'm not a professional, so they may not be 100% accurate.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
Translations do take time to complete, so if you like my translations you can consider tipping me on Ko-Fi!
I translated the afterword below.
To all of you wonderful readers who took the time to read this unique book, which chronicles the unique values born of a unique life—thank you very much.
I feel like the previous book focused on corporate management and organizational management, but this time I talked a lot more about the music industry it seems.
I have two reasons for this.
The first is, more people are realizing that Japan’s music and entertainment industries are stagnating. Some of the points I raised in Management no Hanashi about the structure of the music industry are actually things I’ve been pointing out – on and off – since I was in my twenties, but they never really became a topic of conversation, lol. Then at a certain point, they started gaining attention, and now they’ve even become the kind of issues that spark backlash. In other words, it has reached the point where it is viewed as a matter of public interest.
The other reason is, the entertainment industry has actually slowly started to change, and I believe we should recognize that BMSG was one of the catalysts for that change.
The music industry will change. I’ve been saying this since before I founded the company,”Either the world changes or I die” LMAO.
So why am I so determined to change the music industry? Is it just because I’ve reached a global audience?
The answer is simple. It’s because there are far too many Japanese artists and idols who would be miserable if things didn’t change. Actually, depending on the situation, this isn’t limited to Japan.
Some of you might think that, having lived the kind of life I described in the preface, I must lead a truly fulfilling life… but in reality, I’ve spent the past twenty-odd years struggling to survive. During that time, I’ve seen countless comrades disappear. I can’t even bring myself to hope that, “Somewhere out there, someone is watching over me.” I am simply filled with regret.
And so, you’ll find “the future me” scattered all over the place, across all kinds of genres.
As for me, I’ll never forget the bitter experiences I’ve had. In fact, I’m actually grateful for them, because they’re what fuel this obsession and my insane motivation for work. Long live bitterness! It’s bitter! Delicious!
The only way to overcome this trauma is to save even just one person who is on the verge of becoming the me “back then”. I want everyone to be happy - this goes for the artists in BMSG, but also non-BMSG artists and idols. For that, I’d put everything on the line, as many times as it takes.
I have an unshakable belief in the goodness of people, and I’m fired up every day to make sure this reform happens! I’ll be careful about not burning out.
…Oh, and don’t think this has nothing to do with you. By the time you’ve made it to this afterword, you’re already part of the revolution.
“Thinking only of yourself is selfish and shameful,” “Being cheerful, friendly, and energetic is what matters most,” “There’s beauty in striving and doing your best”… These are the kinds of lessons everyone learns in elementary school, yet they are what the world lacks and needs the most right now.
Let’s live our best lives together. I will support you! Please cheer and support us too. Let’s cheer each other on.
Well, even though I’ve left this until the very end, I want to conclude by expressing my heartfelt love, gratitude, and respect for Yokoda-san, Yamamoto-san, Azuma-san, photographer Ueno-san, and everyone else who has supported this series, and everyone involved with this book.
It’s not “someday”. The moment you close this book, a small revolution is taking place in the music industry.
So let’s enjoy music – and this life – to the fullest!
Hope you enjoyed!
Please note I translate these for free and I'm not a professional, so they may not be 100% accurate.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
Translations do take time to complete, so if you like my translations you can consider tipping me on Ko-Fi!