With impressive musicianship and performance skills, Black Country, New Road (BCNR) is a dominant force. The UK band stands out above the rest thanks to their unique chamber rock sound mixed with post-rock elements, strings, and lyrical singing. BCNR overcame the departure of former main vocalist Isaac Wood right before the release of their second album, Ants From Up Here, which performed well on the UK charts. At the end of the tunnel was the long-awaited Fuji Rock Festival. And the rumors were true: their entire set included new songs only. Each band member played without fear, creating energy and a feeling of oneness in the air. We spoke to Charlie Wayne, who plays the drums, a crucial instrument for the band. We also talked to the bassist and daughter of Karl Hyde from Underworld, Tyler Hyde, who started doing vocals for BCNR after Isaac left. They told us about their experience at Fuji Rock and the band’s trajectory after his departure.

Becoming one with the audience; BCNR’s first time at Fuji Rock

–Congratulations on performing at Fuji Rock! How was the experience? How did the audience react?

Charlie Wayne: It was a great experience. The audience gathered around the front when we walked onstage, so it was loud. But once we started playing, something shifted. I could sense their respect for us. We had a variety in our performance, from loud to quiet parts; I feel we were dynamic.

Tyler Hyde: The audience usually starts chatting when we play softer songs in other countries, so it’s hard to focus. But at Fuji Rock, I felt one with the audience. It was great.

–It was impressive how the vocalist changed from song to song. Did you discuss it after Isaac left the band? Or did that come about naturally?

Tyler: We gradually changed to that formation, even before Isaac left the band. But we barely had time to dedicate to practice and rehearsals, so we landed on having three main vocals. We wanted to use our material to the fullest. We plan to record the next album the same way we performed at Fuji Rock.

–No one’s taken singing lessons before, right?

Tyler: Right. But I’ve always loved singing. I also sing for my solo project, so I don’t get nervous doing it.

–Isaac used to alter the lyrics whenever he sang onstage. Does the vocalist rearrange them?

Charlie: Isaac would change the lyrics, and we would rearrange the songs. Performances become richer with improvisation. Our songs are incomplete, in a good way, so there’s room for possibilities. It’s one reason I enjoy playing with BCNR.

–You only played brand-new songs at Fuji Rock. Which song made the audience react positively?

Charlie: Our first song, “Up Song.” The lyrics are simple enough for the audience to sing along because we wrote all the songs for festivals. This song changes a lot and is impactful. It’s appropriate for an opener.

Tyler: We all sing together as one. “Up Song” is a placeholder for now, so the title might change when we release it. When I sing this song for my solo project, the tone changes 180 degrees. It turns into something that makes your heart ache and tears roll down.

A show without an audience during lockdown

–Your performance at Queen Elizabeth Hall—performed on March 7th, 2021, and posted on YouTube in June—felt so short because of how exciting it was, despite its length. Do you change the structure of your live sets according to the venue?

Charlie: That performance was crucial because we were at the height of lockdowns. It was right after we released our debut album and were working on our second. We couldn’t play live shows in front of an audience, so it was a special promotional project. Southbank Centre is very popular, and the number of seats is on another level.

Tyler: I don’t think it would’ve been possible for us to do a sold-out show at a venue of that size. We could perform there because of that moment in time.

Charlie: It was our first time playing in an empty hall, so being able to do that was a positive experience.

–It was brilliant how the background visuals were in sync with the performance.

Tyler: That was by Bart Price, who does our artwork.

Charlie: I was so happy to do something creative with friends I hadn’t seen for a long time because of lockdowns.

–Where are you all from?

Charlie: Cambridgeshire.

–And the band formed in London?

Tyler: Georgia (Ellery) moved from Cornwall to London, and we met in music school. Luke (Mark) and May (Kershaw) also attended the same music school. Luke and I started the band, Charlie and Isaac joined, then some people left… it took several years to form BCNR.

–Did your lifestyle change after graduating from university?

Tyler: I lived in Manchester for four years, so I’m glad I get to live in London with my bandmates and devote myself to making music.

–Charlie, you went to school in London, yes?

Charlie: Yeah, I studied ancient histories like Greek and Roman history.

Tyler: Charlie is an intelligent kid (laughs).

–Did university influence your music?

Charlie: I hope so! I paid so much money to study (laughs). But I don’t think it has influenced my music much. I wasn’t interested in attending a music school, so I’m glad I studied at university. Besides, I get to make a living by playing in a band. I don’t have to worry about rent now.

–Only a handful of bands in Japan can make a living off of music.

Tyler: Financially speaking, we’re barely making money, but we’re blessed.

BCNR’s first US tour: third time’s a charm

–What do you do when moving from place to place on tour?

Tyler: I usually play sudoku. When I focus on it, I feel calm. I prefer using a pencil and a book rather than my phone, but I typically forget the book at home, so I buy one at the airport. I have around 20 sudoku books stacked on my bookshelf (laughs).

Charlie: This is so typical, but I listen to music and watch movies on my phone. I also listen to Japanese artists. I’ve recently been into Masakatsu Takagi. His music is beautiful because of its simple structure. He only uses the piano.

Tyler: His music is the perfect soundtrack to traveling.

–Tyler, what have you been listening to lately?

Tyler: I’ve always listened to his music, but I got hooked on Kendrick Lamar’s new album. I started listening to his whole discography again.

–You must feel excited to play in America for the first time this fall.

Charlie: Yeah, it’s finally happening!

Tyler: It got canceled twice, but the third time’s a charm.

–The time you spent on the road here won’t compare to America.

Tyler: So true. Most travels in America are long distances. The country’s so big that it’s scary. But I’ll have my close friends and Black Midi with us, so it’ll be a fun trip.

–That sounds like a school trip with no time to be bored.

Charlie: Definitely. We’re lucky to have the chance to tour in America. We want to remain grateful.

Tyler: Whenever I feel anxious or unhappy about something, I stop and look at my situation rationally. I can think, “I’m lucky I get to do this,” and appreciate my situation and the surrounding environment. I mean, I make a living making music with friends!

–Do you ever get nervous onstage?

Tyler: A bit. But being nervous can be very useful.

–What about Fuji Rock? You all seemed relaxed, standing next to each other.

Tyler: We intended to be focused during May’s solo song, but it was just so hot. Maybe we were exhausted and trying to restore our energy levels (laughs).

An unbreakable bond with Isaac

–Did you have any difficulties balancing shows and your relationship with each other after Isaac’s departure?

Tyler: We’re good friends first and bandmates second. We have an unwavering bond. We always hang out, so we only have a few difficulties.

Charlie: We’re away from London when we’re on tour, so there have been changes in how we spend time. We don’t get to see each other like before. But there wasn’t a massive change in our relationship with each other and Isaac.

–When do you come up with song ideas? Is it while you’re touring?

Tyler: We write music wherever we are, so getting ideas for songs on tour is possible. It’s hard to put songs together on tour, though. We go into the studio to make songs, so it sometimes gets stressful creating something new within a limited amount of time. It’s a big challenge for the band to make music while touring.

–Is the city of London, where you’re based, reflected in your music?

Charlie: None of us are from South London, so I can’t say the city influences the music. But The Windmill (a pub-like live house) means a lot to us. It’s a place that gives a lot of young people a chance and nurtures youth culture. We left the nest, and now we play on bigger stages.

Tyler: The Windmill is a special place. We still visit it to this day.

–In Japan, many still wear masks and sanitize daily. What are things like in the UK?

Tyler: People get together in tight spaces without wearing masks, but that’s a difference in culture and values, so both realities are fine.

–There are many live show restrictions in Japan, so I’m jealous of you all in London. Your coming here means so much to me (laughs).

Tyler: It means so much to us too!

–Tyler, you’ve visited Japan a few times with your father (Karl Hyde from Underworld).

Tyler: I’ve been here three times. My father said he’s visiting Japan in October.

–Has your impression of Tokyo changed since you last came here?

Tyler: I don’t think the vibe has changed that much. I enjoy returning to a familiar place because I feel like, “I’m back.” I become attached to the place. When I came to Tokyo from Naeba, I was like, “Wow, I’m here again.”

–Charlie, have you been to Japan before this?

Charlie: In 2015, as a boy scout.

–No way!

Charlie: Yeah (laughs). I was 13 years old, the oldest age for a boy scout. While I wasn’t interested in the activities, I was drawn to traveling.

–Where did you visit in Japan?

Charlie: I spent four days in Tokyo and ten in Hiroshima. I went to Aomori after and stayed with a host family. It’s cooler to say I came here as a musician, but I have pleasant memories of coming here as a boy scout (laughs).

–Would you revisit Japan after your new album is out?

Tyler: We’ll come here if we get asked to! It’d be amazing if I could come here with my father.

Respecting Isaac is what drives BCNR forward

–The cover art of your previous album uses a painting by a friend of Isaac’s mother, Simon Monk. Who decides on the visuals?

Tyler: We all share ideas. We try to understand each other and have discussions. The artwork on our Instagram feed is by our artist friend, Rosemary. Her nostalgic work matches our music.

–It must be hard unifying everyone’s ideas since there are so many of you.

Charlie: As long as we constantly have new ideas, we’ll never come to a dead end. Because we understand that we all have different perspectives, musical backgrounds, and tastes, we can decide on things smoothly. We’re friends, so we don’t like conflict. If one person objects to something, we’ll listen to them and try doing things their way. We’ll try other ways if that doesn’t work out. If someone else has an idea that could improve our work, we’ll let them explain themselves so we can give their vision a chance.

Tyler: And if that doesn’t work out, we’ll try another way. It’s only fair. We’re straightforward and democratic. I sometimes hear other friends in bands talk about how they can’t maintain fairness because of the band members’ egos. Egos don’t clash in our band because we value each individual as a friend.

–Perhaps you have similar values.

Charlie: Exactly. We have the same goal and value of wanting to create amazing music.

–It must’ve been a serious decision not to play any songs from your first and second albums, as they received worldwide recognition. Did you feel conflicted or hesitant?

Charlie: An interpretation of a song is temporary, and there’s no such thing as completion. Each song section is an accumulation of what each band member has worked on.

Tyler: The reason we won’t perform the songs is simple. We want to respect the lyrics and songs he wrote. Of course, we love and have strong feelings about each song, and Isaac said we’re allowed to play them. But now is not the time. We might overcome this one day and play the songs, but we want to move forward and continue to grow.

