Music : TAKE Heart~Tobitate heiwano hatoyo~ by Yukio Hatoyama

Yukio Hatoyama is the Prime Minister of Japan. He recorded this song in 1988, and released it last month. The lyrics are as follows; “Take heart. Let’s live together looking forward a better tomorrow, pursuing liberty and peace.”


He often speaks about the spirit of “yuuai”. My English-Japanese dictionary says that “yuuai” means “fraternity”, and an online English dictionary says that “fraternity” has the following meanings:

1 : a group of people associated or formally organized for a common purpose, interest, or pleasure

2 : the quality or state of being brothers

3 : persons of the same class, profession, character, or tastes

However, the Japanese word “yuuai” doesn’t mean such a group, quality or people. Instead, the word means “friendship and love”. I believe when Mr. Hatoyama says “yuuai”, it also means “Everybody lives at peace”.

His name “Hatoyama” means “pigeon mountain" (hato means pigeon, yama means mountain), and a white pigeon is the symbol of peace. So I think his deeper feeling is that he should pursue world peace, as his name contains the symbol for peace.

Thank you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukio_Hatoyama

Koir, thanks for helping as always.