xの生と死

Update: 21.07.2011
I had only translated about a third of this book and stopped after 2007, but after hearing of Taiji's death on July 17, 2011, I have decided to finish the English translation. This effort is dedicated to Taiji and all his fans around the world, who have united in a really amazing outpouring of support in memory of Taiji. Even though his life was difficult and although at times he made bad choices, I feel that Taiji was one of the most inspirational musicians of his time. He never gave up; he fought to the very end, and he always stayed true to himself. Goodbye, Taiji; we will never forget you.

Taiji is my favorite X member. Besides being one of the most talented bassists in the Japanese music scene today, Taiji's story has always struck a chord with me, even before I had the chance to read his book. The sparse facts that I could gather off the internet and what I could piece together about the reasons he left X, the downturn his life took after he did so, and how he gradually found the will to live again speak to me of a man that has "been there" and seen it all, and yet has somehow miraculously come through it to share his story with the world. To me, Taiji is first and foremost a person of great strength and character.

Unlike Jihaku, Tetsugaku, or any of the myriad other books that I have translated or will translate, I stumbled upon X no Sei to Shi entirely by accident. I was browsing around in Closet Child, a used jrock shop located in Yokohama one weekend, looking for L'Arc~en~Ciel's Dune. I just happened to wander over to the bins in which the tour goods and photobooks were located and started picking through the items, but I didn't expect to find anything of interest. I think it must have been fate or something that this book happened to be sitting in the bin, waiting for me to pick it up.

All my translations are a labor of love, but X no Sei to Shi is even more so. In this book, Taiji is not out to preach a sermon to the world or to share some great, inspiring message about music and art. He is simply trying to tell his own story. As the "forgotten member" of X, it is incredibly enlightening to hear about the band, the members, and especially hide's life and death from his perspective, one from which few have heard.

So, from Taiji and especially from me, please read and enjoy.