Black Country, New Road
Black Country, New Road is a six-piece based in London, UK, formed in 2018. Isaac Wood, the former vocalist and lyricist, left the band on January 31st, 2022. The band members are Tyler Hyde, Louis Evans, Georgia Ellery, May Kershaw, Charlie Wayne, and Luke Mark. They landed fourth on the UK charts with their 2021 debut album, For the First Time, and were nominated for a Mercury prize. They released their second album, Ants From Up There, in February 2022.
https://blackcountrynewroad.com
Twitter：@BCNRband
Instagram：@blackcountrynewroad
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLTa27Tr5QqHx9G53H8jdFQ

Translation Lena Grace Suda
Photography Yuki Aizawa
Edit Nana Takeuchi

The post The Palpable Bond and Energy of the Trailblazing Black Country, New Road appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

With her novel toys that combine fluffy, soft fabrics and unusual materials such as electronics and toys, artist Meriyasu Kataoka transcends our idea of stuffed toys. She is a one-of-a-kind stuffed toy artist whose work ranges from drawings to collaborations with artists of various genres. Now, she has a solo exhibition at the Yokohama Doll Museum that commemorates the 10th anniversary of her career.

We tend to imagine children’s toys when we think of stuffed toys. But when we look at the strange shapes and innocent expressions of Meriyasu’s stuffed toys, we aren’t just comforted by their cute looks. The toys emit a strange and special something that encourages and excites. In the current exhibition are the following words: “There’s something that exists within the heart of the stuffed toy that time or place alone cannot explain.” Meriyasu’s works show us how important it is to try to communicate with something that exists outside of the tangible and to closely observe everything that exists within this world.

“…I like taking my time. That’s how I create cuteness.”

――How do you document all the works you create?

Meriyasu Kataoka: I draw all the stuffed toys and jot down their names in a simple notebook. Along with the drawings and names, I record their prices. I wasn’t great with technology, so I couldn’t write up a delivery slip on the computer until recently. So instead, I made copies from that notebook and handed them to shop owners in place of the delivery slip.

――You’ve given the stuffed toys unique names.

Meriyasu: Once one of the toys is complete, I invite them to dinner, eat with them, and play with them a bit. After that, the names come naturally to me. Some of the toys are hard to name, so I try sleeping with them for a night or going about my life with them. That helps me decide.

――When you make stuffed toys, do you draw something up first to decide what it’ll look like?

Meriyasu: I never really draw up a base image. My imagination process starts with standing in front of the sewing machine, choosing a fabric I like, and touching it. I think, “Maybe it would be cute if I made it like this?” If I start with the intention of turning something into the torso, but I don’t think it looks cute once I start stuffing it with cotton, I might try turning that part into a leg. It’s a process of trial and error. It’s hard to put into words, but I like taking my time. That’s how I create cuteness. Because if the toy is off by even a millimeter, it loses its cuteness.

――What kind of fabric and material do you use?

Meriyasu: Sometimes, I go to the store and buy materials that I like. Other times, I intentionally shop online. Even if the texture of the fabric is different from what I’d imagined, that can be interesting. With unexpected materials, I can create stuffed toys beyond my imagination. That succession of unexpected developments is fun. I collect all kinds of parts for the eyes, and if I find a craft store in town, I always check it out. Also, a stuffed toy factory that went out of business once gave me some parts, so I’ve used those in my work as well. 

――I think the way you position and balance the parts of the face shows your personality.

Meriyasu: I hesitate on every part before deciding, like, “Which eyes would go best?” So making the face takes the most time.

――How many stuffed toys have you made so far?

Meriyasu: I’ve documented about 2,500 stuffed toys in my collection of works, which covers about seven years of stuffed toys. Even I was surprised to see how many there were when I organized the photos. (laughs) Now, the stuffed toys are more intricate, so each piece takes more time.

――That’s a huge number of stuffed toys for one person to make.

Meriyasu: Making the stuffed toys isn’t at all difficult for me. Instead, I’m the type of person who gets stressed when I don’t make toys. If anything, I’m not very good at clerical work, so sometimes I think it’d be nice if someone could do that for me.

――Your book of collected works includes photos of the studio you work in. Do you work in this studio alone?

Meriyasu: I always workalone. I’ve received inquiries before from people who want to be my apprentice or want me to hire them, but I just don’t have any interest in making a piece with another person. Collaborations are fun and stimulating though, because there’s a theme, and based on that theme, we work while divvying up the tasks. 

“Creating a character is a continuous process of simplification.”

――You’re currently holding an exhibition to celebrate the 10th anniversary of your career. Could you tell us what initially inspired you to make stuffed toys?

Meriyasu: When I started making stuffed toys, I didn’t have the slightest idea that I’d become a stuffed toy artist. But when I made stuffed toys and gave them to friends, everyone loved them. Eventually, I started being invited to show my work, and before I knew it, I realized, “Wait, I’ve become a stuffed toy artist.”

――Did you have another job back then?

Meriyasu: I was working a regular part-time job. But there were times when I wondered what would happen if I kept on living like that. Sewing was my hobby, and I loved stuffed toys, so it was a natural progression to get to where I am today. When I started my career and told people that I made stuffed toys, they’d have an iffy reaction. But once I showed them actual pictures of my work, their reaction would become more positive. I’ve witnessed that moment many times, and I think it’s funny.

――Do you have any memories about your stuffed toys that stand out?

Meriyasu: I have a memory for each stuffed toy. Sometimes, customers bring in the toys they’ve bought, and when a toy I hadn’t paid too much attention to has been cherished by its new owner, that really moves me. Like, “Wow! You’ve really been cherished! Isn’t that amazing?” (laughs) I think when toys go home with someone, people discover their charm.

――Have you liked stuffed toys since you were little?

Meriyasu: If anything, stuffed toys may have been all I liked. Even when dolls or other toys were popular, I didn’t have any interest in them. The stuffed toys I had were stuffed animals—just regular ones that looked like they’d be sold anywhere.

――How did you actually play with the stuffed toys?

Meriyasu: We chatted. How I play hasn’t changed since back then—there are two ways: one where I pretend to talk as the toys, and another where I become the director and all kinds of characters appear in my puppet show. In the past, I used to play the director more often. In my latest exhibition, there’s an installation that’s like a puppet show.

――Out of all the stuffed toys you’ve played with, do you have an especially memorable pal?

Meriyasu: I had a stuffed dog that I got for Christmas in elementary school. It was the first stuffed animal that my parents got for me because I wanted it, but at some point, it disappeared. I don’t remember details from that time, so maybe I lost interest in it at some point. But the stuffed giraffe that I used to play with in kindergarten happened to be hidden in a box, so my parents never threw it out. I still have it to this day.

――Could you tell us about your past exhibitions?

Meriyasu: I come up with most of the themes on my own. I always have a long list of things I want to do, so I’m never out of ideas for themes. I decide on the theme based on the place and person; if it’s a certain gallery or curator, I’ll make the exhibition accordingly.

――You had an exhibition called Doppelgänger, which wasyour third exhibition at the Nakameguro art gallery, VOILLD. The stuffed toys, which you created based on characters that everyone knows, were striking. What were your criteria for choosing the characters?

Meriyasu: The most important thing was for the characters to be very recognizable, characters that everyone knows. People should have been able to tell who the character was by the colors alone. I think that creating a character is a continuous process of simplification. When I make a stuffed toy, I also shave down the number of elements.

――How about A≠B≠C, your exhibition that was in a silent auction format?

Meriyasu: The toys may look the same, but if you look closely, they’re different. I want people to pay close attention to even the small details of the world, and that’s how the idea for this exhibition came about. I worked hard to make stuffed toys with nearly the same faces and shapes.

“I want people to know that stuffed toys can actually talk and be your friends!”

――Is there anything you want to do outside of exhibitions?

Meriyasu: I always want to do puppet shows. I want people to know that stuffed toys can actually talk and be your friends! There are a lot of people who’ve never seen a puppet show, so I’d like them to see one. And with a live performance, you can see the audience’s reaction. Honestly, sometimes I’m happier when people praise my puppet show than when they praise my exhibition. (laughs)

――Could you tell us about your current 10^th-anniversary exhibition?

Meriyasu: Honestly, the 10th anniversary wasn’t the focus, but I figured if I was going to hold an exhibition at the [Yokohama] Doll Museum, I couldn’t think of anything other than turning the doll collection into stuffed animals.

――I think that lovable quality, or the charm of your stuffed toys, has something in common with the “character culture” that carries on to this day in Japan.

Meriyasu: I think Japan’s character culture comes from the yokai culture of the old days. I once had a yokai-themed exhibition at the Mejiro bookstore/gallery Popotamu, where I had the opportunity to dig a bit deeper into the subject of yokai. There’s a deep-rooted culture of turning various phenomena and natural features into yokai characters. I think the Japanese are a people with a rich imagination. Plus, we all like cute things, right?

――Has your definition of “cute” changed over the past ten years?

Meriyasu: It hasn’t changed at all. I have a toy named Gyoro-chan at my house that doesn’t have a fixed point of view, so you can’t tell where it’s looking (laughs). My definition may not be typical, but I think it’s so cute. Even if I look at its expression, it seems vacant. I can’t help but wonder what it’s thinking.

――Maybe that stimulates your curiosity and creativity.

Meriyasu: She exists in a place that’s entirely beyond me.

――Perhaps in your ten years of creating, that’s what you’ve been chasing.

Meriyasu: Maybe I’m chasing Gyoro-chan. (laughs)

――Perhaps you’re drawn to a universe that’s far beyond your imagination.

Meriyasu: I think I’ll always love the areas that I don’t understand.

――I feel like you take certain things that are invisible and bring them into the world in the form of a stuffed toy. You know, things that don’t really exist, but seem like they might be hiding somewhere.  

Meriyasu: That may be true. When I come up with the idea, I think, “Hey, is there something here?” It’s as if something god-like is present.

――You keep creating. Even as the world around you changes, it’s incredible how your imagination and attitude stay the same.

Meriyasu: They haven’t changed at all. I think I have a good imagination because I sleep a lot. (laughs) I think people become worse when they don’t sleep. As long as I sleep well, I can keep doing what I want to do. I try to create excuses to go outside and walk when I have time. Exercise, diet, and sleep. I think it’s important to take care of the basics properly.

