Alan Shirahama, GENERATIONS
FC Imabari High School Satoyama offers to produce a school song

On January 31, it was announced that Alan Shirahama, a performer of EXILE/GENERATIONS and a member of creative unit PKCZ (R), will produce a school song for “FC Imabari High School Satoyama” (FCI), a private high school in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, to be opened this April and headed by Takeshi Okada, former national soccer coach. On January 31, it was announced that Takeshi Okada, former director of the Japan national soccer team, will produce the school song for FC Imabari High School Satoyama (FCI), a private high school in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture.

FCI, which plans to develop a unique curriculum emphasizing practical learning and practice, asked Shirahama, a native of Ehime Prefecture, to write the school song, which students will share during their three years at the school, in order to express the unique way of being FCI students.

Shirahama left Ehime and moved to Tokyo in his first year of high school. He has paved the way for his dream of becoming a performer, expanded his activities as a track maker, and made his debut as a solo artist at the end of last year. Shirahama wrote the lyrics to the school song, projecting his own experiences as a high school student, to encourage students to take on new challenges.

Shirahama said, “This was my first challenge, but by taking a step forward, I was able to create a school song for the first time in my life that I am satisfied with. I am happy that this song will not be limited to being a school song, but will also reach the people of Imabari, FC Imabari players, and supporters.

FC Imabari High School Satoyama School Song “FC IMABARI_Sorairo no Chizu” will be completed in time for the school’s opening in April.
■Alan Shirahama commented

The school song is a song that will be sung by the next students after they graduate, so in terms of the direction we were aiming for, we imagined the scenery that the students will see and feel, and also placed importance on expressing the school building, school culture, and climate.

I wanted the song to have a message that would support the students’ future, even after they have spent three years at the school.

And when Mr. Okada-san first asked me to create the music, he encouraged me to do so freely, so I created it in a way similar to today’s music by linking the introduction and the impressive piano phrase between the first and second verse with the song.

I tried the approach used in JPOP in various parts of the song, thinking it would be familiar to the ears of people listening at ceremonies and other events.

The lyrics were inspired by the tidal breezes that the students will experience on their skin, the blue of the Imabari sky and the azure of the Shimanami Sea that they will see again and again, the sun shining on the students as it climbs the satoyama, and the “richness of heart” that Okada-san put into this school, so I incorporated those elements into the lyrics.

I was also inspired by Okada-san’s phrase “richness of heart” that he put into this school, so I incorporated that into the design. I also hope that the students who spend time together at the school will join hands with each other and say, “You can do it, and I can do it.

I myself am originally good at composing dance music, so this was my first challenge, but by taking the first step forward, I was able to create a school song for the first time in my life that I am satisfied with.

I am happy that this song will not only be a school song, but will also reach the people of Imabari, the players and supporters of FC Imabari.