Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋寅泰 , born February 1, 1962 in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture… Read Full Bio ↴Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋寅泰 , born February 1, 1962 in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture) is a Japanese musician, guitarist and actor. Hotei rose to prominence in the 1980s as the guitarist for BOØWY, one of Japan's most popular rock bands, before starting a solo career. In 2003, he was ranked number 70 on HMV Japan's list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. He ranked second in a 2011 poll on who the Japanese people thought was the best guitarist to represent Japan after Tak Matsumoto.

Hotei is best known internationally for his song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" , which has been used in numerous films, commercials, and video games, most notably Quentin Tarantino's feature film Kill Bill.

Born to a Korean father and a Japanese/Russian mother, Hotei first began playing the guitar in junior high school. In high school, his band Blue Film finished runners up in a school contest to Death Penalty, a band led by Kyosuke Himuro. Hotei was expelled shortly before graduation. The reason was that, when warned about his long hair he replied “Jesus had long hair!” Shortly after, he went to Tokyo where one day he received a phone call from Himuro. The two had never really known each other but hit it off and went on to hold auditions for a new band, which in 1981 became the six-member BOØWY. The band became major stars in Japan, in 1985 played the Marquee in London, and in 1986 had their first million seller, Beat Emotion.

When the band broke up in 1988, Hotei established himself as a solo star, as did Himuro. Hotei also made two albums with Koji Kikkawa as Complex, both of which went to number one in the national charts. Hotei frequently records overseas and has collaborated with many foreign musicians, including playing on The Stranglers Hugh Cornwell’s 1993 solo album, on stage with David Bowie at Nippon Budokan in 1996, and at the closing ceremony of the Atlanta 1996 Centennial Olympic Games with Michael Kamen.

He later recorded “Guitar Concerto” with Kamen. He has also worked with Andy Mackay of Roxy Music, guitarist Chris Spedding and Mike Edwards of Jesus Jones. Hotei also sometimes plays in Europe, including a number of major festivals. His regular drummer in recent years, Zachary Alford, has previously played with Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie. Hotei's 1998 album Supersonic Generation, recorded in part with Apollo 440 and Ofra Haza, was released in 14 European countries.

In addition to many bestselling solo albums, Hotei composed and performed the score for Hiroyuki Nakano’s Samurai Fiction, as well as starring in the film. He composed the score to Terry Gilliam’s feature film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas together with Ray Cooper. Hotei's song “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” was used in the Quentin Tarantino’s feature film Kill Bill, the PlayStation 2 version of Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA,and Michael Bay’s feature film Transformers. Hotei recorded a cover of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” for Merry Axemas, an instrumental guitar Christmas album featuring tracks from guitarists including Jeff Beck, Joe Perry, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai and Steve Morse.

The Nintendo DS game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan features his song "Thrill". The game's sequel, Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii, features another Hotei song, "Bambina". (Both songs are cover versions.) Hotei is featured in “Grace” on the Apocalyptica album Worlds Collide. The song is featured in the game NHL 09.

LIFE IN TOKYO
布袋寅泰 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's always something
left inside him
I've really nothing much to lose
It seems so sentimental
Why should care
Somewhere there's a sound
of distant living
Locked up in high society

It seems so artificial
Why should I care
Oh ho ho life can be cruel
Life in Tokyo
Oh ho ho life can be cruel
Life in Tokyo

Another vehicle heads for sunset
No other providence will do
They're only buildings
and houses
Why should care
Oh ho ho life can be cruel
Life in Tokyo
Oh ho ho lift can be cruel
Life in Tokyo
Oh ho ho life can be cruel
Life in Tokyo
Oh ho ho life can be cruel
Life in Tokyo

Oh ho ho life can be cruel
Life in Tokyo
Oh ho ho life can be cruel
Life in Tokyo
Oh ho ho life can be cruel
Life in Tokyo

Oh ho ho life can be cruel
Life in Tokyo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Life in Tokyo" by 布袋寅泰 (Hotei Tomoyasu) depict a sense of disillusionment and detachment towards the city of Tokyo, evoking a feeling of emptiness and artificiality. The singer acknowledges that there is always something left inside him, suggesting a lingering sense of attachment or nostalgia, but also acknowledges that he has very little to lose. The sentimentality towards the city seems to be questioned, asking why he should care about it. There is a sense of distance or separation, represented by the mention of a sound of distant living, possibly indicating the disconnect between different social classes in the city. The lyrics continue to describe the city as artificial, filled with buildings and houses, emphasizing the superficial nature of the urban environment. The repetition of "Life in Tokyo" and the phrase "Life can be cruel" throughout the song reflects a resigned and somewhat cynical perspective on life in the city.

Line by Line Meaning

There's always something
There is always an underlying emotion or feeling

left inside him
that remains within him

I've really nothing much to lose
There is not much that I have to risk or give up

It seems so sentimental
It appears to evoke nostalgic or emotional feelings

Why should care
Why should I be concerned or interested

Somewhere there's a sound of distant living
In some place, there is a faint noise of a different way of life

Locked up in high society
Confined within the boundaries of upper-class society

It seems so artificial
It appears to lack authenticity or genuine emotion

Why should I care
Why should I bother or be invested

Oh ho ho life can be cruel
Life can be harsh or unforgiving

Life in Tokyo
Experiencing life in the city of Tokyo