Launch of U.N. Passage, a New Creative Brand
Bilizen Co., Ltd. has launched U.N. Passage, a creative brand spanning literature, music, visual media, fine art, and classical traditions.
Our concept is “creating a Passage between the past, the present, and the next era.”
Through contemporary technology and forms of expression, we bring inherited words and culture into the present and carry them forward into the next era.
As our first initiative, we have launched the music project KYO WARABE.
The name derives from the coined expression 今日童 (KYO WARABE), created by layering 今日 (kyō, “today”) onto the historical term 京童 (kyō-warabe).*
Not tied to any specific real-life singer, KYO WARABE is a fictional artist identity that expresses the feelings of ordinary people living today through a range of voices and musical styles.
Generative AI is used for vocals and composition, while human creators handle planning, selection, editing, and overall structure.
* In the Nijō-gawara Rakusho, kyō-warabe refers to the people of Kyoto at the time. The text presents the satire as their kuchizusami—“what was on the lips of Kyoto’s people”—reflecting the social climate of the period.
NIJŌ RIVERBANK GRAFFITI (Nijō-gawara Rakusho)
A hip-hop reimagining of a satirical text said to have been posted on the Nijō riverbank in Kyoto in 1334.
Total views (trailer and full version): approx. 77,000
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UNTIL NEXT WEEKEND (Mata, Tsugi no Shūmatsu ni)
An entirely original R&B ballad about changing seasons and memories we hold dear.
Total views (trailer and full version): approx. 109,000
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Going forward, we will also create works that take classical texts, including waka poetry, as their point of departure and connect them with contemporary scenes and music.
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We appreciate your continued interest in our work.