whoops - missed some of the translation

Here's the booklet
Vince

Shin-Nihon-Kikou
Translation of CD booklet by V.Williams ©2002

"The masterpieces of Isao Tomita remain in our ears and our hearts"
Saegusa Shigeaki (composer)

"I think Tomita is the first composer who has done utterly high quality and
professional work of Japanese imagery in TV and films.

"The theme of "Shin-Nihon-Kikou" is one of the most Brilliant masterpieces in
this area of themes for TV programmes.

"The pieces Tomita has made have a musical "glamour".

After Recording (commentary by Tomita)

"Looking back through the recording this time, I've just noticed that I have
three kinds of style in my works.

"The first is that rooted in the melody of Kimaga-yo (Japan's national song)
such as Nihon No Sugao, Shin Niho Kikou, and Tayo Na Kokudo.

"The second is that "minor" tune which I sang at primary school everyday at
the end of World War II. This affected Hana No Shogai, Ten No Chi To, and
Shin Heike Monogatari.

"The third is that influenced by jazz and Latin music and pieces from
musicals, such as Ribon No Kishi, Futatsu No Hashi and Jungle Tatei.

"Because these pieces are themes for TV programmes and films, they are all
too short individually to put in an album, so I have rearranged them for this
album."

Commentaries on the pieces by Tomita

1) A New Account Of A Trip Through Japan (Opening Theme - The Imaginary
Sound of the Japanese traditional flute in the festival)

"I composed this piece remembering the beautiful countryside where I lived
with my grandparents on my mother's side for a while after the Second World
War."

Japan's Face Without Make-up

"This piece was made for a TV documentary series which showed people and
towns still suffering from the after-effects of World War II"

2) The Great Jungle Emperor (Dawn - Coming Out Of Panjya - King Of The
Jungle)

"This is the earliest so-called large scale animation series written by
Tezuka Osamu (who is called the "God of Manga" in Japan). It was a
masterpiece which was way beyond the ordinary animation of 1965 which was
still in its infancy.

3) Katsu Kaishu - The Departure Of Kan Rin Maru

"I composed this piece imagining the great departure of Kan Rin Maru, Japan's
first sailing ship. One can imagine that the departure of Katsu on the Kan
Rin Maru on a great voyage to the American continent, would have required a
great decision, similar to one for the departure to another planet!"

4) Bungo Torimno Ezu - Wakasa No On Na (For a period drama TV series - "cop"
story)

"The woman from Wakasa, who was refused to consult her ill partner by a
doctor, because of their poverty, starts to take revenge on the doctor, and
finally meets a tragic destiny herself."

5) School

"I have kept expressing what I think is the "something" in Japanese spiritual
life. This film, directed by Yamada Yoji, is very moving."

6) The Legend Of The Blue Wolf (Documentary programme about Genghis Khan)

"The Batokin harp and the woman's song are based on the native Mongolian's
who were at last allowed to play and sing after the end of the Soviet Union.
The song sounds like "Kokiriko No Uta", an old Japanese folk song."

7) Biography Without Borderline

"For a NHK documentary drama about Mitsuko Aoyama, who became a Baroness
after her marriage to Baron Karelski of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and died
in Vienna; and about her son Richard Kudenhoff Kareski who was active in a
pan-European movement."

8) The Two Bridges (A romantic story of a Japanese young man and an Italian
girl.)

"This was the first TV drama in Japan which was filmed abroad."

9) The Knight With Ribbon On Her Head (Princess Knight)

"Princess Sapphire, who was brought up as a prince, secretly loves Franz,
prince of a neighbouring country. This starts a struggle with the evil Sir
Nilon who knows her secrets."

10) The Life Of A Flower

"For the drama series about Ii Naosake who was Tairo ( so-called Chancellor
for the Shogun) in the period of the last part of the Edo era when Admiral
Perry of the United States came to Shimoda Izu, Japan and forced Japan to
open up to the rest of the world. Afterwards Ii Naosuke was assassinated."

11) Heaven And Earth (Opening Theme - The Battalions Of Kai - Snows of
Echigo)

"I composed this piece imagining the dark cloudy skies of Echigo in winter,
and also the music of the Biwa lute played by Uesugi Kenshin in a humble
temple of Bishamon Ten (God's guardian)."

12) A New Story Of The Taira Family

" Mugen-Jugoku is the worst and cruellest of Buddhism's eight hells; there is
no sound, no sense, no time and no view there. Shogyo Mujyo is one of
Buddhism's dogmatic thoughts, and means - nothing is still in the world."

13) Tokugawa Ieyasu

"Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder of Tokugawa Bakufu, which maintained a
peaceful period of Edo for four hundred years. He was called "Hiru-Andon",
which means "very slow response and dull like a lamp in the daylight", but
actually he was very clever and always calculated and thought about his
strategies like a computer, behind his silence."

14) A Decision

"This is a documentary drama about the regain of diplomatic relationships
between China and Japan in 1972. I lived in Beijing when I was six and
enjoyed skating with my father on a lake in a park in Beijing. Composing this
piece reminded me of those memories."

15) The Very Land (Grandpa's Village)

"For the Japanese government's booth at the Tukuba Expo '85. Imagine a
grandpa narrating to his grandchildren about the "good old days",
repeatedly."

16) To Whom Does The Blue Earth Belong?

"It is well known all the world over that Major Yuri Gagarin said that the
planet Earth was blue as the first man to travel on a satellite in space. I
wrote this piece 25 years ago when people were afraid of a nuclear war
between America and the Soviet Union. The children who sang in this piece
then are now in their 30's and 40's and the main issue now about the future
of the Earth is ecology. I think we must consider this issue seriously and
must stop the destruction of our environment to maintain the "Blue Earth"."