Naoki Peter and fellow students among finalists for their SHS project
© 2014 EPFL
Naoki Peter, former Master's student in computer science at the IC School, and fellow students Alice Burri and Estelle Rochat, from the EPFL's School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), were recognized for their Social and Human Sciences (SHS) project carried out as part of the MS program. The project, "Hip-hop, reflection of the great challenges of modern Japan", carried out under the guidance of Irene Vogel Chevroulet, from the College of Humanities, was selected as one of the three finalists. Each year, the SHS Steering Committee selects three finalists and one winner for the EPFL-wide SHS award.
In Japan, where there is a tendency to put decorum before one’s own opinion, hip-hop music is a means of denouncing social evils. The goal of this study is to analyze which aspects of Japanese society are revealed by the rappers. In this perspective, the focus is placed on the following three topics: the nuclear disaster of Fukushima and Japan’s energy policy, Japanese politics and socioeconomic challenges.
In the aftermath of the incident in Fukushima, the rapper SIN denounces the poor quality of communication by the government during the catastrophe in his song Rising Sun – Pray for Japan with the verse "emotions and information pass by on the sidewalks, and waves of fear sneak up and fall upon me". Other aspects are also criticized by the rappers, such as the handling of the evacuation and the government's energy policy .
In the run-up to the elections for the Japanese House of Representatives in December 2012, the rapper Dengaryû sings "Let’s make some action with the force of youth! It’s high time we raised the turnout"in his song Senkyo ni ikô ("Let’s vote"). In the song he expresses his concerns about the very low level of political awareness among Japanese youth as well as the general indifference of the population towards policies that have proven incapable of leading the country out of the crisis. In addition, rappers encourage citizens’ movements to strive for a better future.
With respect to growing poverty in the country, the trailer of the hip-hop movie Saudade states "Taxes, pensions, medicare, utilities… I pay the price of life and I’m totally broke". Essentially, the state is seen as a system that exploits the underprivileged classes while it lets multinationals, religious organizations, and its own officials amass wealth. Shingo Nishinari, another well-known rapper, mentions the poverty of urban-day laborers who live in ghettos and are ignored by the state.
Analysis of Japanese hip-hop songs paints the image of a country that, while developed, has to grapple with serious social problems. The rappers suggest that it is time to tackle these issues and spread the spirit of protest needed for change.
Extract from the clip of the song Rising SUN – Pray for Japan by SIN (2012)