Laibach Sing Kimigayo

[Mulboyne]

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In 2006, Slovenian band Laibach released an album of national anthems called "Volk". It includes a seven minute version of Kimigayo sung in Japanese and English. You can hear the album recording via this YouTube link or watch the live performance in the clip above. They are still touring with the album now but the band have never visited Tokyo and it isn't on the current itinerary so the question of whether they would face protests if they tried to perform it in Japan is moot.

[Greji]

so the question of whether they would face protests if they tried to perform it in Japan is moot.

There are still hold-outs, but Mulby, don't you find the Kimigayo question a non-starter these days? I don't run into anymore than a bit of lip service occasionally about it being in-appropriate. I think its hayday as an issue is gone (in Japan at least).

[Mulboyne]

There are still hold-outs, but Mulby, don't you find the Kimigayo question a non-starter these days?

I think that's right but a performance by Laibach might stir things up more than usual. That video clip wouldn't enlighten you but the band members have been accused of being neonationalists, fascists, totalitarians etc. and often used a lot of martial imagery in their performances. One of them hinted in an interview that attempts to perform in Tokyo had met with some resistance in the past. However, Rammstein, who acknowledge Laibach as an influence and have faced similar accusations, have no problem getting into Japan so perhaps Laibach wouldn't be seen as controversial these days either. Here's one of their better known songs:

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[Iraira]

I prefer their "Concert that never was" era noise. Saw them once in LA, probably back in 1990 or so. Lotsa peeps wearing nazi insignia, but most of them were just looking at the folks in the bondage gear.