Dialogue "Tarzan Yamamoto ×Toudoukan Director" 3.

March 3, 2025

Toudoukan 20th Anniversary Special Dialogue

Director ×Toudoukan Tarzan Yamamoto Table of Contents

3. "Heading East"

Tarzan Yamamoto: Is high school a regular high school? Was it a preparatory school?

Director: It was a private boys' school called Kansai Okura, and it was a preparatory school. It's located deep in the mountains of Ibaraki City.

Then, it was time to take the exam.
However, I was a fairly serious honor student in the school, and I was highly evaluated for writing various reports in the history department, and I received a recommendation for a designated school early before the summer vacation from Ritsumeikan University, which Professor Tarzan also attended.

So, if you leave it alone, you can go to university without taking the exam. It was also said to be one of the Ritsumeikan Guanguan Doritsu. At that time, my academic ability was so difficult that I thought I wouldn't be able to reach it if I took the exam normally, so my parents were overjoyed. "I'm glad I did."

So, the summer vacation of my third year of high school was over, and September and October had passed. Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi's song "Captain of the ship" is out in the world.

Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi was addicted to the album "Showa" after the end of junior high school, and I listened to it every day without fail, but one day this song was released for the first time on a radio program in which he appeared.

♪ Daengdedeeden

It flowed、、、

The title track of this album "Captain of the ship" is a long song that is more than 13 minutes long.
It begins with "I hated my dark, rotten, depressing life," and in the middle of the song, it goes beyond the song and becomes the earnest cry of the soul itself. It's the ultimate and straightforward appeal to life.
I was shocked.

It's not like that for the way I've been living, is it? It makes me reflect strongly.
It is as if you are inspired to burn your own precious life with all your heart and soul and rise to the stage of real battle.

"The course is east, and you can take the helm from tomorrow."

As I listened, tears welled up in my eyes. Will you continue to run away from the rough waters of the entrance exam, bow your head to the high school that recommended you as it is, go from your parents' house to the university, be restricted from what you like, and continue to live under the control of those around you? Are you good in such a life?

Tarzan Yamamoto: Oh, I was awakened. Well, it's a kind of brainwashing.

Director: Yes (laughs) This is an ultimatum that Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi threw at himself for not being good.
And this east, which is pointed out on the album cover as "the path is to the east", is 、、、 "Tokyo"!
I took it as a metaphorical message to fight for your life in Greater Tokyo, the city of flowers (laughs).

A few days later, I told my homeroom teacher that I had declined the recommendation of Ritsumeikan and that I was going to Tokyo to my parents.

Tarzan Yamamoto: Crackling

Director: When I told my parents, "I'm going to go to Tokyo when I graduate, and I just turned down the recommendation for Ritsumei," they were distraught at first and said, "Call the school right now and apologize, and I'll apologize with you."

However, as we talked for a long time, I realized that I was very determined, and my father weakly asked me to go to college.
So, I made it a condition that if I really wanted to go to Tokyo, I would pay for it if it was Waseda or Keio.
Certainly, I love my parents for raising me so far, and I feel indebted to them, and I want them to be happy anyway.
But I want to live my life.

As a compromise, Waseda or Keio. I thought it was a difficult story, but I thought it was a good story, so I did a lot of research on my own.
Then, there is a Faculty of Social Sciences at Waseda, and the deviation value is slightly lower than other faculties, so it is still easy to get into.
The Faculty of Social Sciences was a comprehensive faculty that included all humanities such as politics, economics, law, and commerce. I was able to mix and match a wide range of classes according to my interests.
I think this is the same as mixed martial arts, which combines hitting, throwing, and poles in martial arts (laughs).

Tarzan Yamamoto: Kukuku (laughs) I interpreted it on my own (laughs).

Director: I decided that this was the only place I could go.
However, in the next four months, we have to raise the deviation value by nearly 10.
Even if I take classes at school normally, I will never take them.
I have no choice but to study.
I thought that school would be a hindrance to that.

Tarzan Yamamoto: yes, yes.

Director: So, I asked my teacher at school, "If you really want to study, why don't you take classes?"
And I was like, "Oh my God! If you don't attend enough days, I won't let you graduate. Take proper classes."
Well, naturally, isn't it?

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