――I think when stuffed toys are close by, they have a reassuring quality, or I suppose a certain power.

Meriyasu: Maybe there’s something therapeutic about them. I think a lot of people feel calmer in the presence of a stuffed toy.

――On the street, you see a surprising number of adults—not just students—who have little stuffed toy keychains on their bags.

Meriyasu: Even middle-aged men attach them to their backpacks. I think everyone is really just holding back from a life with stuffed toys. (laughs) Stuffed toys say things that you can’t say yourself, and even people who find it difficult to make conversation can feel at ease with a stuffed toy on their lap, as if it compensates for their weaknesses. Stuffed toys may not be necessary for mentally strong people, but when I’m a bit anxious, having a stuffed toy nearby puts me at ease. It’s really amazing that even though they look cute, they’re also dependable. It reminds me that they have an invisible power.

Meriyasu Kataoka
Meriyasu Kataoka began her career in 2011. With a focus on stuffed toys, she makes toys that move, glow, and can be played with and loved, not just displayed. Furthermore, she writes original scripts for puppet shows she performs in various locations. She also works with various other mediums, such as manga, drawing, woodwork, and clay. She has collaborated with artists from different genres for stuffed toys/puppet shows and has also provided work for advertisements in shopping centers.
Instagram：@kataokameriyasu

■Meriyasu Kataoka 10th anniversary exhibition: “Meriyasu’s Doll Museum”
Dates: Until March 13th
Venue: Yokohama Doll Museum 2F The Multipurpose Room
Address: 18 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Time: 9:30-17:00 *Last admission at 16:30
Closed: Mondays
Exhibition fee: Adults (High school students & up) ¥600, Elementary & junior high students ¥300
*Museum admission fee (Adults ¥400, Elementary and middle school students ¥200) Free admission for pre-school children.

The post Meriyasu Kataoka celebrates 10 years as a stuffed toy artist: Combining ideal shapes to create natural stuffed toys appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

In the past few years, Shibuya PARCO has been renovated, and the landscape on Spain-zaka has changed dramatically. In addition, the area surrounding Shibuya Station, including Shibuya Stream, Shibuya Scramble Square, and Miyashita Park, has been drastically redeveloped, and construction is expected to continue until 2027.Although the area was temporarily deserted due to COVID-19 it is now beginning to regain its former vigor. The Instagram account “Shibuya Meltdown” observes the ever-shifting Shibuya district from a particular perspective. There, people of all ages and genders, drunk on the streets and trains, sleeping as if they were unconscious, are posted in an extraordinary form.

“Can you fight for 24 hours?” This was used in commercials during the bubble era as a catch phrase to symbolize the Japanese businessman and gained popularity.Even now, more than 30 years later, it is hard not to feel a sense of pathos at the current state of work-life balance and the need to be a company slave, but I can also see the positive side of Japan, where people do not interfere with each other and can maintain a safe personal space even on trains and streets.

10 years have passed since he started posting, and he now has more than 280,000 followers, and his merchandise, which resembles a certain drink that causes meltdowns, is also popular, attracting a different kind of fan base. Under the condition that he would not reveal his identity, we had a chance to talk to the man behind the mysterious Shibuya Meltdown about his activities.

−−Why did you start this account and project?

After traveling to Japan for many years, I realized that this particular thing only happened in Japan. It was interesting for many reasons both positive and negative. When I moved to Japan this was the perfect time to start documenting and social media was good platf_orm to display it.  It was originally just for close friends to check out but soon after others became interested.

−−What kind of images did you have in Shibuya, Tokyo when you first posted? Please tell us your impressions when you first saw Shibuya’s meltdown people.

Honestly I was amazed by a few things. One that someone could go from being fine to on the floor in 5mins totally unexpectedly. Two that if they were passed out no one would bother them and their belongings would remain safe. In other countries you would be robbed or beaten up if you displayed yourself in public like this. So it really proved how safe Japan is.

−−I’m Japanese, so I feel embarrassed when I see Shibuya’s drunkenness posted on Instagram, or I feel that I have to be careful not to be like this, but from the perspective of foreigners What kind of impression do you have?

As I mentioned above It proves how safe it can be on the streets here. But there are downsides. It can become a mess with body fluids that can’t be held in. I also think that there are other reasons people get this way. Some people are overworked and miss their last train and have no way to get home. I think the pandemic has given these people an excuse to not be so pressured at work. The Japanese work culture can be cruel and full of bullies but that’s a whole different topic.

−−What are your followers’ opinions or comments?Is it different domestically and internationally?

I have not received too much negativity from it but I’m sure there are people who hate the concept of this account. I have received requests from lots of Japanese television shows to do interviews but I think that this would put it in the spotlight of the wrong people.

 Foreigners think it’s funny and stage fake meltdowns and send in these kinda images. Lame!

−−What is the origin of the name of SHIBUYA MELTDOWN?

Shibuya was where I would visit and stay on my travels so I would see lots of things around this area. Anything that meltdown naturally becomes closer to the earth like someone passed out. So think that the name as something to do with “” but that is just a catchphrase from media of 2011, the word meltdown relates to anything like a candle melting down.

−−The scenery of Shibuya has changed drastically in the last few years, and above all, the chances of seeing people who are drunk due to the influence of corona have decreased dramatically. What would happen to this account if there were no drunk people in Shibuya?

Shibuya has changed for sure. But the construction continues…. For sure there are less submissions but surprisingly there are still people out at bars and clubs getting themselves into melting situations. I don’t really agree with going out at this point in time. I think staying at home for a few months is a small sacrifice to battle something that’s totally reshaping our world right now. The bottom line is Japan is an Island we should be able to beat this pandemic, we have a lot to learn from places like New Zealand and Australia in a situation like this.  I honestly never expected this account to get this way and it’s social media so it can never last forever. I just hope it made people aware of this phenomenon.

−−Being able to get drunk in this way proves that Tokyo and Shibuya are peaceful cities. I think it’s nice to live in a city that is suitable for drunk people, or a city that allows them. What do you think about this?

As a community Japanese people are very respectful of each other and keep their opinions to themselves and these kind of things makes not just drinking and being able to walk home safely possible but it relaxes many rules that are implemented in other countries because there are many more stupid people with strong opinions.

“Shibuya Meltdown porfile
People sleeping in shibuya
“What goes up must Meltdown”
Instagram：@shibuyameltdown
Website：https://shibuyameltdown.com

Photography Shibuya Meltdown

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Some of them are based on comic books, others on corporate initiatives, etc. Characters have become a part of Japanese people’s life. Among them, it is the characters from educational programs that have captured the hearts of children. Ichio Otsuka is active in a wide range of genres as an illustrator, including books and advertisements, and as an art director, he has created character designs and sets for the educational program “Miitsuketa!”(NHK Educational TV), and as an art director, he has created his own unique worldview through total design of characters, sets, and costumes.In the past few years, he has continued to make interesting projects such as creating original radio characters, and we asked him to talk about his creations and his attitude toward his work.

Inspired by a chair He saw at a bus stop when he was a child riding the bus with his mother.

–What was the first character you designed?

Ichio Otsuka: The first character I designed was Kossy, the main character of “Miitsuketa!”(NHK Educational TV) . However, I started my career as an illustrator, so I’ve always received requests for illustrations, such as “I’d like to use this as a character” in advertisements, products, and commercial facilities.

–Please tell us where you got the idea to make the chair a character.

Ichio: I was a part of the “Miitsuketa!” I had been involved with the program since it was being planned, but it was finally time for a discussion on what to do with the characters. Since it was a new program, we decided to use something that had not been used as a character in the world.Someone said, “How about a chair? But there was a feeling in the room that there was no such thing.

But when I was a little boy, my mother and I used to take the bus to go shopping, and I suddenly remembered the chairs at the bus stop that we saw from the bus. It reminded me of the rusty or battered chairs that someone had put there, and I thought it would be a good idea of chairs.At the time, I thought it would be a nice world if the children watching the program could feel the same way as I did when I watched it from the car window and thought, “That chair is working hard even on a rainy day.

――A world is created by the coexistence of many different chair characters.

Ichio: From the early stage of the production of the program, I wanted to create a story like a town where the chairs live, if possible. As the MC of the program, I thought that if the children could see the episodes and background of the characters, they would become more familiar with the characters and expand their imagination.In the course of living in the “Isunomachi (city of chairs”, there are sometimes new encounters, and with each encounter, various characters appear and multiply.

――Do you have your own ideas for the character settings?

Ichio: Each time, the production staff who create the story of “Isunomachi (city of chairs” come up with ideas of what kind of characters would be interesting and what kind of characters are needed for the story, and new characters are created, and the world keeps spreading.Based on these ideas and stories, I draw pictures and come up with the final design.

――Chairs have a strong element of paranoia in interior design, and I assumed that you were also a chair maniac, which led to the creation of Kossy.

Ichio: I think the design of the chair itself is interesting and beautiful as a product, but I am not that much of a fanatic (laughs).Sometimes I would think about the aesthetics and ideas of the chair, but basically I would prioritize the character of the chair over its design.

For example, if the character is a dinosaur-like chaise longue, I would prioritize its presence and the impression it gives when it comes out. For example, if the character is a dinosaur-like couch, I would prioritize its presence and the impression it gives when it comes out. I would even tell the design image of the chair, hoping that the atmosphere of the long reclining chair has beautiful lines.

Ichio: I draw a sketch in pencil and hand it to the sculptor with detailed instructions written on it. I don’t want to give too many detailed instructions and have the sculptor just follow my image, so I try to leave a little room for the sculptor to be creative.

All of the characters in “Isunomachi” ” are handmade by the sculptors, so by adding a little nuance and texture, the characters become more flavorful than the initial image.

For example, there is a character called “Momiyan” who is a massage chair, and he is based on the image of a massage chair found in an old public bath. To create that unique atmosphere, I gave him an image of the fabric to be used and had it processed. I asked them to use a cheaper leather material.

With CG and animation, you can express yourself freely to a certain extent, but with stop-motion animation, you need to have real objects made, so the work of the sculptor and production staff is important in that field.

――In the time-lapse animation of “Isu no Machi no Kossy(Kossy in city of chairs)” they actually move the puppets little by little, right?

