[BGM] Kawagoe, Hanno, Satte: A Relaxing Summer Stroll in Saitama | Chill Lo-fi Hip-Hop - Behind the Scenes

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I have released a one-hour chill lo-fi hip-hop music project that feels like a slow, wandering journey through Saitama in midsummer.

The settings for this project are Kawagoe, Hanno, and Satte.

Even within the same prefecture of Saitama, the quality of time flowing through these places—a historic town by the river, a fairytale-like park wrapped in deep greenery, and a levee overlooking a vast sky at dusk—is completely different.

Rather than just lining up these three scenes, I composed them as a continuous stroll where the mind gradually unwinds toward the end of the day.

Starting with light reflecting off the river surface, passing through a forest dappled with sunlight, and ending with a madder-red sky.

This project aims to create a sensation where, as you listen to the music, your busy daily life slowly drifts away.

Depicting Saitama as a 'Land of Quiet Strolls'

When you hear 'Saitama,' the first impressions that might come to mind are residential areas near Tokyo or major transportation hubs.

On the other hand, just by changing where you walk, peaceful scenery like waterfronts, old townscapes, forests, rural fields, and levees appear one after another.

This time, I focused on that 'quietude that remains right next to our daily lives' in Saitama.

This is not a special sightseeing trip.

Without setting any major goals, just walking slowly down a path that catches your eye with a cold coffee in hand. You don't have to travel far to step away from your usual routine for a little while.

I thought this sense of distance was perfect for chill lo-fi hip-hop set in Saitama.

Kawagoe, Shingashi River: An Afternoon Starting from the Water's Surface

The first setting is the Shingashi River, which flows through Kawagoe.

Kawagoe has well-known historical scenery, such as the warehouse-style townscape and its shrines and temples. However, what I wanted to depict this time was not the rush toward the center, but the time spent walking slowly along the river just before reaching it.

Willow branches sway in the breeze, and summer light reflects in fine detail on the water's surface.

Even in the strong sunlight, there is a slight coolness in the breeze coming from the river. It's not enough to make you stop walking, but it makes you want to turn your face toward the river. I have expressed that small movement as the fluctuation of the sound.

I named the first half of the tracks "Kawagoe Water Mirror" and "Hikawa Wind Sound."

An afternoon unraveling on the water's surface, the season of swaying willows, the quiet sound of the river, an afternoon waiting for the wind. In the song titles, I have infused not just the scenery itself, but also the sensation of a person's breathing gradually steadying as they walk through it.

The charm of Kawagoe is not limited to its historical weight.

The waterfronts and narrow paths surrounding the town retain a quiet, everyday rhythm that differs from the glamour of a tourist destination. I needed that gentleness for the beginning of this piece.

Hanno: Losing track of time in the forest

Leaving the riverside, the next destination is Tove Jansson Akebono Children's Forest Park in Hanno City.

The air changes significantly here.

As you walk along the paths surrounded by trees, the light filtering through the leaves creates mottled patterns on the ground. Beyond that, buildings with mysterious shapes appear, as if they have stepped out of a Nordic fairy tale.

However, in this work, I did not depict the buildings as a destination to be reached, but rather as scenery one happens upon while walking.

You want to stop and gaze at them. Yet, you don't stop immediately, continuing to walk through the shade of the trees instead.

That "slightly reluctant way of walking" is the core of this scene.

The track titles are "Forest Margin" and "Dappled Sunlight Fairy Tale."

Memories of dappled sunlight, whispers of green, a small fairy tale, a holiday of rustling leaves. I was conscious of creating a flow where the tension of daily life, still lingering from Kawagoe, slowly fades away in the forest.

Hanno has a certain approachable atmosphere, even with mountains and forests so close by.

Rather than venturing deep into nature, it is about letting go of the city's sense of time in a place where you can walk with peace of mind. This kind of gentle, extraordinary experience supports the middle section of this work.

Satte: The way home toward the vast evening sky

The final stage is Gongendo Park in Satte City.

Here, the view opens up all at once.

In Kawagoe, I gazed at the water's surface, and in Hanno, I was enveloped by the trees. In Satte, the promenade stretching into the distance and the evening sky spreading above it take center stage.

The heat of the day gradually escapes from the ground, and the breeze sways my hair. The coffee in my hand has also become a little lukewarm compared to when I started walking.

However, that is not a disappointing change.

It feels like a small signal, letting me know that the day is gently drawing to a close.

I named the tracks in the second half 'Gongen Evening Sky' and 'Satte Homeward Journey'.

The madder-red road home, the margins of the day, the footsteps of twilight, a soft finale, the wind leading into the night. Rather than being moved by the sunset, I aimed for an ending where your feelings naturally calm down as you walk.

Gongendo is known as a famous spot for flowers, but what I depicted this time is the expanse of the embankment and promenade that doesn't rely solely on the symbols of the season.

A long, stretching road and a vast sky. Perhaps that alone is enough for people to gradually let go of the unnecessary things inside them.

The small atelier where the art is born

In the video, Lo-fi-chan is drawing the scenery of each location in an atelier with a cat.

This time, I reviewed her movements and gestures, and she appeared as Lo-fi-chan 2.0, where you can feel her presence while working more than ever before.

Instead of just showing the finished painting, I structured it so you can enjoy the time it takes for the scenery to become a single piece of art, along with the music.

This article also includes the finished illustrations drawn in the video.

Even in the same Saitama summer, the color of the light, the quality of the breeze, and the feelings of the person walking are different between the waterfront in Kawagoe, the shade of the trees in Hanno, and the evening sky in Satte. I would be happy if you could feel those differences through both the music and the art.

The more you walk, the quieter the summer becomes

This story is not a denial of a hot summer day.

The strong sunlight, the deep green, the sound of cicadas, and the heat that remains until the evening are all important elements that you can only encounter in that season.

However, by walking through it without rushing, you can notice the breeze, the sound of water, the scent of the shade, and the changing colors of the sky that lie beyond the heat.

From the riverside to the forest. From the forest to the embankment at dusk.

As the scenery changes, the pace of your heart slows down little by little.

This piece was created to be played softly in the background while you work, study, read, take a break, or simply on nights when you want to clear your mind.

Please enjoy your own hour of peace, as if you were walking through the casual summer landscapes of Saitama.

*This series is a project that records the landscapes and seasonal feelings of various places in Japan through music and writing.

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