Mr. Kina Shokichi, a well-known Japanese musician, born in Okinawa, has been engaged in peace movements while developing his musical activities after his debut in 1977. He is one of the few Japanese musicians who has gone around the world and appealed for world peace by singing songs.

He is giving positive aid to north Korea's suffering from food shortage, waging the "Arirang Movement"("Arirang" is a Korean popular folk song), a campaign to send rice to north Korea. He made his first visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from Apr. 31 to May 5 in his food aid activities.

Here is an interview with Mr. Kina Shokichi on his relations with Korea and his idea of food aid to the DPRK:

Japanese musicians, from 16 groups in all, gave a charity concert in Okinawa on May 16 in aid of poverty-stricken north Korean people. The money collected at the concert "Change All Arms into Musical Instruments" will be appropriated for food aid to the DPRK.

Some people ask me why I used the word "Arirang" for the show title. They complain we should have stressed domestic issues such as U.S. military bases in Okinawa before taking up foreign ones. However I don't think these two problems are separated.

The starting point of my idea is peace. I believe wishing for peace in Okinawa is the same as wishing for peace in the neighboring country. It is quite natural that we should extend assistance to a country which need aid, and believe this act of ours is inseparable from world peace. So I am determined to appeal for it to the world in a loud voice.

During my last visit, I strongly felt emotional affinity with Korea. Korea seemed to be close to me. I think Okinawa and Korea are related to each other in some respects, so I wanted to Know something more about both sides by visiting the DPRK.

The U.S. military bases exist in Okinawa on grounds of "threat from north Korea." If there is such a threat, It is desirable to get rid of it by developing harmonious relations with north Korea. Resorting to force one-sidedly is a dangerous idea. For this reason, I thought I should see the DPRK with my own eyes and grasp in detail the conditions of north Korea's flood disaster.

On my way to Mt. Myohyang from Pyongyang I saw people planting trees together, and then I did realize a series of natural disasters that caused serious damage to north Korea.

I was very much surprised at the high cultural level of Korea and moved by their pride in their country.

Since I sang "Arirang" in south Korea with enthusiastic applause from the audience, I have sang "Arirang" in several places in the world. When I sang this song in Pyongyang, north Korean people applauded loudly just as south Korean people did. Also in Okinawa, people reacted in the same way as north and south Korean people did.

Korean history shows us that the north and the south were originally one country. I could realize this when I sang "Arirang." Through this long history, people have built up their life and their original culture. We should not deny its long history and high culture, only because at present north Korea suffers from serious food shortage and needs assistance in food from the world.

My song "hana" ("hana" is the Japanese word for "flower") was loved and received favorably by many Asian people. During my last visit to north Korea I sang the song in Pyongyang, and I was greatly encouraged by north Korean audience. While singing the song, I found it suitable for the Korean nation as if it were made just for the Koreans.

I think that "flower" is to me the origin of my spirit and life, and it symbolizes the very human life. The Korean nation has good understanding of art and has a superior culture. So I believe that the Koreans will make an excellent "flower" bloom.

On May. 9, I participated in a concert presented by Chongryun, the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan. The second- and third-generation Korean residents in Japan, spoke in their mother tongue and sang Korean songs and performed dances with a Korean rhythm from the beginning to the end of the concert. I wondered why they could master their national art even though they were born and brought up in a foreign country. A Korean young man resolved my doubt, saying, "It's due to our national identity."

I think that it is because they have a firm sense of identity and an inflexible confidence in it that they can inherit their national culture from generation to generation.

Granting that there is a "threat from north Korea", to me it is only a "cultural threat". I highly appreciate the high standard of Korean culture and their sense of art that seeks only the genuine in art.