Ichio:  Yes. The facial expressions are also created for each scene, so I draw a few sketches of the expressions. However, I have to discuss with the director and staff of the movie who will be moving the characters to adjust the facial expressions.

――Are there any characters that you had a challenge in creating?

Ichio: There are times when people who are active in various fields make guest appearances as chair characters. Of course, I don’t necessarily want to look like them, but I feel like I want to resemble them.With a limited range of elements, I try to bring the atmosphere a little closer to the character’s face and hairstyle. At the time of the start of the show, when we were creating the character “Tortoise-Isu(chair),” who was voiced by Tortoise Matsumoto, he had a shaved head.However, I had a strong image of Mr. Matsumoto with long hair and a soulful hairstyle, so I tried to keep to the image I had originally had.I was relieved when he went back to a slightly longer hairstyle after that.

Also, I’ve been a big fan of Kai Band since I was in junior high school. When Mr. Kai agreed to join the show, the character “Mr.Scoop ” was born. At that time, I still wanted to keep the Kai-san style in the character, so I worked on the atmosphere of the face. It’s difficult to find the right balance between the character’s cuteness and his own atmosphere. I’d be happy if the parents and older generations who watch it with their children would react with  “Whoa! What’s this program?”.

Ichio: In the pilot version before the show started airing regularly, there was no “Sabo-san” yet, just Kossyand Sui-chan at first. Later, when the show started broadcasting regularly, we decided that another character was needed to expand the story. We were talking about what kind of character would fit in a space with chairs, and we came up with the idea of a houseplant or cactus.

We discussed ideas such as, “How about a cheerful Latin character for a cactus? We came up with some ideas. Then we asked, “Can you draw us a sketch of your image by next week? That’s how we started the design process. Normally I would have needed more time, but back then, when the program “Miitsuketa!” At that time, I was working on various tasks at the same time, and I was concentrating on each task more than I ever have in my life. Maybe that’s the reason why it came out so smoothly.

――Who is choosing the character names?

Ichio: Basically, the scriptwriters and other staff members decide. In the case of Kossy, it’s a chair, so I think they were talking about “Koshi-Kakeru(sitting down)” and “Kossy”.

――It’s pretty casual (laugh).By the way, is this the first time that you supervised the total design of the show?

Ichio: This program was my first, and it has been running for more than 10 years now. Ideally, the program I watched as a child will eventually become a part of my parents’ generation, and they will be able to tell their own children that they used to watch the same program. I’m looking forward to the prospect of that happening in a few more years.

He has created a character to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Nippon Broadcasting System.

――Lately, you have been working on characters for radio stations besides TV.

Ichio: In 2019, I have created a character to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Nippon Broadcasting System. They are three mysterious creatures called “Ra-san,” “Gee-chan,” and “O-chan,” who hide behind the radio waves. I’ve always been a radio listener myself, including very popular program “All Night Nippon”, so I was very happy when I got the offer.

When I listen to the radio, I suddenly think, “What? Do you think they are talking about me?  Or the song you want to listen to will come on at the right time. That’s because I imagined that these characters are actually making miracles happen on the airwaves. Radio has no visuals, so listeners can let their imaginations run wild. It is my hope that these characters will have a purpose in their lives.

――Speaking of characters, the mole “Welmo” is also adorable.

Ichio: This is the character that greets you at Joetsu Myoko Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen(bullet train) . Once the Hokuriku Shinkansen bound for Kanazawa passes Nagano station, the Joetsu direction is mostly in tunnels. I thought a mole would be a good animal to represent this tunnel.

A mole was digging through the soil when he heard a loud noise.

When he came to the surface, he saw a bullet train running faster than him. It looks a little bit like him, so the mole starts to get interested, like, “What if it’s a rival?  So the mole starts to get interested.

I created the character “Welmo” based on the story of a mole that had been living underground until then, but when the bullet train station was built, it went above ground and encountered various scenes and people. So his coloring is also a little bit Hokuriku Shinkansen inspired.

――We can also meet “Welmo” at “DIGMOG COFFEE” in Joetsu City. I would also like to hear about the time when you came to Tokyo to become a professional illustrator.

Ichio:My father was a carpenter, and we had all kinds of wood and other materials at home, so I started making things from scraps of wood when I was little. I’ve also loved to draw since I can remember, but I thought it would be difficult to find a job as a painter, so I became interested in design work.

At the time, I was fascinated by the excitement of being a student at a specialized school, and I had a vague idea of getting a job in Tokyo, working for about 10 years, and then starting my very own business.

I started job-hunting and immediately accepted a job offer, and things went very smoothly, but I suddenly felt that I wanted to do more drawing and painting, so I turned down the offer within a week. My parents were also upset by my decision (laughs).

 I explained to my parents that I was going to work as a freelance illustrator, and until I was about 25 years old, I worked part-time at a supermarket making signs and taught myself how to draw. Thinking back on it now, I’m not sure how I was able to survive, as I was struggling to pay the rent. I never thought, “Will I really be able to make it?” just thought, “I can definitely do this. I must have been obsessed with something because I thought I had to do it now” (lol).

――You were motivated by an unfounded confidence (laughs).

Ichio:I’m sure that when you reach an age where you have some idea of how society works, you become more to the point. Even if you draw pictures, you might feel a little chill because it’s your job.I thought I wouldn’t like that for some reason. I love drawing, and I want to make a career out of it. So I always thought it would be good if my first instinct to make something interesting became my job.

――Was there an illustrator you aspired to be like at that time?　

Ichio:Noriyuki Tanaka, who is currently working as an art director. Since then, I’ve been very fond of your way of thinking and the things you create, and I often visited your studio to have a look at your drawings. Later on, he even invited me to present a plan for a UNIQLO CM. I was happy when we were able to work together on the book.

Back then, I went to see many people, hoping to have them look at my pictures and talk to me directly. It was a great experience to have someone who was already successful actually look at my work and give me specific advice.

――What is the balance between your illustration and graphic design work now?

Ichio: In my case, it really started with drawing, and my first job was 100% as an illustrator. Someone would request an illustration and I would draw it. It was simple and fun, but at the same time it slowly started to expand into fields of work that could not be covered by that way of working.

Since I started working with the design staff, I’ve been taking charge of art direction, and if necessary, I draw illustrations myself.

As an art director, I’m also increasingly working on plans and world views, and creating them as a team with external people. For me, coming up with a plan or creating a world view is just like drawing an illustration on a piece of white paper, in the sense that I am creating an image from nothing.

Art direction and illustration work is now about 50/50.

――Personally, I’d be happy to see a new work collection book like “MAGIC!”,

Ichio:”MAGIC!” was released before the East Japan Earthquake, so it’s a collection of your works from over 10 years ago. I’ve been thinking about a book of my works for a while now. I’ve done a lot of work and created a lot of new things in the past 10 years, and I think it’s about time I put them all back together again.

The book had very few words in it, probably because at the time I was trying to pack all the essence of my work into one book.  Now I’m a little more relaxed, and I think I could write essays about the process of creating the work and my thoughts.

――In addition to art books, your bookshelves are lined with a variety of books including music, movies, and photography books.

Ichio: The person who influenced me, or rather the person whose work I liked and looked at a lot, was David Hockney. Even though his works were drawn roughly or very well, they were as smooth as the dry air of California. I thought that kind of atmosphere was really good.I was also influenced by the psychedelic atmosphere of Peter Max’s Pushpin Studio.

――Could you tell us about your personal favorite characters?

Ichio:When I was a kid, I was a TV kid, so I liked “Kamen Rider” and “Doraemon”. As I grew up, I loved “The Simpsons” for its character designs and feel, I still buy T-shirts and other goods as I find them.

I like the show for its moderate venom and silliness, as well as for its seasonally conscious guests. Morrissey got mad when he was used as a character without permission (laughs).

――Benedict Cumberbatch did the voice-over, and he also wrote the music, which was great (laughs).  Lastly, the environment has changed drastically in the past few years. How would you like to be involved in design in the future?

Ichio: Recently, due to the influence of COVID-19, I’ve had far fewer opportunities to meet people. That’s why I really want to have contact with people. For example, I’d like to work on designs for stores and products that I’m familiar with, but I’d also like to work locally, where I can be sure that someone will be happy when they pick up or see my work.It doesn’t matter if it’s 3D or 2D, even if it’s something small, it will become a standard and be loved by people. I would like to create many such items.

Ichio Otsuka
Born in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture in 1968. As an illustrator, he has worked on many advertisements, packages, and publications, and as an art director, he has been involved in the design of character designs, costumes, sets, and title logos for advertisements and TV programs. His works include NHK Educational TV “Miitsuketa! and others.

As a Family Art Director of Kawasaki Frontale in the J-League, he is in charge of designing merchandise and event-related designs, and designed the uniforms for the 2015 season. In 2018, he was in charge of the illustrations for the opening video of NHK’s serial television series “Hanbun, Aoi(Half Blue)”. Also been involved in many workshops for children.

His creative activities that transcend genres are supported by a wide range of people, from children to adults, and his diverse creations, from illustrations to designs, spaces, characters, costumes, and uniforms, are one and only in the industry.He has won the Tokyo ADC Award, Cannes Lions, D&AD awards, and many other international awards. Specially appointed professor at Tokyo Zokei University.
http://ichiootsuka.com

Photography Kosuke Matsuki

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When explaining this series to someone, I use the word English “popular song”. This expression can be given the old-fashioned impression.The reason I’ve chosen this words is that when I started the series, I wondered if I could read the popular new songs of Western music in my own way and convey the everyday life and society that I feel in the States. And, unlike talking about the composition of the song itself, singing, playing, and their careers, I was wondering if I could write something that involved the “flow” of the times.(One of the reasons is that I am not a critic or writer specializing in music, so I lack knowledge of music theory and musical instruments).

Michelle Zauner, Unleash her potential as a writer

Listening to “Savage Good Boy” from Michelle Zauner’s project Japanese Breakfast new album “Jubilee”, it makes us feel like the States is finally at a turning point for a new era.Zauner, who has a Korean mother and a Jewish-American father, not only plays music, but also writes. She wrote her autobiography, “Crying in H-Mart,” part of which was published in The New Yorker and published by the major literary publisher Knopf. And she was recently on the New York Times bestseller list. Such a great sense of Zauner and her writing ability can be found in this song.

