Toshinobu Kubota -- Shogyou wa Mujou（諸行は無常）

 

"World Business Satellite" is a nightly TV Tokyo program (began in 1988) on the economy that I've often heard about. However, not being interested in economic news, I've never watched it. According to its J-Wiki article though, it's had a long list of ending theme songs by some of the most famous singers in Japan although a lot of those titles are unfamiliar to me. Most likely, the artists created something specifically for WBS.

Well, I'm paying attention to one song now, and sure enough, it's the latest ending theme that started its run on the program as of March 2025. It's "Shogyou wa Mujou" (All Things Must Pass), created and recorded by J-R&B veteran Toshinobu Kubota（久保田利伸）. I swear the man doesn't age (he's 63!); he must have his own Dorian Gray painting in one of his closets.

Anyways, according to the singer himself, he made the song for the viewers who must be slogging away while trying to achieve their (business) goals. It's a tough world out there and it's easy to get discouraged or become hard and bitter but let's realize that kindness and compassion still mean something. And "Shogyou wa Mujou" isn't the usual hard funk from Kubota, but something that goes a bit more soulfully and softly. 

I also found out that the song probably comes straight from the yojijukugo (四字熟語...four-character compound) shogyou mujou（諸行無常）meaning the same thing as above. I should learn more of those since they seem to impart their daily dose of wisdom.