Yukio Hatoyama sings “Take HEART”
Ever since I’d heard about Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s 1988 single “Take HEART – Fly, Dove of Peace,” I’ve been looking for a good copy of it. Here’s a YouTube video containing about a minute of the song:
“I never imagined that there would be a day when this tune would come into the spotlight,” said Teruaki Asanuma, a 65-year-old dentist in the Hokkaido city of Muroran who wrote the song at Hatoyama’s request.
Hatoyama had wanted Asanuma to write a tune featuring a Japanese-dance rhythm, but Asanuma said he recommended a more pop-oriented record reflective of the “urban atmosphere” Hatoyama had created.
Only a short recording session was required, Asanuma recalled, adding that he thought Hatoyama was “quite accustomed to singing.”
The title of the song plays on the similarity in sound between “hato” (dove), the first part of Hatoyama’s surname, and “heart,” according to Asanuma.
“Now I hope he will help to guide everyone to happiness as suggested in the lyrics of the song,” he said.
And here’s a video clip of it being played at a party held by Hatoyama supporters:
Does anybody know where one can find a longer and better quality copy of the song?
Because of its limited release, it’s become a rare collector’s item. One vinyl record recently sold for 35,000 yen in an online auction.
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