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.

Slow Motion
布袋寅泰 Lyrics

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SLOW MOTION
錆びた月の斜面を
転がりだす地球儀
SLOW MOTION
愛と双子のギター
抱いて踊る背骨
SLOW MOTION
濡れた君のオブジェを

壊しそうな孤独
SLOW MOTION
風と話せた頃は
まだ生えてた翼
光の街へ
堕ちてゆく僕はパラシュート
記憶と幻想が
舌を絡めて点滅してる
身体を脱げば
SLOW MOTION
永遠さえ僕の
SLOW MOTION

SLOW MOTION
遠い渚に揺れる
女神達の化石
SLOW MOTION
嘘を覚えた後も
まだこぼれる涙
傷をひろげる
時間のスピードはマシンガン
痛みを超えて
心だけが呼吸をしてる
光の中は
SLOW MOTION
瞬間さえ君の
SLOW MOTION
身体を脱げば
SLOW MOTION
永遠さえ僕の
SLOW MOTION
光の中は
SLOW MOTION
瞬間さえ君の
SLOW MOTION
身体を脱げば
SLOW MOTION

永遠さえ僕の
SLOW MOTION

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 布袋寅泰's song "Slow Motion" depict a sense of melancholy and reflection. The song begins by describing a rusty moon and an Earth globe rolling down a slope, symbolizing the passage of time and the gradual decay of the world. The phrase "Slow Motion" is repeated throughout the song, creating a sense of inertia and slow movement.

In the following lines, the lyrics mention embracing a guitar made of love, dancing with a backbone, and the fear of destroying a wet sculpture of the beloved. The reference to a time when one could speak with the wind and having wings that were still growing suggests a nostalgia for a bygone era where everything seemed possible.

The chorus introduces a new perspective, as the singer falls towards a city of light with a parachute. The merging of memories and fantasies is depicted as flickering and intertwining on the tongue. The lyrics suggest that by shedding the physical body, one can engage in a slow motion, eternal existence.

The second verse describes a distant beach where the fossils of goddesses sway, along with the lingering tears even after learning to lie. The pain is depicted as a machine gun-like speed of time, but only the heart continues to breathe beyond the pain. The light is portrayed as a slow motion where even fleeting moments belong to the beloved.

Overall, the lyrics of "Slow Motion" evoke a nostalgic longing for a lost time, a contemplation on the passing of time and the unavoidable decay of things, and a desire for a slower, eternal existence beyond the limitations of the physical world.

Line by Line Meaning

錆びた月の斜面を転がりだす地球儀
On the rusty slope of the moon, a spinning globe begins to roll

愛と双子のギター抱いて踊る背骨
Embracing the love and twin guitars, the backbone dances

濡れた君のオブジェを壊しそうな孤独
The loneliness that seems to destroy your wet sculpture

風と話せた頃はまだ生えてた翼
When I could speak with the wind, my wings were still growing

光の街へ堕ちてゆく僕はパラシュート
Falling towards the city of light, I am a parachute

記憶と幻想が舌を絡めて点滅してる
Memories and illusions intertwine and flicker on the tongue

身体を脱げば
If I strip off my body

SLOW MOTION 永遠さえ僕の SLOW MOTION
In slow motion, even eternity is mine

遠い渚に揺れる女神達の化石
The fossils of goddesses swaying on a distant seashore

嘘を覚えた後もまだこぼれる涙
Even after learning lies, tears still spill

傷をひろげる時間のスピードはマシンガン
The speed of time that opens wounds is like a machine gun