Out today, the 15th of May, ‘Johatsu’ is the new single from Suneaters’ upcoming album, ‘Suneaters V: Heroic Dose’.
‘Suneaters V: Heroic Dose’ is set for release on June the 19th, via Lotuspool Records.
The term Johatsu came into use in Japan in the 1960s, and was originally used in the context of people who decided to escape unhappy marriages rather than go through formal divorce proceedings. Nowadays it’s come to describe people who dropped out of society and their everyday lives, and vanish without a trace. The phenomenon has since been seen to happen all over the world, including China, South Korea, the US, the UK, and Germany. Such was the spread of Johatsu that a documentary was released last year about it, ‘Johatsu: Into Thin Air‘, directed by filmmakers Andreas Hartmann and Arata Mori.’
In the case of Suneaters’ song of the same name, it’s more like the original meaning, with one partner proposing to the other that he should become a Johatsu, with him vanishing. There’s children involved, which always makes parting difficult, but the singer argues that they’ll get over it, and be better for it in the end. He sings that neither of them need the other, and his departure would leave them in peace. It’s sadly moving, with emotionally charged vocals set to equally stirring rock guitars and drums.
The music video for ‘Johatsu’ is a world away from the sad story of the song. Set in a karaoke bar, each person in the room takes their turn at the microphone, mouthing to the lyrics of ‘Johatsu’. Unlike the song, which presumes the couple go their separate ways, the flautist and the accordion player find harmony together.
Watch the music video for ‘Johatsu’ below, and find out more about Suneaters and their music online on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, and on Lotuspool’s website.
