無限の住人 Mugen no Juunin
Track list:
1. 晒し首 (6:59)
2. 無限の住人 (4:56)
3. 地獄 (3:51)
4. 蛮カラ一代記 (4:47)
5. 莫迦酔狂い (7:55)
6. もっこの子守唄 (2:33)
7. 刀と鞘 (4:24)
8. 辻斬り小唄無宿編 (3:25)
9. 宇宙遊泳 (6:53)
10. 黒猫 (8:45)
Release date: September 20, 1996, reissued on August 19, 2020 with two bonus tracks
Label: Pony Canyon
Running time: 54:26
Produced by: Ningen Isu
Personnel:
Shinji Wajima – guitars, vocals, harmonica, taisho-goto
Kenichi Suzuki – bass, vocals
Iwao Tsuchiya – drums, percussion, vocals
Toshio Egawa (guest) – keyboards
Takeshi Shinohara (guest) – flute, ryuuteki
Tracks 2, 5, 6, 8, 10 by Shinji Wajima
Tracks 1, 3, 7 by Kenichi Suzuki
Track 4 lyrics by Shinji Wajima, music by Shinji Wajima and Kenichi Suzuki
Track 9 lyrics by Shinji Wajima, music by Kenichi Suzuki
6th Mugen no Juunin
Shinji Wajima and Kenichi Suzuki were wondering where to go next after their first self-produced, indie release. As luck would have it, manga artist Hiroaki Samura was a fan of the band and asked them if they’d be interested in a collaboration project. They would record an album that would be released on the Pony Canyon label – a one-time release contract but a major label nonetheless – and Samura would provide the artwork. In addition, Samura co-wrote a song with Wajima that was released as a B-side to “Katana to Saya (Sword and Sheath)”. This song, “Ouka Ondo”, is only available as the B-side to the single. It does not appear on any album or compilation but you can find it on YouTube.
Wajima and Suzuki were excited about the album. They felt they were writing a commissioned work and threw themselves into it. There was one caveat: all song lyrics had to be things that people could have written about during Japan’s Edo Period. No songs about cars, telephones or pachinko this time! Instead songs dealt with more with swords and Edo life. Wajima decided to give a couple of tracks some traditional Japanese treatment. The title track includes a Japanese woodwind instrument called a ryuuteki. Masahiro Goto’s band GERARD lent their keyboard player for a track. The song “Kuro Neko (Black Cat)” was inspired by a story written in 1895 by Kyouka Izumi. “Mokko no Komori-uta” has a very strong Japanese folk-style to it and includes flute as well as a Wajima homemade fuzz box. Incidentally, “mokko” is a yokai from Aomori whose name appears in the song “Nabega Yama gara Mokko Kuru” from 2011’s “Shigan Raisan”. That song’s title comes from the third line in the song, “Mokko no Komori Uta”.
One song that troubled Suzuki a little was “Uchuu Yuei (Space Walk)”. He was really into Hawkwind at the time and wanted to do a Hawkwind-inspired song. But about space? Wajima said that space had always been there even before the Edo Period, so it should be okay. This was the first song of the space series that would continue on many albums afterward. This album also includes Suzuki’s “Jigoku”, which is the Hell of Japanese Buddhist lore. It was the first of many songs to come in the “Jigoku” series.
Wajima and Suzuki were pleased with the resulting album. However, after the album premier performance, drummer Tsuchiya decided to leave the band, and once more Masahiro Goto was asked to fill in, this time for the album tour.
This album was reissued on August 19, 2020. The track list includes the B-side of the “Katana to Saya” single, a track called “Ouka Ondo” and a new track called “Mugen no Juunin Butouhen”. Pre-orders of the CD came with a panel of artwork by Hiroaki Samura for the new anime series.
Track list Romanized and with English translations (from Wikipedia):
Mugen no Juunin – Blade of the Immortal
1. Sarashi Kubi – Decapitated Head
2. Mugen no Juunin – Blade of the Immortal (note: “Mugen” means infinite, “juunin” actually means resident or occupant)
3. Jigoku – Inferno (or Hell by Buddhist reckoning)
4. Bankara Ichidaiki – Stalwart Man Chronicle
5. Bacchus Gurui – Bacchus Drunk Crazy
6. Mokko no Komori Uta – Cradle Song of a Monster (Mokko is a mythological monster creature from Aomori)
7. Katana to Saya – Sword and Sheath
8. Tsujigiri Kouta Mushuku-hen – Street Murder Song of an Outlaw
9. Uchuu Yuuei – Spacewalk
10. Kuroneko – Black Cat
Songs also appear on:
Tracks 3, 10; Oshie to Tabisuru Otoko – Ningen Isu Kessaku Sen Dai 2 Shuu (2nd compilation album),
Ningen Isu Kessaku-sen – Nijuu Shuunen Kinen Best Ban (the 20th anniversary compilation album),
Utsushiyo wa Yume – 25 Shuunen Kinen Best Album (25th anniversary compilation album), and
Ningen Isu Meisaku Sen Sanjuu Shuunen Kinen Best Ban (30th anniversary compilation album)
Track 3; Shippuu Dotou – Ningen Isu Live! Live!!
Track 10; Ifuu Doudou – Ningen Isu Live!!
Video: Bankara Ichidaiki
Ningen Isu Albums 