For example, in the middle of the song, the lyrics “They’re the stakes in the race to win” appear. This “race” indicates a fierce competition for survival. On the other hand, As the lyrics of “They’re the stakes in a race to live”, this race has meaning of “human species”. These lyrics show us her outstanding skill in the choice of words.More striking point than nifty expressions is deep insight into the subject. From the derisive song title “Savage Good Boy”, I guessed the song’s subject dealing with misogyny, but the listeners appeal to the deeper part by reading the lyrics.

I want to be your savage good boy
I want to take care of you
When everybody’s gone
Want you to be the one that I come home to
The one that’s up waiting
I want to make the money ’til there’s no more to be made
And we will be so wealthy, I’m absolved from questioning
That all my bad behavior was just a necessary strain
They’re the stakes in the race to win
I’ve got a five year plan
I’ve got a pension and six condos
A billion dollar bunker for two
And when the city’s underwater
I will wine and dine you in the hollows
On a surplus of freeze dried food
I want to make the money ’til there’s no more to be made
And as the last ones standing, we’ll be tasked to repopulate
And as you rear our children, know it’s the necessary strain
They’re the stakes in a race to live

(Lyrics from Japanese Breakfast “Savage Good Boy”)

Instead of respecting the other person’s will, without confirming it, the lyric narrator says, “I’ll take care of you, so just follow me without saying anything.”This claim is selfish and even emotional dependence. What caught my eye was “A billion dollar bunker for two”.The George Floyd case, in which a white policeman killed a black man in Minnesota in the central United States during a corona pandemic last year, has evolved into protests across the United States and has been reported even in Japan.The capital D.C.was no exception to the anger of the people that ignited in the wake of the incident.It was “bunker” that was mentioned when media reports that former President Donald Trump had temporarily evacuated to “protect his safety” during a large-scale and fierce protest.

The former president was criticized for his selfish attitude and behavior, neither facing the demonstrators nor listening to their claims. It seems to be ridiculing it with these words, along with the childish chorus of the introductory part. If you’re on my side, spare no expense, and give you luxury life. Such an arrogant attitude and misogyny certainly overlap with the general perception of Trump.

Division that swirls throughout modern society

However, the setting of an apocalyptic world, which is reminiscent of a dystopian novel and shows only interest in the protection of oneself and one’s family, expresses the “division” that swirls throughout modern society rather than criticism of a specific person.In other words, if you are obedient to either side of the opposition, you are promised to distribute wealth, but if you disagree or take a rebellious attitude, you do not even guarantee life. Here you can see the social trend that fuels such polarization.If it was last year, this social trend might have been received differently even if it was the same song. It’s just my imagination, but I think she felt unfocused when the division that was happening in the real world was struck in the world of music.

Of course, even now, the division in the States continues. In particular, political conflicts have become a norm, but it seems to me that the people of this country are exhausted by their hostility and even hatred.The large-scale infection of the new coronavirus has hit many fields from medical care to the economy. And early this year Trump supporters demolished the statehouse, putting it at risk of undermining democracy.

To resolve this situation requires the cooperation of as many people as possible, including the expansion of vaccination.From her song, it can be said that the United States is beginning to realize that even if there are disagreements, it will not be possible to get out of the stagnation of society if deep-seated divisions continue.This song, which has the theme of division, seems to be asked how to get out of this situation that continues even now, rather than a feeling of despair or blockage.Based on recent experience, the image of that the States come to me, which is welcoming a new trend of the times, will build a milestone to build the future.

Illustration Masatoo Hirano
Edit Sumire Taya

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Elin McCready transitioned to female in the U.S. and is in a same-sex marriage with Midori Morita. Midori is one of the organizers of WAIFU and SLICK, which is a series of outdoor rave parties. We interviewed Elin and Midori, the diehard club-goers, about their activities.

Discrimination Against Minorities Led to Starting WAIFU

――What was the incident that prompted you to start WAIFU?

Elin McCready: I went to a lesbian club in Shinjuku 2-Chome as a friend told me that Dora Diamant was going to be the guest DJ. (Dora was an iconic DJ of the queer scene in Paris.) Then, I was stopped at the entrance. I showed my passport, which stated my gender as female. Then, the bouncer got hold of another person, who insisted, “We don’t allow any trans women onto the premises. That’s our policy.” We were getting into trouble. Dora came by and said, “What’s the matter? Let her in.” She tried to persuade the owner, but it didn’t work out. Dora was about to start performing, but she went into the venue and retrieved her bag full of records. She said, “I am not playing. Good-bye,” and went home. The owner got really angry and screamed at us. The following morning, I told Midori about it and she was so enraged that she looked like a Super Saiyan.

Midori Morita: The government-issued ID proved that she was female. I started to question why there were no places or parties for trans people to go. We decided that we would organize events on our own rather than dealing with parties with shitty policies. I had been involved with organizing parties and I knew some people that I could reach out. This happened right before the Golden Week (a week in the beginning of May with many national holidays.) and many venues were already booked. However, Aoyama Hachi offered their place although there were some conditions. Once we held the event, we had more people than we anticipated. I realized that there was a need for gatherings like this. Aoyama Hachi said that we could hold the event on a regular basis. Hachi was busted in 2018 for letting customers dance until midnight, which was against the adult entertainment business law. I also wanted to take actions against the law.

――What are your thoughts on choosing a venue that was not located in 2-Chome?  

Midori: First of all, I don’t have to go to 2-Chome. And, there are LGBTQ people, who go to 2-Chome, but are not necessarily big on the 2-Chome culture, where many bars play pop music by Diva-style singers. No matter which bar you go, you always hear the same music. I thought it would be cool to organize parties and build a club culture catering to these people in Shibuya area. Until Elin came out, I had no idea that 2-Chome could be uncomfortable for LGBTQ people. Most bars are for gay people and the percentage of lesbian bars is low. And, most entities are for cis people, and there are very few places for transgender and other sexual minorities to feel safe and enjoy their time. There is an existing power balance. We needed a place, which was not restricted by the existing conditions.

Elin: In 2-Chome, the majority is cisgender gay. Transgender, nonbinary, and asexual people —the minorities in the queer community— are ostracized. What happened to me was caused by discrimination against minorities. People go to clubs for two reasons: One is to enjoy music with high-quality sound; the other is to meet someone. In Berlin, most clubs specialize in music. Regardless of your sexual orientation, the club scene is really exciting. People’s gender identity or orientaiton is not necessarily relevant to how one is in the party context at all.

――Could you tell us why you decided to use the spelling “WAIFU” instead of “WIFE”?

Midori: When we decided to organize parties, the members were made up of different nationalities and background. We came up with WAIFU as a word that is known in both cultures and is an English word, yet we could use Romanized spelling. If you do an image search of #WAIFU, you end up with drawings of characters, which are moe-ish women with big breasts.

Elin: In animation and two-dimensional culture, there is a practice of calling their favorite character, “wife”, to imply that the character is your chattel. It’s the same as acting as if your wife were your property. 

――What is the idea behind using pornographic and provocative illustrations? I am under the impression that it’s not in a positive context.

Midori: The word “queer” used to be a derogatory term, but there has been a movement to reclaim it by people daring to use it in a positive context. In light of that, one of the organizing members proposed the name WAIFU. It is not meant to be violent by objectifying Asian women and treating them as property. We thought it would be interesting if a search online for the word WAIFU would bring up many images of strong women one day as opposed to what we see now. At the same time, the two of us have been working for the recognition of same-sex marriage in Japanese law as “wife-wife”, so we decided to use WAIFU for a variety of meanings.

Elin: The old fliers and outreach videos used the spelling “WIFE.”

MIdori: Those were misspelled. We used a nude photo of a white woman for the first flier and it was controversial.

――Is it hard to navigate the complex world of sexual and gender minorities?

Midori: At one point, we were overwhelmed trying to deal with the complexity, but we would like to improve things gradually by listening to various opinions. We discuss and examine with the organizing members. As for WAIFU, the organizing members must understand feminism and LGBTQ. The logo and fliers are all designed by super-KIKI. Her title is feminist D.I.Y. Crafter. I would be happy if it make strong female images appear when people search for the word #WAIFU online in the future, and if WAIFU becomes a word that symbolizes feminism in underground culture.

――Do you feel that people don’t seem to understand what queer means?

Elin: We decided to organize a book club recently and I was thinking of picking up a book by Donna Haraway. However, the translated version of her book was extremely esoteric and was filled with difficult kanji and jargons in katakana. Maybe, no one is going to show up if I choose her book.

Midori: I think the fact that I am straight makes it worthwhile to be one of the organizing members of WAIFU. At times, I question, “What? What is that? What does that mean?” as a cisgender, straight person. I really want WAIFU and LGBTQ to be part of the larger society.

Elin: As for now, issues about gender and sexual minorities are
often only openly discussed in Japan and if you have no background, you can’t even express an opinion. Even within minorities, there is class and racial discrimination. But people else where have found ways to address these issues. For example, some parties in Berlin are very conscious of race and class.

A common goal in their lives.

――Has your relationship changed since your started WAIFU?

Elin: It’s hard to explain the change in a nutshell as my transition overlapped with the time we started to organize parties.

Midori: Until then, we were dealing with gender identity issue within the family. WAIFU was the turning point to start sharing the issues with the outside world and we became socially active.

――How did you deal with the rapid change in your life?

Midori: It was a drastic change. WAIFU became one of the pioneers in the Japanese club scene and queer community for stating the zero-tolerance policy at the door. The younger generation has also started to organize events recently stating the same policy.

Elin: After I came out as trans, I was featured in the media and people started to ask for my opinion. When I look back, I made some mistakes. I don’t think that was bad as my thinking shifts day by day.

Midori: Lately, I have been interviewed a lot about the new structure of our family. Elin and I used to be in a romantic relationship, but not anymore. She has a partner. I go through a phase of having a partner or not having one. Her partner was supposed to come to Japan and start living with us in January. However, it has not happened yet as the visa is not issued due to the pandemic.

Elin: I have not seen my partner for a year and it is really draining.

Midori: I am not sure what the alchemy was, but our relationship has changed drastically.

And, it didn’t get worse at all. The relationship we had when we met is completely different from the one we have now. However, I feel that we share the same goal in life. We want to hold on to our human rights and live happily. We want to do what we can to achieve that. I think that this is probably a common goal not only for us but for everyone.

