IMARI TONES Nuclear Plants, Revolution, and God's Kingdom

by: Mike - 2012-07-01 05:47:33

The Christian Hard Rock band Imari Tones from Japan have released the following update.

IMARi ToNES
Yokohama, JP
Rock  / Hard Rock / Christian Rock



Share Songs » Exclusive Music » Visit Profile »

Hi, this is Tak from IMARi ToNES, a Japanese Christian rock band.

We have many announcements for this summer

A new album to sell (Yes, check it out on iTunes), a tour announcement, and a little something to ask our fans

However, we have to follow the right order when doing things.

So, before making any announcement, we want to share this story first.

Because we feel it's a very important thing.

It’s a long story, so if you love long stories, then please keep reading.
(Here is the blog post both in English and Japanese.)

http://blog.imaritones.net/2012/07/nuclear-plants- revolution-and-gods.html
---------------

It's really difficult to explain what has been going on  in Japan after last year disaster. There is really no explanation. We thank you and really appreciate all your prayer for Japan. Just like I said in every opportunity, we believe this is a change for Japan, planned by God, and it’s a change for  good. After we started playing Christian rock music (and we were REALLY serious), we prayed for a change for Japan. So that there will be more Christians in Japan, more people know about Jesus and God, and there will be spiritual salvation upon our country Japan. And yes, we believe now Japan is changing. People in Japan, society  in Japan, they are changing, though we lost many people’s lives as sacred sacrifice on March 11, 2011.

Even after 1 year has passed since the earthquake and tsunami, we are still struggling, and  our society is shaking. That is, because of, the nuclear power plant issue. Maybe nobody outside Japan cares about it, but we care. Because we are Japanese.

The worst thing last year was we lost so many lives in the disaster. About 20,000 people killed. But the next worst thing was, as you all know, the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, which took away their hometown forever, and may cause further, bigger disaster to whole human race in any moment.

It was on May 5th 2012, all the nuclear power plants in Japan stopped running. Since last year, there have been so many demonstrations against nuclear power plants in Japan, just like every week. It was quite surprising because in Japan people were always ignorant, indifference, and they didn’t care about things as long as they can live their life as usual. I felt people were changing, society were changing. As 1 year has passed, I begun to realize, this is not just  about energy policy issue. It’s something MORE. It’s about our SPIRITUAL  decision.

Some of you, your friend or family, may be working in one of those nuclear power plant facilities, and we have nothing against those people. And I don’t know if nuclear power plant itself is right or wrong. After all, we had been relying on them for many years in our life.

But as a citizen in Japan, the country in which we had 3 nuclear disasters in history (Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Fukushima), at least we can say this. We are NOT God. We are NOT perfect. And there is always something we CAN'T expect. Because the huge tsunami on March  11th 2011, that was something more than our expectations.

In Fukushima disaster we learned several things. 1: We are not perfect. Accident happens. 2:  Once a nuclear power plant is broken, there is NO way to fix it. We have to take care of it for thousands of years to come (And if we fail to do that, what will  happen?) 3: We use those “nuclear fuel” to run the nuke plants, but  the problem is, we have NO way to “dispose” those fules after we used them. We have to take care of those used fules for a very long time.

I think, probably, we can rely on those nuclear power plants, only if we are perfect. Only if we make no mistakes. Absolutely no mistake. But  we all know we make mistakes. And we can’t expect everything right. We know we are not perfect. (We need Jesus, because we are not perfect. Right?)

I don’t know what they are going to do with the broken Fukushima plant, which may collapse in any moment and cause further bigger disaster to the world. And maybe it’s already too late for the human race on this planet. But as a Japanese person, I can say this. Nuclear power plant is NOT GOOD. Or at least it’s too early for us to use it. We are simply not matured enough, and our technology is still not enough to deal with it.

And we learned one more important thing in this disaster and following society struggle. Nuclear power plant is more about MONEY, rather than about energy policy.

I don’t really want to explain here but, it looks like  people build those nuclear power plants because of MONEY. And they want to keep them running, because of MONEY. And now our government wants to restart those nuclear  power plants because of MONEY.

I’m not going to say we don’t need money. But as a Christian, I always think of the bible words, “You can’t serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24). And to me it sounds like a choice between LIFE and MONEY. It’s a spiritual decision, rather than a political decision. And I feel it’s time to make our decision. Our society’s decision that decides our direction. And we can’t be ignorant for that. Our future, whole human race, and our children’s life at stake.

One of my heroes in Japanese Christian history, is Takashi  Nagai, who was a surviver of Nagasaki atomic bomb and the author of “The Bells of Nagasaki”. He was also a doctor and a researcher in nuclear technology (radiology). In his book “The Bells of Nagasaki”, he wrote about “using nuclear technology for peace, not for war”. He was dreaming about using nuclear  technology for a good purpose. Now I wonder what he would say if he were alive.  Would he be disappointed with our immature technology? Or would he be disappointed  with our immature society? But his story tells us there is still hope. Because in  his worst situation after Nagasaki atomic bomb, he still had hope for the future.

