Why Japanese music-vlogging trio Skygarden fell in love with PH

Skygarden —ALTG RECORDS

The Philippine-based Japanese trio Skygarden has been quickly gaining traction online, thanks to their fun, good-natured pranks, comedic sketches and amusing covers of OPM (Original Pilipino Music) songs.

But more than racking up views and amassing a big following, Ryoichiro Nagatsuka, Hiro Ozaki and Iwaki Maegawa hope to use their platform to give back to the Filipino people who have supported their content and welcomed them with open arms.

During a visit to a local public elementary school, the three content creators who hail from Nagoya, Japan, noticed that not all students had a baon or packed lunch. The situation had them wondering: “Bakit siya wala, pero siya meron?” Ryo, whose mother is Filipino, related at a recent press conference.

“In Japan, even in public schools, lunch is provided for students every day. And there’s a nutritionist, too, so the food is healthy. It felt like there was a gap. How can children study in the afternoon if they don’t have lunch? So if more events or projects come our way, we would use those to raise funds for a school lunch project,” he said.

Fallen into depression

“There’s this Japanese company that succeeded in doing that in Vietnam. It has been doing that for 10 years for hundreds of schools. And I hope we can contribute to something like that,” he added.

Skygarden’s content creation journey began last year. Ryo, who was then working in a Philippine-based Japanese company, bought Hiro and Iwa plane tickets to the country. The two had fallen into depression after losing their jobs because of the pandemic. And Ryo thought that showing his childhood friends around the Philippines would cheer them up.

“I brought them here because I thought that being here may change something in them. They may get influenced by the Filipinos’ happy attitude. Filipinos still smile a lot as they overcome hardships, and I wanted my friends to see that. Now, I see that they have changed in a positive way. So whatever we get [from content creation], we want to give back to those who supported us,” he said.

“Everyone here is energetic, hyper, kind and happy. And the people make me happy, too. I was depressed back in Japan, but now I feel much happier,” Hiro said.

The first few months were difficult for Hiro and Iwa, Ryo said. But now, they all love it here in the Philippines—and even prefer it to Japan in some ways. “We like the lifestyle … Everyone is approachable and kind,” said Ryo, who pointed out that both countries have their advantages and disadvantages.

“Japan is clean, safe and there is a lot of beauty. But the population is decreasing, and people are overworked. But here, I love that family is a big thing,” he said.

Philippine music

Aside from the people’s love and warmth, another thing that made them fall in love with the Philippines is the music.

Other than their viral skits and pranks, Skygarden’s covers of such songs as “S2pid Luv” by Salbakuta” and “Lagi” by Skusta Clee are hits among viewers. Iwa is a big fan of Mayonnaise and the band’s hit song “Jopay.” Hiro, on the other hand, seems to have fallen in love with Eraserheads, citing the classics “Pare Ko” and “Ang Huling El Bimbo” as his favorites.

Seeing the trio’s potential, GMA Music’s sublabel, AltG Records, signed them on and helped them produce and release original songs. “We were able to achieve our goal of spreading positivity through content creation. So, this time, we’re focusing on another goal, [which is music],” Ryo said.

Their debut single, “Kokoa” (short for “Kokoro kara aishiteru” or “I love you with all my heart”) was written by Hiro based on Iwa’s experience about love and heartbreak. “When we were in high school, Iwa had a crush on a girl whom he messaged often … He tried asking her out, but got ignored,” Hiro said.

If they were to describe their sound, Ryo said it would be a combination of J-Rock and OPM—something that could pass off as a theme song of an anime series, but with Tagalog lyrics. “That’s the twist we put into our music. We didn’t use Japanese lyrics so we can be understood well. We want to entertain and connect with people,” he said.

And they plan to stay on this path in entertainment for as long as possible. “We feel motivated. Japan doesn’t cross my mind at the moment. I don’t feel like, ‘Oh, I have to go back.’ I’m inspired to keep going here in the Philippines,” he said. INQ