――What was the challenge when you were organizing the parties?

Midori: We organized an all-night countdown New Year Eve event at Contact in Shibuya in December. We were going to have people in the venue, and even people who came to WAIFU parties started to complain, “How could you organize an event in a time like this?” Our stance of anti-authority is important and we have a sense of distrust and resistance against measures imposed by the government to contain Covid-19. Why do restaurants need to close at 8pm? Why do they have to stop serving alcohol?

――Couldn’t you agree with it?   

Midori: Not completely. In addition to that, I really care about the younger generation, which was my motive to organize the party. If you are in your teens or twenties, “a year” is a precious period of time. If you tell them to stay at home because of the pandemic, it affects their mental health. The top cause of death among young people in Japan is suicide. Very few young people die of Covid-19 or illnesses. I wanted to support the young people and pushed my way through to execute the event. Before and after the event, people said all sorts of things and it was polarizing. It’s hard to figure out what is right immediately. You just have to make your own judgement.

Elin: We started to plan the event around October and November, and the Covid-19 infection rate was not increasing. So, we thought it would be fine. Then, there was a surge at the end of year, and, at one point, there was a discussion among the organizing members about canceling the event. But, the DJs had already offered to perform and we really didn’t have any money to cancel the event.

Midori: No, we didn’t have the money to cancel. At the same time, most performers really felt that it was more meaningful to hold an event under these circumstances regardless of getting paid or not. we also felt strongly about holding the event. If the club had asked us to cancel, we might have done so. As long as the club was willing to get people in the venue, I felt strongly about supporting the club culture. After that, all sorts of things happened and we took a break for a while from organizing parties and events. We did organize a memorial event on SUPER DOMMUNE on the anniversary of Dora’s death, who had passed away due to cancer.

Accessibility guaranteed, teaming up with the one and only underground “DOMMUNE”.

Midori: We invited Keita Tokunaga, a wheelchair user and a fashion industry journalist, and Tomoya Matsumura, a person with visual impairment, who launched a non-profit New Vision. They discussed about accessibility and clubs. Contact, the club in Shibuya, is one ofthe few places in Japan that can accommodate people with disabilities. The more underground the club is, the less accommodating the venue is for people with disabilities. When we were discussing about these issues on DOMMUNE, someone said, “Parco could be the best place in terms of accessibility. It has elevators and bathrooms for universal access that people with disabilities can use without any inconvenience. Why not organize parties at Parco?” Naohiro Ugawa, the head of DOMMUNE, was surprised to find out that Parco has advantages as such. Later, he touched on the issue at another event and declared that anyone with disability certificate can get free admission for DOMMUNE events. It is probably unlikely until the pandemic subsides, but it is possible to hold a party on Parco’s rooftop, and accessibility for all is guaranteed at this space. I hope that we can collaborate with DOMMUNE, which is an underground entity, to build a new platform together to convene events.

Elin: Queer people tend to isolate themselves, but they are kind because they feel other people’s pain, so it’s not like they can’t act out because of moral concerns.. I thought it was insupportable not to convene for the sake of abiding by the rules. We have to grasp the current situation and each person needs to act with responsibility. 

――What kind of future do you envision?

Midori: I am so busy every day that I can’t think of anything concrete about the future, but it would be nice to organize events several times a year. It should be at a place with good conditions and open to all minority groups, featuring tons of brilliant underground performers. I hope to have actual events, not just streaming online.

Elin: I haven’t thought about the distant future, but I want to implement WAIFU in places other than Tokyo.

Midori: In Kansai area, there was an event called SLUT WALK OSAKA. We have been talking to the organizers of the event to collaborate down the road.

Elin: I am planning to live in Berlin for work for a year next year. It will be nice if I can develop relations with the queer festivals in Germany. Besides WAIFU, we started to organize an outdoor rave party called SLICK. WAIFU and SLICK have their unique characteristics and we want to keep them separate.  WAIFU has its policies and we have the goal of creating a safe space using these policies and we create a safe place with restrictions. It’s queer and soft. On the other hand, SLICK is queer and hard. We have parties in Berlin in our mind. The performance we show at SLICK can’t be done at WAIFU. There is a risk that the it could remind people of past trauma. At SLICK, anything goes.  

Midori: WAIFU is a gathering for people with awareness. As for SLICK, the point is to have people come and join the party regardless of their level of awareness. WAIFU might be too focused on becoming the safe place, but I think it’s important to have a place like that. We both need SLICK and WAIFU and will see what we can do to sustain them.

Elin McCready
She is a professor in the Department of English at Aoyama Gakuin University and a fashion model. She was born in Ohio and grew up in Austin, Texas. She holds a PhD in linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests are linguistics and philosophy, focusing mostly on semantics, pragmatics, and philosophy of language.

While studying at the University of Oregon, Elin became fascinated with the Japanese punk rock band BOREDOMS. In 1994, she had an opportunity to study at Waseda University. After graduation, she went back to Japan and met her wife, Midori. As club aficionadas, they hit it off and got married. After finishing graduate school, she worked as a researcher at the Osaka University, until she got her current position. She collaborates with Midori to organize WAIFU and SLICK events. She is also part of an art collective MOM that she formed with her current partner and Midori to present contemporary art work.

Midori Morita
Born in Nara, Midori is an artist and an event organizer. When the clubs started to pop up in the 90s, she decorated clubs as an artist using textiles, mainly in Kansai area. From 1994 to 1996, while teaching textiles at a university in Jordan as a member of JICA, she volunteered at a Palestinian refugee camp. She married Elin in 2000. They have three sons, Recently, she is focusing on nurturing creativity among young people. Her eldest son is a DJ and an artist in Tokyo. Since becoming a mother, she has been particularly interested in social issues and, in recent years, she has presented work in South Korea, which focuses on Japan-Korea relations and the state of post-war Japan.

The post What is WAIFU? Creating a Club Culture to Support Feminism and a Safe Place That is Enjoyable Regardless of Attributions appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Looking at the lineup released by the publisher, there are only things that shine with individuality, such as Sota Takagi’s “Absurd Music Encyclopedia” which is nonsense and acquainted, and AUTO MOAI’s “Endless Beginning” which is now attracting attention from the world.The name Funsho-sya is reminiscent of Ray Bradbury’s “451 Fahrenheit”, which further stimulates curiosity.Interviewed with Hajime Matsushita, who has various faces of such as activities as Omoide Yaro A Team,DJ Sammo Hung Kimpo, management of MAD LOVE Records, and presiding over the Funsho-sya about the mysterious publishing label.

——What made you decide to launch a publishing label a  s well as a record label?

Hajime Matsushita (Matsushita)：Actually, I had work experience at a major publishing company. However, I was in charge of producing and editing e-books, so I started from zero know-how on paper books. Sota Takagi, who runs the Funsho-sya together, is a producer and musician who originally lived in the neighborhood.It all started when I got a consultation from Mr. Takagi who wanted to publish his book.I wanted to make the most of his experience at the publishing company, but worried because I had never made a paper book.  At that time, Rokuon Saito gave me help hand, who is the guitarist of the band Omoide Yaro A Team which I belong.He had knowledge of paper books because he worked as an editor for another publisher. We asked to join designer Tatsuya Kunieda whom connection with the previous publisher.In 2014 we have published Sota Takagi’s “A Musical Encyclopedia of Absurdity” as the first book of Funsho-sya.

——Funsho-sya is a strong publisher name, isn’t it?

Matsushita：In the process of making this book, when we had to decide on a publisher name, Mr.Takagi came up with the idea, “How about a Funsho-sya(Book burning company)?” Everyone laughs and likes it. And with that name, it’s still going on as a publisher.

Making slightly dangerous and cool books

——The genres of the books that are published are also different. Personally, it’s nice that AUTO MOAI’s art book is lined up with Sota Takagi’s book.

Matsushita：It’s like trying to make a book about the works of the dangerous people around us. The first thing I aimed for was the ultimate “toilet book”, and I wanted to make a slightly dangerous and cool book.I had no vision of publishing a book in the future, but the “A Musical Encyclopedia of Absurdity” attracted more attention and sold than I had imagined, so I was motivated as a publisher.Around that time, I met AUTO MOAI and thought that the picture she drew was quite dangerous. Then, let’s publish an art book and do a solo exhibition.

——The speed advancement of AUTO MOAI was amazing.

Matsushita：It’s true.She works with various major brands, but her core as a painter hasn’t changed at all, and I really respect his energetic attitude.At first, her book was released in large format, and the paperback edition was reprinted with the latest works added.

——And “YOSHIRO” was added.

Matsushita：First I worked with Yoshiro Hiroishi in a record production 3 or 4years ago, and I used to see him and he welcomed his house.Getting know him more,I got impressions of him were very crazy and interesting.I read YOSHIRO’s serial column in the magazine “Latina” and thought that this was something that should be released in the world, so I offered to publish it.While reading the original manuscript from the beginning with the members of the Funsho-sya and reworking it and increased the text some parts YOSHIRO wants.During the production, we often collided and at the end, we pushed ourselves to the break point.

The addition of this book to the Funsho-sya lineups,Our direction has been changed little from the original idea of “ultimate toilet book.” I think it goes far beyond the quality of indie publishing.Previously, “Dangerous Reading” in the magazine “BRUTUS” featured “A Musical Encyclopedia of Absurdity”, and when I found it at a bookstore, I smiled unintentionally.The underlying concept of making dangerous and cool books remains the same. AUTO MOAI’s work also had a draggy element, and I felt that I could see the way forward for the Funsho-sya to be such a publisher.

——What brought you to Latin music world.

Matsushita：YOSHIRO who gave me a chance to get deeply absorbed in Latin music. gave me a chance to immerse myself deeply.Even before that, I participated in live performances and recordings as a support member of VIDEOTAPEMUSIC, and many of the samples and tunes were Latin, so I was exposed to that on a daily basis.When I was editing “YOSHIRO”, I listened to the sound sources of Latin artists that appeared in the book all day long, and I felt the latin music like a deep swamp.Also, in 2018, I accompanied YOSHIRO on a Cuba tour and noticed the awesomeness of Bolero. I think it’s thanks to this book that I became more familiar with that.

——What made you originally addicted to music?