My story doesn’t end here.

I want to talk a little more about POLITICS (ah, not really), and OUR LOVE for our  nation Japan.

As a rock musician in an independent band, I have been  always thinking about changing society. It’s what rock music is all about, right? When we look into a history book, back in 1960’s people believed that music could change the world. I have been thinking what it really meant, and that’s actually one of the reasons I became a Christian. And off course, I have been always thinking about “Politics” (ah, not really) and “Revolution”.

Yes, Revolution. Number 1, number 9, or whatever. (The Beatles.)

When I see those struggles and turmoils in Japanese society  more than 1 year, I realized this is more than just an energy policy. It’s  more about politics. And it’s more about DEMOCRACY. It’s our society system.

What kind of DEMOCRACY do we have, when the government makes a decision against so many people?

What kind of JOURNALISM do we have, when there are many demonstrations every week and they don’t  even mention it on TV and Newspaper?

What kind of SOCIETY are we making, when people’s voice can’t be heard and only POWER  MANIACS and MONEY WORSHIPERS in higher positions?

In this struggle  and turmoil, we realized that’s the society we have. That’s the government  we have. I think Japan has come to a point when we have to face these society distortions.

As a rock musician and an artist, I never believed in the notion of “NATION”. We have no borders between cultures, races,  tribes. It’s just our background. Thus, I never believed in our government, too.

However, when I became a Christian, I learned  one important thing. We have GOD’S KINGDOM. Yes, I am a Japanese person. But  we don’t really belong to a country here on earth. WE BELONG TO GOD’S  KINGDOM.

As a rock musician, and a Christian person, now I know we play our music for God’s Kingdom. We play music to realize His Kingdom  on this earth.

Our country, must be like God’s Kingdom. But how can we do that?

God’s kingdom, it is NOT  in politics. It’s NOT in democracy itself. It’s NOT in system or law.  God’s Kingdom, is IN PEOPLE.

LUKE 17:20,21 says;
20: Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the kingdom of God come?” Jesus answered, “God’s kingdom  is coming, but not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes.
21: People will not say, ‘Look, here it is!’  or, ‘There it is!’ because God’s kingdom is within you.”
(New Century Version)

We need a revolution, I believe. But we don’t do it with weapons and guns. When we toured in USA last year, some good person told me that Americans don’t have guns only for  self defense. He told me Americans own guns and weapons to fight the government  when it becomes “oppressive”. Honestly I was impressed and that’s probably the first time I understood the meaning of freedom American people talk about. (Though still I don’t like guns.) However we, at least in Japan, can’t  make God’s Kingdom with guns and weapons. Because it’s not in politics  or systems. And most importantly, we have better weapons. That’s WORDS, ART, ACTS, and MUSIC.

In Japanese history, some great samurais said “the  most important thing in politics is EDUCATION”. That’t because education  makes people’s heart and mind. And that heart and mind makes God’s Kingdom!

I want a REVOLUTION. I want to make it happen. And when  we say revolution, we mean “God’s Kingdom”. And God’s Kingdom  is only WITHIN PEOPLE. AMONG PEOPLE. IN PEOPLE’s HEART. As a rock musician,  our mission is to spread God’s Kingdom in people’s heart. Now we know  it clearly. When God’s Kingdom comes among us, I believe, those problems,  politics, nuclear plants, economies, wars, we can find the right solutions with  God’s help. Am I too optimistic?

I want you to help this battle. Not with guns, but with heart and mind. Using your/his/her  talent, job, life, to express God’s Love. That’s the only way to spread  God’s Kingdom. God’s Kingdom is not “here” or “there”. It’s not “look like this” or “shape like this”. God’s  Kingdom is IN YOU. And if you have God’s Love, I believe God’s Kingdom  is in EVERYTHING you do! I really want you to join this battle for God’s Kingdom,  wherever you are. Not only for Japan but for all of us.

Earlier this  month (June 2012), our government decided to restart the Ooi nuclear power plant in Fukui prefecture Japan. Some people say we lost the battle. However, that’s  not true. From my point of view, our country has certainly changed. Our mind, changed  by God. We see something we have never seen before. It’s just a beginning.

Even if our government will go against our hope and restart all the nuclear plants in Japan, our battle doesn’t end there. Our battle  actually, has just begun.

Can we change the world with MUSIC?
I don’t know.

Can  we change the world with LOVE?
I’m not sure.

But my heart says YES. Never changing “YES”.

Because, even though we are powerless humans being, we know there is nothing impossible for God!!

....and by the way, our new album “Japan Metal Jesus” is here on iTunes store ;)
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/japan-metal-jesus /id538507471

Thanks and God bless you!

Tak “Tone” Nakamine
Imari Tones

29th June 2012

LINKS
 ReverbNation  Twitter  Artist Website  Facebook  Myspace

Powered by FanReach