was the fourth single by the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese band

The Blue Hearts was a Japanese punk rock band active from 1985 to 1995. They have been compared to such bands as the Sex Pistols, The Clash and the Ramones.

. Though it was released after their major debut, it was written before they signed with a major label. It was released as a "double A-side" track on July 1, 1988, with "Chernobyl" (チェルノブイリ), a controversial single that was included with the release.Nippop , The Blue Hearts , Profile
. Nippop. Accessed February 6, 2008. Lyrics and music were written by

Hiroto Kōmoto is a Japanese rock singer who has fronted bands such as The Blue Hearts, The High-Lows and The Cro-Magnons. Early life Kōmoto was born in 1963 in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture and graduated from the junior high school attached to the School of E ...

, the band's lead vocalist, and was arranged by The Blue Hearts. It was not included in any albums other than compilation albums. The track is 9 minutes 17 seconds in length. "Chernobyl" caused

controversy Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...

because it was a song protesting the

nuclear industry Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced ...

.J-Music Ignited - The Blue Hearts
. JMIgnited.com. Accessed February 13, 2008. At the time, the band was signed with Meldac Records, which was supported by

Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...

, who was heavily invested in the nuclear industry. Instead of bowing to pressure to drop the song, they left the label and produced the song independently, leading to their eventual signing with East West Japan. Though there are three songs on the release, the actual B-side track was "Sha La La" (シャララ), which was also written by Kōmoto. "Chernobyl" was written by

Masatoshi Mashima is a guitarist who has performed with Japanese rock bands such as The Blue Hearts, The High-Lows and The Cro-Magnons.Too Much Pain was the twelfth single by the Japanese band The Blue Hearts and reached #29 on the Oricon charts in 1992. Details ''Too Much Pain'' was released as part of The Blue Hearts' fifth album, ''High Kicks'', which had been released on December 21, 199 ...

" was to be included, instead of "Sha La La", but the sound of the song did not fit as well as "Sha La La".

References

{{authority control 1988 singles The Blue Hearts songs Songs written by Hiroto Kōmoto 1988 songs