Matsushita：My maternal uncle was in Kyoto and dropout outlaw who bounced in and out of jail. When I was in high school, he took me to a drive in a well-modified American car.He played the compilation of VP RECORDS in the car, and from the woofer with a roaring sound while running on the paddy field in Shiga, and I was absorbed in the feeling of deep bass with melting lovers rock.From there, my interest shifted to reggae and soul

——And what made you become a performer?

Matsushita：There was a jazz study group at the university, and the band that was formed by people who couldn’t play jazz was the Omoide Yaro A Team.I thought it was a good band and went to see their gigs as an audience.At one day,one of the members disappeared temporarily, and a vocalist Mr.Makoichi asked me “You have a face that seems to be percussion, so why don’t you try it?”I had never played percussion but some times people mention that my face is looks like Motoya Hamaguchi (former member of Tin Pan Array, one of Japan’s leading percussionists) these days.

——Once again, you’re doing a different types of jobs, so It’s hard to recognize your main occupation.

Matsushita：I don’t really know what I’m doing! It’s difficult to live on the income of playing in a band, so if I did everything I wanted to do and made some income sources, it became my current work style.This COVID-19 catastrophe, my income from DJs and live shows was almost zero, but I managed to get it because I had a job as a label for books and records. I was Lucky not focus on one job.

——I feel that you are required to work in multiple ways in the times.

Matsushita：It must be an illusion to graduate from a good school and get a job at a good company. We are in a situation where we have no choice but to do it ourselves. I can’t do what I don’t want to do, so I have no choice but to use my head to survive.

I have run record labels and publishers for 5 or 6 years, and these finally been recognized.

There is a unique charm of paper books that we cannot get with e-books

——Nowadays, music is shifting to subscription, but there are still many people who buy paper books.

Matsushita：I rarely read e-books either. The mass of information is overwhelmingly larger in paper books, so it’s exciting when you simply pick it up.I think that the characters printed on paper are different from the characters in e-books such as smartphones, computers, and tablets in the place where they are input to the head.Even if e-books evolve, paper books will not disappear, and I will continue to make them.

In the book industry, distribution is difficult unless through the certain agency. Even if I tried it until now, indie publishing was paid in advance, but I’m glad that the frontage has expanded thanks to the distribution agency Transview from this April.They published  a catalog of indie publishers using Transview and I realized the existence of massive amounts of self-funded publishers.I was very happy to found similar people finally!

——Finally, please let us know if you have any plans for future publication and release.

Matsushita：As Funsho-sya, we are planning to publish an art book of great artist Hiraparr Wilson.He is friend of mine.And as MAD LOVE Records will release an EP of a producer in Yokohama called Latin Quarter on cassette tape. Both of them are wonderful artists, so please check them out.

Hajime Matsushita(DJ Sammo Hung Kimpo)
DJ, musician and editor. Organize MAD LOVE Records, a member of the Funsho-sya  and a percussionist of Omoide Yaro A Team.As a DJ at many parties, scrutinizing dreams of the night.
https://funshosha.stores.jp
Twitter @hajimematsushit
Instagram @djsammohungkambo

Photography Mayumi Hosokura
Cooperation du cafe & bookunion Shinjuku

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The post “Funsho-sya” a indie publisher offers an addictive reading experience via books with dangerous charm. appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Author, YOSHIRO Hiroishi speaks about the book, published by Funsho-sha, run by DJ Sammo Hung Kimpo, Rokuon Saito, binding artist Tatsuya Kunieda, and music producer Souta Takagi of the Omoide Yaro A Team.

In precocious childhood, I believed that dying young was beautiful

――First of all, I would like to delve into your childhood memories.

YOSHIRO Hiroishi(YOSHIRO)：My family was kind to me and I was too petted.I was aware of my sexuality as a minority at an early stage, and my parents let me do what I liked.In 1945, when the scars of the war still remained, I was an elementary school student and I was not good at group action.Even at the morning assembly, I said to the principal, “Please prove that you are a good student because you are a shaven,” and I was a cheeky or precocious child.

At that time, there was no internet and there was little information about homosexuality.While looking up in the library or reading a book, it is beautiful to think that you are evil and wonder how you should live in the future, or to be influenced by the novels of Yukio Mishima and Ryunosuke Akutagawa, I believed that dying was beautiful.And I just wanted to get away from this place (Oita) and run away.

――You’ve been in cities such as Osaka since you were a student. How did you procure the transportation expenses?

YOSHIRO：At that time, my house was financially affordable, and I paid for travel expenses from my allowance, and even if I didn’t have the money on the spot, my parents sent me money instead. At that time, I don’t remember having trouble with money.I boarded Kansai steamboat from Beppu, and the ship that left the port at night arrived at Kobe Port in the morning, and from there I headed for Osaka by train. At that time Jazz records, bands playing live, and so on were collectively called Jazz cafe (Jazz Kissa).There are many such places in Tokyo and Osaka, and top-notch people are also appearing.I used my intuition to find Yukiji Asaoka at a jazz cafe, and when I asked the shop staff to sing, and they allowed me, because I was a child.It was not enough for applause, the kind customers clapped for me.I’m sure Mr. Asaoka was also watching. When I was in the first year of junior high school, I decided to head for singer I think my parents also realized that I was gay.There were many things before that, but he showed me that my determination was unwavering. I had such an obsession with what to do if my sexuality became known around me even when I went to school. I headed to Tokyo for escape.Wasn’t sure I could enter the world of singing, but I wish I could be a ballet dancer.

――What was your life like in Tokyo?

YOSHIRO：I came to Tokyo in 1957. I went to Sanae Mizushima, who was a flower-shaped jazz singer in Shanghai in the early Showa period, and first learned the basics of walking and backbeats.At that time, I was aiming for a jazz singer instead of Latin. A person who was supposed to be on stage at a US military camp suddenly became ill and got a chance to sing as a pinch hitter before gaining experience at the US military camp. At Platters Night, I learned 5 Platters songs in a short practice  and expanded my repertoire.

Guided by excitement and fate to South America

――The impression of your book is that you had very good luck. I think it took some courage to seize that opportunity.

YOSHIRO：I had no choice but to dive in, or I believed that there was no way to live without diving into the world of music.Adventures and challenges are very exciting, and I may have been guided by that excitement. Of course, I had a lot of trouble too.

――Did you have an interest in Latin music before you went to South America?

YOSHIRO：Actually, I didn’t even know the Latin genre. In 1955, “Cerezo Rosa” became a big hit worldwide in the Perez Prado movie, and Mambo became popular in Japan, covering the three daughters (Hibari Misora, Chiemi Eri, Izumi Yukimura). But the Latin music was recognized as pop music.I sang at the Latin Night held at the U.S. military camp, where there are many Latino soldiers, and by the time I had chance to sing in Tokyo Cuban Boys, naturally I became active as a Latin singer.I made my debut as a Latin singer on NHK in 1960, but I wasn’t good at Japanese songs.The songs at that time were too simple and unfashionable so not get along with my taste.For about 5 years, I was put on the market like a newcomer. Others were getting popular, but I couldn’t make a hit, probably because I didn’t sing Japanese pop songs.All of my stages at the US military camp were American customers, and the performance was very well received. I got advices that it would be faster to go abroad.

――What made you decide to appear on a popular Venezuelan TV show?

YOSHIRO：On the day I shared the stage with Edith Salcedo, the Queen of Coffee Rumba in the year of the Tokyo Olympics, I gave her a promotional flexi disc that I pressed at my own expense.So the next day, she suddenly contacted me. When you go to Uchisaiwaicho, where the old NHK is located, and talk, do you feel like going to Venezuela? Of course I wanted to go, but no idea how to get there.

She was a regular on the local super-popular Radio Caracas Televisión “El Show de Renny （The Renny Show）” and she was asked to scout a Japanese singer before coming to Japan.This would not have happened 10 years after the Tokyo Olympics. Japan lost to the United States in the war and was attracting attention from Latin America, which has an anti-American consciousness, as a country to recover. The economic situation in both the United States and South America is improving, and it must have been a good time.

Become a pop singer with a very unique performance that uniquely interprets Japan culture

――Your performance depicted in the book was very radical.

YOSHIRO：I thought that even if I did something normal, no one would pay attention to it. We asked people in the Kabuki to teach how to pull out costumes, and we incorporated various elements such as tap dancing and roller skating with clogs.Even if I compete with a song, I couldn’t match the local singer and  just wear a kimono and sing, I would  get bored in a day. In a flashy costume incorporating Japanese elements, the viewer’s expectations were betrayed in a good way by dancing while rampaging so much that the camera could not catch up.

Even if I compete with a song, lo with a local singer, and if you just wear a kimono and sing, you will get bored in a day.In gorgeous flashy costume that incorporates Japanese elements, she dances while rampaging so much that the camera cannot catch up. In a good way, I was able to betray the viewer’s expectations.Princess Tenko also became popular in the United States, but it was very important to play the Japanese image that people envisioned there.When I was spinning the fan, I sometimes dropped it. Make a laugh with such a mistake.

――It’s amazing to be able to respond instantly.

YOSHIRO：Failure could make you laugh, and above all, writing a success story in a book wouldn’t be interesting to the reader.People’s misfortune is the taste of honey, and failure stories should be interesting.I was successful, but even if I got a lot of money, I lost it immediately, and it was a turbulent experience. Japan is safe and we can walk with peace.In foreign countries, the other person may have a pistol, and it is dangerous if the discussion is overheated.

――Did you feel the difference in the attitudes of the local people toward work?

YOSHIRO：The concept of time is decisively different. It’s surprisingly loose, an hour or two late is commonplace, and even live TV shows can be easily delayed by about five minutes. I think it’s different now.In the case of Japan, the great people and politicians of the company are not interested in jazz, so it was hard to feel respect for the singers who sing in clubs and cabarets.Women such as hostesses take their seats, and the show is treated like a bonus rather than the main one. It was a hard environment for a professional singer.

――You have traveled to various countries in your life as a singer. Which country do you have particular memories of?

YOSHIRO：It changes with the times but Venezuela was the most successful and rewarded country.It’s now the most bankrupt country in the world.At that time Venezuela relied on oil for 95% of its economic activity. I think it has become difficult since the country switched to socialism.

――How did you feel about the changes in Japan as you went back and forth between Japan and South America?

