Gonna Go to Japan
Pre-flight Japan fantasy on Moonlight Beach: Shinkansen ramen, capybara onsen, Mount Fuji: 日本に行きたい until けど今できない.
Listen: SpotifyApple Music
ISRC QZTB62253074 (soundexchange)
Track eight on Moonlight Beach: the Japan song on a California place-record. After KŌAN opened the Japan thread (Japanese lyrics, Zen paradox, spatial sound), this keeps the longing alive while Encinitas is still home base.
It’s a whole trip taken entirely in the imagination: pre-flight jitters that lose to butterflies, a maximalist tourist itinerary of Shinkansen and 7-Eleven ramen, capybara onsen, a Miyazaki mountain hike, beer in the Sapporo snow. The chorus stacks gonna go to Japan until belief almost feels like booking. Then the brake: after the Japanese builds (日本に行きたい, I want to go to Japan), the last line lands, けど今できない, but I can’t right now. The whole song is future tense, and that’s the honest crack in it.
The gap closes on I, recorded partly on the Tōkaidō, San’yō, and Tōhoku Shinkansen. On Moonlight Beach Japan is still the horizon. Points forward to MÖB and the Möbius tag on the closer too.
Written, performed, and mixed by Luke Francis Walton. Mastered by Riley Knapp. Album art by Gentle Giant Illustrations.
Lyrics
I'm gonna go to Japan Been a minute Watching the pre-flight safety video Like I don't know how to buckle my seat belt Been a minute Since I felt the turbulence Shake shake shake Got a pit in my stomach But my butterflies are overwhelming it Too stoked to feel fear Gonna ride the Shinkansen While I eat seven-eleven ramen Capybara onsen Gonna hike a mountain To the very very top like a Miyazaki film Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Yeah, I'm gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Yeah, I'm gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Yeah, I'm gonna go to Japan Oh yeah yeah yeah Oh yeah yeah yeah Can you believe it? Seeing Mount Fuji out the window Put down my Nintendo switch Touch down in Narita in a little bit Yeah, can you believe it? Like a time traveler On a setting sun Yeah, I'm almost done Hope that I get through immigration Gonna ride the Shinkansen Under the ocean Heading to Sapporo Gonna drink beer out in the snow お祭り, we got to go Bundle up Wanna ride the shinkansen 国立公園 日本に行きたい 行きたい 日本に行きたい 行きたいな けど今できない Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Yeah, I'm gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Yeah, I'm gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Gonna go to Japan Yeah, I'm gonna go to Japan Oh yeah yeah yeah Oh yeah yeah yeah Oh yeah yeah yeah Oh yeah yeah yeah