By Sae Kushibe,
After years of entertaining the idea, Yasushi Ozaki's decision to pursue a career as a lawyer hinged on one overriding factor -- the sudden death of his younger brother, popular Japanese singer-songwriter Yutaka Ozaki.
Yasushi, 62, who this spring became the new president of the Saitama Bar Association, says speaking out against injustice was what his brother did as a matter of course. Yutaka would often question what he felt was unfair or wrong in society through his songs.
Nowadays, Yasushi says he tends to his duties and fights for social justice with the same zeal, carrying with him the memory of his brother's adolescent longing for a fairer world.
"He questioned society in his music. I want to always value that same attitude of not being afraid about saying what needs to be said," Yasushi said in a recent interview with Kyodo News.
Born the eldest son in Machida, western Tokyo, both Yasushi's parents worked -- his father as a Self-Defense Force clerk, his mother as a part-time employee.
Yutaka, younger by five years, got along well with his elder brother, and the two would often play games such as "tag" and "kick the can" with other children in the neighborhood.
Due to family circumstances, the Ozakis moved to Asaka in Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, but Yutaka did not adjust well to his new elementary school and eventually stopped going. Instead, he picked up a guitar that Yasushi wasn't using at home and began strumming and singing along to the music.
Soon after, Yutaka formed a band with his junior high school classmates and immersed himself in writing music.
While still in high school in 1983, he debuted at the age of 18 with his hit single "A Night at Fifteen," alongside an album titled "Seventeen's Map," which propelled him overnight to a successful career in rock music.
Yasushi, meanwhile, enrolled at Waseda University's School of Law. He started a sports club with high school friends and worked multiple part-time jobs. After graduating, he worked as a clerk at the Tokyo District Court, among other jobs, and later married at age 25.
It appeared to be smooth sailing for both brothers, but everything changed after Yutaka returned from the United States and was found to be using drugs.
Yasushi would frequently return to his parent's home to keep a watchful eye on Yutaka, but their quarrels would often escalate into full-blown fistfights.
Finally, their father intervened by calling the police. Yutaka was arrested and convicted with a suspended sentence for violating the Stimulants Control Law in 1987.
Despite Yutaka's fall from grace, his fans remained loyal, with over 55,000 people attending his "Live Core" comeback concert at Tokyo Dome in 1988.
He released a series of hit songs and had planned a nationwide tour to commemorate his newly scheduled album "Confession for Exist." But at the height of his popularity, Yutaka passed away on April 25, 1992, at the age of 26.
He had been found drunk and unconscious by a neighbor in a Tokyo alleyway near his home and was rushed to a hospital in an ambulance. Despite being discharged soon after his arrival, he died several hours later, with the official cause of death being pulmonary edema.
Yasushi quit his job and went to his brother's office to deal with the fallout. In a testament to Yutaka's undying popularity, close to 40,000 mourners turned up for his memorial service, and many fans did not request refunds for the canceled tour, deciding instead to keep their tickets as mementos.
As things settled down, Yasushi had a chance to take a fresh look at his own life.
He retook the bar exam and passed at the age of 33. In his legal work, he has focused on juvenile cases and instances of child abuse, partly due to the influence of Yutaka, who sang about the anxieties and sufferings of young people.
It has been 31 years since Yutaka's passing, but Yasushi's younger brother is still a dominant presence in his life, and he still tears up when he thinks about his untimely death.
Yutaka sang about society's irrationalities and his own anguish, winning the enthusiastic support of young people and earning him the nickname "Judai no Karisuma," which literally translates to "teenage charisma." Among his many hit singles are "Graduation," "I Love You," and "Shelly," while "Confession for Exist" was released posthumously in May 1992.
"I am really proud of my brother. He once received a letter from a fan who wrote of being discouraged from committing suicide because of him. I wanted him to live for a long time," lamented Yasushi.
Yasushi keeps moving forward, but often thinks about the life Yutaka dreamed of yet never fulfilled.
"My brother rebelled against the adults who tried to hold him back. He felt that he wanted to live freely. Lawyers should also oppose anything restricting freedom and be faithful to the Constitution," Yasushi said.
"I will continue to focus on my mission, protecting human rights and realizing social justice."
