Lyric

"Whatever people may say about me, I know what I'm doing."

This song expresses the life of Sakamoto Ryoma, known as a patriot of the late Edo period. Through this song, we hope that listeners will have the opportunity to encounter Sakamoto Ryoma's way of life and thoughts, and to deepen their reflections on their own lives and ideals. We also hope that, inspired by the spirit embodied in Ryoma's famous words, listeners will gain the courage to move forward with their own convictions.

Sakamoto Ryoma was born on November 15, 1835 (by the old calendar), in Tosa Domain (present-day Kochi Prefecture), as the youngest of six siblings in a low-ranking samurai family. From childhood, he devoted himself to swordsmanship, and at 19, he went to Edo to study, training at the dojo of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school.

Ryoma's life coincided with the Bakumatsu period, a time of great change for Japan. Triggered by the arrival of Commodore Perry's black ships, he initially embraced the ideology of revering the emperor and expelling foreigners. However, he later developed an ambition to modernize Japan by incorporating Western knowledge and technology.

His activities were diverse. He became a disciple of Katsu Kaishu, contributed to the establishment of the Kobe Naval Training Center, and studied navigation. He also founded a trading company called "Kameyama Shachu" in Nagasaki, mainly dealing in Western-style guns.

One of Ryoma's most significant achievements was his contribution to the formation of the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance, mediating between the opposing Satsuma and Choshu domains. This alliance became the driving force behind the subsequent Meiji Restoration. Furthermore, he compiled his vision for a new national system in the "Eight Proposals While Shipboard," which, when presented to the shogunate through the Tosa domain, led to the realization of the return of political power to the Emperor by Tokugawa Yoshinobu.

However, Ryoma's life was cut short. On November 15, 1867 (by the old calendar), his 33rd birthday (by Japanese count), he was assassinated in Kyoto. He closed his life just before the dawn of the Meiji Restoration.

Sakamoto Ryoma is known as a figure who greatly contributed to Japan's modernization with his free thinking and dynamic action, unbound by the feudal system. His perspective of "Japan in the world" and his attitude of pioneering a new era hold universal value that is still relevant today.

Sakamoto Ryoma's famous words, "Whatever people may say about me, I know what I'm doing," teach the importance of acting according to one's own convictions without being swayed by others' evaluations or criticisms. These words serve as an important guide for self-realization, personal growth, and social change.