Praise yourself

This song is about the kind of love you only realize after leaving home.
After spending a few years away, I finally understood what my hometown really meant to me, and I shaped those feelings into this track.

I came to Tokyo full of dreams, but the more time passed, the more I noticed how many things I used to take for granted.
Excitement slowly turned into worries and doubts, and I wrote about that shift in my feelings too.

There were tough moments-times when I wanted to hold on to something.
But I kept telling myself, "If you're gonna believe in something, start from inside, not from the outside."
That line is something I really value.

In the bridge, I mention "yadoriya," a vintage-clothing café in Itoigawa, Niigata, my hometown.
I stop by every time I go back, and they always treat me warmly.
For such a countryside town, it's a rare kind of spot-lots of different people gather there, and I always get new ideas and new perspectives from them.
I used the name out of respect.

Leaving home made me realize the importance of things I never really noticed-like the friends I hung out with every day, and my family.
I tried to put all that appreciation into this song.

I know you, listening to this, probably have your own struggles too.
But I really believe the people close to you, and the connections you already have, are supporting you more than you think.
In that sense, maybe this track is a little bit of a self-empowerment song from my side.

If this song touches you in any way, try saying a small "thank you" to your friends or family.
Even that alone would give meaning to me singing this song.
Yeah, I know it can feel a bit embarrassing, haha.

I came from a town with barely any streetlights or shops, and moved to Tokyo where everything is bright and full of possibilities.
This song is my way of expressing the love and feelings I found along that journey.