Yousuke Hara - Your thoughts & prayers

General
#1

Dear Bachido members,

If you have received a product from Bachido, most likely it was packaged and cared for by Yousuke Hara, Masahiro’s trusted member of the Bachido Staff. Yousuke loves being part of Bachido, as he’s fascinated to see where in the world shamisen is taking interest, and is a way to improve his English. :wink: He’s really one of the nicest guys you’d know, very caring and attentive.

Now for the sad news. Yousuke, only 22 years old, has been diagnosed with leukemia. He’s in the hospital now, and Masahiro suspects he’ll be there for 6 months, assuming there’s improvement. We can only hope that being a badass shamisen player will help bolster his recovery, but chances of recovering from Leukemia are very low.

I would like to make a card for Yousuke, somehow signed or contributed to by any Bachido members who see this and want to show their support for Yousuke Hara.

Bachido is special to Yousuke, so hearing from everyone would mean so much to him. Being that we’re spread over the world, hand-signing a card would be difficult, but I’m open to ideas. I’m thinking about getting a Bachido shirt made for him, and putting our best wishes to him on paper, each contribution complete with a name and country location.

Your thoughts are appreciated

#2

Oh, little correction: Emails of support will be fine too.

#4

Oh man! My goofy intro seems a bit out of place with this news of Yosuke’s hospitalization.

I’ll Definately be calling Masahiro and finding out where/how to send him something.

In the meantime I’d like to share a more in depth intro to Hara Yousuke so as to share my friendship with him with everyone here on bachido as a way for you guys to get to know him.

Many years ago (probably in the area of 2003) I went to Tokyo to study with Kinoshita Shinichi. He was holding two workshops with a small assembly of students. I got in through my connection with Katoh San and during the first break between sessions I went out into the hallway/lobby and started jamming. No sooner had I begun jamming then a rather shy looking kid approached me. He introduced himself as Yousuke and I invited him to jam along with me. He was just a kid at the time (I think maybe he was like 13 years old or something ) But he began improvising with me immediately. Afterwards we laughed and shook hands. Later on I saw him again at the tai Kais and through Masahiro. I found out that he was Masahiro’s student and from that time on he has been a 100% supporter of Monsters of Shamisen and joined us on stage many times. During downtime he and I would often jam and I always felt that surge of energy and creativity that was present even when I first met him at the Kinoshita workshops.

Throughout the years he and his family became great friends to Mike Penny and I when we would travel to Japan together and showed us around Sapporo our first time there.

This last time when Kyle and I recorded at the Nitta home studio Yousuke was once again a tremendous supporter and friend to us.
We jammed at a bar and he joined us for the live show we produced that week. As that week came to a close we hung out some more and I recall reflecting on Yousuke back then. I was commenting on how despite the huge age difference that he has always been a really good friend and I have never really considered that age gap as anything relevant .

Yousuke’s Shamisen style is pure Stellar! He has the kind of raw talent that one hears in all the famous players from Agatsuma to yoshidas. The ability to flow through an improvisation like water and
His open minded attitude towards adapting some of my more modern ideas have kept his Shamisen blade sharp and polished pretty much the entire time I have known him.

I can only say with words that I will be praying for this dude with all I’ve got and that his recovery is something we should all keep in our hearts. Recovery may seem a long way away at this point but on the bright side… He is young , in a very technically advanced society with state of the art medical care, and most of all he has the love of many people around the world!

Thank you Kyle for suggesting a signed shirt or whatever ends up coming out of this. I too would like to ask everyone out there to donate a few words or at the very least your thoughts and prayers to this awesome Shamisen talent and for his complete recovery from this ordeal.

#5

Perhaps the recent “donate to Bachido” idea could be modified a bit to become instead “donate to Yousuke”. And perhaps the monies raised that way could be sent to Masahiro/Kevin to be used for small things to be bought for Yousuke over the six months he’ll be in hospital (chocolates, books, music, whatever) on behalf of the world-wide Bachido membership.

Another idea might be, for those of our membership who can, to write a little song specifically for Yousuke, which he can listen to during his recovery and think of his not-yet-met shamisen associates around the globe. Not necessarily anything fast and flashy, but maybe some “genki”, cheerful, or even silly music that may make him smile or laugh. (Laughter truly is a great medicine!)

Just two ideas that came to mind quickly when I read of his situation…

#6

I definately want to show my support. I agree with Linda, we need to get him smile/laugh!

I think Linda’s idea about songs or short snippets would be a great idea. Especially once there are a few recordings so that you really feel that there people who care.

How good is his English? I would definately get him some recorded stand-up, audio is fine.

As for a card it is possible for us to write on paper and send it to Kyle and he can glue the parts on a card and send it t Yousuke. That would be pretty cool!

#7

oh that would be like a giant quilt from bachido that stretches all the way around the globe ^^
Karl nice idea, i think the size of the card would make him laugh abit as well having a card thats wayy too big <3

If you give me a name/ address to send it to someone to send it to him/ or give it to him, i could send a letter and an email

Also short snippets would be awesome a patchwork video of all of our playing a 6 second part to a well known song, it would mean loads of editing though but it would be cool to be playing the same song all around the globe

#8

:’(

I hope he will be ok soon… no, I know he will be ok, for sure!

