On ReHacQ, a media platform for business professionals, Drifter’s CEO Taro Ishida appeared twice in long-form interview programs, each running approximately one hour.
The invitation came directly from the program’s producer, Hiroki Takahashi.
The initial theme was clear but challenging:
Is it possible to talk about Gagaku — a form of music largely unknown to the general public — in a way that business professionals with little interest in music or culture can still find personally engaging?
The value was there, but the question was how to design an effective point of entry.
There was no prepared script for the recording.
The conversation had to be built improvisationally, while addressing viewers coming from entirely different backgrounds and interests.
The greatest difficulty was speaking to people who were not originally interested in Gagaku — and still making them feel that listening had meaning.
Rather than explaining Gagaku as a specialized musical field, the discussion connected it to everyday concerns of business professionals:
work, decision-making, values, and how one builds a framework for thinking.
Through this lens, Gagaku was presented not as a niche tradition, but as cultural literacy — and music as a foundation for thought.
Although the topic was music, the conversation naturally expanded to questions of worldview, ways of working, and how one relates to life itself.
The response after release was strong.
Many viewers commented that they were deeply moved or felt they had encountered an entirely unfamiliar world, and view counts continue to grow steadily.
Following these appearances, multiple requests for lectures and interviews were received, introducing Ishida’s work to audiences he had not previously reached.
This project represents an example of translating a highly specialized subject into language and structure that resonate beyond its original domain — and allowing it to exist as a live, unscripted dialogue.
Beyond music itself, the process focused on how ideas should be spoken, and within which context they gain meaning.
Collaboratively shaping the core concept of the program was a particularly rewarding experience.