I can´t help with sound because I didnt have shamisen, but I can play something in violin.

Yousuke-sama, gambatte!!

#9

Sad news to read today :confused: , i know there level of classification for leukemia , let’s hope he got the lowest level and so he can live with it without being sick all the time , he has all of my support too ! I can’t record anything at home now , and i don’t have any shamisen :stuck_out_tongue: but i’de love to write a few words for him if you go for the card !

#10

I would like to do anything with Bachido does as a group.
And just for now, Kyle, would it be ok to send my message? which comes next.

#11

ヨウスケさんへ、

Bachidoのカイルさんからのお知らせで、あなたの入院の事を伺いました。私たちは、Bachidoのお陰で本当に楽しく三味線ライフを楽しんでおります。陰でヨウスケさんが色々なさっていてくれた事に対して今更ながらですが、心より感謝しております。

どうか、少しでも快適で居心地のよい病院内での暮らしができますよう今世界中のBachidoメンバーがあれやこれや知恵を絞っております。
早く回復して皆さんと一緒に三味線を弾くのを心より願って止みません。

                               珍しく日本人のイチメンバーより
#12

This is extremely sad news. My thoughts will be with our fellow international shamisen soldier. I would like to send him a message but not right now as I want to think about it properly. Loving
Iinda and canas ideas about making some music, it really shows spirit :smiley:

Is there any more video/audio of you yousuke shredding away??? I was feelin his style!!!

P.s Kevin your into doesn’t seem out of place, it seems to make sense right now :slight_smile:

#13

Oooooh!!! Wonderful ideas everybody!! I especially like the idea of making a song for Yousuke. I’m sure he will be touched. :slight_smile:

I’ve written Masahiro, asking about sending him money. (Waiting for a response) If he needs money, that would be great. If it’s not a big issue, heart-made things (videos, gifts, letters, songs etc) would feel the best for him, methinks.

How good is his English? I would definately get him some recorded stand-up, audio is fine.

Good question… I don’t think it’s too bad… it’s not fluent either though. :-S He does want to practice, so I think he would watch it.

I can´t help with sound because I didnt have shamisen, but I can play something in violin.

Do it!!! :smiley: That would be awesome!! :smiley:

Maybe I’ll throat sing something. Though I like the sad songs, I know a few happier Tuvan melodies. :wink:

Kyoko: That’s a lovely message. I will pass it on to Masahiro now. Thank you.

Kevin: As Liam says, I too don’t think it’s out of place at all. When I watched it, it seemed surprisingly appropriate to this case. Yousuke, shredding away like a badass, really is what life is all about.

I think it’s a fact of life that we will always meet both sorrow and happiness. Not knowing how much and how long, always give everything you’ve got in the moment and no matter where or when, you can have piece of mind and leave with a charred fretboard and melted faces in front of you. (musically speaking)

#14

Oooh!! I forgot to say. I’ve got an idea :slight_smile: (Comedically, this is when everyone says "uh oh)

Ideally, I want to have a personalized Bachido shirt made for Yousuke signed by us all (like how friends sign a bandage cast), but being that we’re spread over the world, it would be difficult for everyone to sign it.

However! What if I put everyone’s messages on the actual image and have it all printed onto the shirt? Granted, it’s not the same as handwritten messages/signatures, but I think it’d be pretty awesome.

What do you think?

#15

I like that idea! Good use of modern technology to tackle a modern dilemma ! signing a cast or something the old fashioned way was fine when everyone you knew lived in your town. I think this is a natural solution to life in this century!

#16

Great idea Kyle!

#17

i really like that idea, this is so sad, so upsetting and anything we can do to cheer him up would be cool.
If i had more time i’d fold some cranes so i might just doodle one with my message.

#18

I am in favor of all those ideas I also think a dedicated shirt would be very cool I think another idea could be to have “Yousuke” on the front instead of the regular mon and “some” general best wishes line on the back with the big rest of the back covered with signatures of all bachido members who care to scan and email their signatures within a month or 2 weeks or whatever I would say . . . and this would be a shirt I would like to wear too and not just one shirt presented to him as a gift also . . . I am sort of surprised how much I care about this I mean after all I don’t know Yousuke at all but yeah . . . all the best for now and the future . . .

#19

or like signatures all with a small font tagline stating the country too and in case there would be not enough space the front of course could also be scattered with signatures so I would like that idea among the others . . .

#20

Sweet!! :slight_smile: Good stuff! Perhaps having both ‘yousuke’ and the mon in front could be tasteful (assuming he likes the mon)

Oh right! I forgot people can scan in stuff! :stuck_out_tongue:

People can start sending their best wishes to kyle@bachido.com (or posting them here), along with their a scan/picture of their signature, if they wish. :slight_smile:

Let’s see if we can get something ready in one week’s time!

#21

I am practicing a song for Yousuke-san, I will try to record it in this week, I hope I will have it at weekend :slight_smile:

I usually don´t do records of my playing for two reasons: the first one its because I am very shy. the other its because I am a very bad violin´s player :stuck_out_tongue:

But anyway, I am trying to do my best for Yousuke-sama :slight_smile:

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