YOSHIRO：It was three years that I had been away from Japan for the longest time. The scenery of the city is changing all the time.I used to be in Shinjuku, but there was a cabaret in Dogenzaka in Shibuya. I never imagined that it would change like that from the black market after the war.Besides, there are very few places to sing. The guarantees of top musicians are also cheaper. Karaoke has prevailed in the world, and that kind of cheesy music are everywhere.Even if I’m invited to karaoke, I won’t go. It’s no fun to listen to the songs of non-professionals, and never get paid for singing there.Sometimes amateurs are better at singing.

――How many listeners are there in the current Japanese Latin music scene?

YOSHIRO：There is a certain number, but there are very few and I don’t know the exact number. Nowadays, YouTube and online distribution are the mainstream, and sales of CDs are also declining.Under such circumstances, I am grateful that DJ Sammo Hung Kimpo(Funsho-sha), will release my 7″ vinyl.I re-recorded Lupine III’s theme song and “Kamomeya Kamome” will be released with my own arrangement of rhythm and singing style. It seems that this book will be distributed in earnest, So I’m really excited like I used to be.The only thing that is a little difficult is age. I will be 81 years old in April.

――81 years old! It is amazing

YOSHIRO：In order to maintain a sense of rhythm and sharpness, training such as abdominal muscles is required as well as Olympic athletes.As for songs, as I get older, the astringency increases and the taste becomes better.Young voice has its own good points, but I think it was not very interesting to sing as much as I could.I used to live abroad and do show business, but unfortunately I had a time when I was forced to fight against tropical diseases, and I also experienced alcoholism.It may be because I knew that I was gay from the time I was aware of it, so I lacked a sense of self-affirmation.Still, I was right to choose the singer for her lifelong job. Being gay gives you an uplifting feeling and a delicate and erotic mood that ordinary people can’t create.

YOSHIRO広石
Born in 1940. One of Japan’s leading international Latin singers, and after being invited to a TV station in Venezuela in 1965, gained great popularity in North and Central and South America. She then she has been active in Japan and abroad until now. He has released albums in more than 15 countries to date and  won the Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts and Music Division Excellence Award in 1999. In 2005, he received the Music Achievement Award from Cuba.

Photography Mayumi Hosokura

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The post Legendary Japanese Latin singer YOSHIRO Hiroishi. An endless passion for Latin music at the age of 81. appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Sissone was formed in April 2006 by Jiro and Shinobu Hasegawa, won the prize of 2014 “King of Sketch” Japan.With overwhelming ability, complex and ironic sketches, you can feel the culture they have seen with their own eyes.Recently, not only comedy, but also the range of activities such as the stage and drama has been expanded, and appearances have increased significantly on TV shows. In addition, they regularly hold solo live shows, and the artwork and product sales that make them feel the background of the two are also attracting attention.Among them, ZINE “Konton” sold at the venue was edited by Shinobu Hasegawa, and it is an interesting one that reflects his personality.

I wanted to introduce interesting people around me.

−−What was your impression of ZINE?

Shinobu Hasegawa：I have a close friendship with Mr.ANI from SCHADARAPARR, and one time I went to their gig, He showed his own ZINE to me.

The image of ZINE was very fashionable but I recognized it’s same as Fanzine.When I went to “TACO ché” in Nakano to buy comics, I checked some interesting ZINEs. Actually, I hope to selling my zine there.But I realized that the stock was running low before I asked for it, and I couldn’t even go to the store because of the coronavirus.

−−When you actually made ZINEs, what reactions did you get?

Shinobu：It’s a pretty confident work, but I’m surprised that it hasn’t been evaluated at all in the company.My 1st issue, the person in charge of production said to me, “The color print looks more luxurious, so let’s print as color!” As a result, the production cost was high and it was not profitable.Therefore, the 2nd issue has a more ZINE-like appearance. Since being chief editor of my ZINE, I made whole idea of articles, one of them is criticizing the works of the art school students.There was my production team, roughly thought about a design plan and threw it to the team, the member introduced me to the designer and so on.

−−How difficult was it to become the editor-in-chief?

Shinobu：I don’t think it was hard, but I think it’s difficult to mark up the each article texts.Even if it is ZINE, there are many contents that can not be printed, As and when I cut it, I get angry with “Why do you cut it!” (Laughs). But in total it was a lot of fun. Although the genre is different, there are many people of the same generation who are doing interesting things, so I wanted to introduce something like a horizontal connection in ZINE.It’s bit difficult for me to edit the dialogue with actor Yoshiyoshi Arakawa.That time he kept badmouthing.But in total it was a lot of fun. Although the genre is different, there are many people of the same generation who are doing interesting things around me, so I wanted to introduce something like a horizontal connection in ZINE. 

−−The cover image of ZINE by the illustrator “face”,he made products with us.

Shinobu：I followed his instagram then he followed back.Personally, I am good friend with Rachel and Mamiko from Chelmico before they do rap music.My wife and me walking down the Harajuku street and found the picture of face’s drawing work.She said “Oh, his drawing will suit for Chelmico. I though　”Probably true” but my honest thought was “No, I want to do it first!” I really wanted my ZINE  cover to look cool, so I asked face for both issues. 

−−The logo by face looks great. Why did you name your ZINE “Konoton”?

Shinobu：I want to express the  messy content like a stew.Also it’s bit embarrassing to explain thisI thought it’s funny to have similar sound of “conte(sketch)”.At the same time fixing the title,I found that Takashi Murakami was working on the artwork for “Kids See Ghosts,” a collaboration between Kanye West and Kid Cudi, he put “Konton” word on his artwork. I love Kanye but I don’t want to make impression being influenced by the artwork.

I was enjoy the information-gathering from magazine when I was high-teen.

−−I got huge influence by magazine from your ZINE. 

Shinobu：When I was a student, the internet was not mainstream, and I got so many knowledges and informations from fashion, culture magazines. Especially,”TOKION”, “relax”, and “warp” was very big to me.I was in high school, street fashion magazines were very popular, I was reading “boom” and learned about the world of Urahara culture by magazines. I remember that first time to see “TOKION” at the “APE” store.Originally, “TOKION” was bilingual in English and Japanese, wasn’t it? It was such a cool magazine I really wanted. In my hometown of Hamamatsu, “TOKION” is not sold at normal bookstores, Tower Records was only place to get it. 

It’s easy to grab information on internet,I think that the existence of magazines was huge because I still have special attachment to papers.Besides, this ZINE content is not interesting to read on the web, it is interesting because it is read on paper.From the generation of reading comics on their smartphones, it may not seem strange, and reading a paper book may be a hassle, but it is important that there is one effort step. It’s my tiny antithesis.

−−Did you also check the latest music in the magazine?

Shinobu：The popularity of hip-hop and melodic hardcore was polarized locally, but I loved both.Especially “warp” magazine covered both, so I checked new music from them.I have been to Tokyo to experience the scene there. To save money I got on a local train, but around Mishima Station feeling very bored and transfers bullet train.Including that it was good memory to me.

−−What kind of music are you listening to now?

Shinobu：I hadn’t listened to Japanese hip-hop for a while, but it’s been changing.After the freestyle battle fever, I was away from Japanese hip-hop. Now such as THE OTOGIBANASHI’S and PUNPEE are very interesting, hard style hip-hop like NAMEDARUMA is also my favorite.

−−It’s a different musical taste from Mr.Jiro

Shinobu：He loves Japanese rock band like Ningen-isu. The band and he were from same high school, they had local connection. When I met Jiro, He and I were 26, and I hit it off because we were both late to enter Yoshimoto’s training school and interests were close.He used to wear clothes like Undercover, now he was quitting everything and got into pachinko.It’s beyond the level of addiction.

−−Backing to the subject, isn’t the next issue coming out anymore?

Shinobu：I enjoyed my own collage, and it makes sense to be able to do things that I can’t do on TV with my own ZINE.TV is very limited media I guess.

The advantage of making it in-house is that it is easy to secure a budget, but since everyone participates voluntarily,Next issue it’s better to make it more DIY style like Mr.ANI made.It’s nice to get along with the people who participated before and I want to get involved Koichiro Yamamoto from “Stylist Shibutsu (Private stuff)” is close friend recently.He is very professional stylist, he speaks very artistic with a great sense, I was very inspired.So it would be interesting to put his conversation on my ZINE.

On TV media, there is a limit to introducing and expressing what we love,ZINE is a personal medie to put only what we love.In the next issue, I hope I can make the content of my hobby in detail. It is unknown whether it can be issued yet.

Shinobu Hasegawa
Born in 1978 Hamamatsu. Belong to Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., Ltd.Formed “sissone” with Jiro in 2006 from NSC. Hobbies include fashion, collecting sneakers and American comic figures.
http://sissonne.jp
Instagram：http://www.instagram.com/sissonne_hasegawa
Youtube：https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfsyQDWrmn9_v4wl3MM99ww/

Photography Kosuke Matsuki
Translation Sumire Taya
Cooperation BYT SHOWROOM

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――When and how did you conceive making the book on the theme?

Asako Hirayama：The project itself was probably seven years ago. From that time on, I decided to ask cartoonist Sansuke Yamada for illustrations.At that stage, I asked him to draw a illustration in the proposal, but unfortunately the project did not went through that time, and the idea of this book was in limbo long time.The publisher was decided again three years ago and it was proceeding until last summer, but this also dropped. Then, I talked to publisher Sayusha and they decided to put out this book in the fall. Since Mr.Sansuke has been busy with his own work while the project was suspended, the production period of this book may be about 1 and a half years.

――I came across the word of “Sentango（尖端語)”.

Asako：”Sentan（尖端）” has same meaning as the word “Sentan（先端）”.
Nowadays,”尖” is often used because “先”. is no longer a kanji for this purpose, but neither is a mistake. At that time, it was used with the same meaning as new words and popular words.

――My image of your works was an image of non-fiction reading material,How did the idea for the dictionary come from?

Asako：I like old dictionaries collect them. In particular,
In particular, the unique phrases found in old “dictionary of new words” and the unique expressions of example sentences and explanations are very interesting, and I want to make a dictionary myself while being strongly drawn.And I wanted many people to know its charm through this book.

The process of thoroughly researching and turning the researched material into a single reading material is the same as the books I have worked on so far.The title of this book is “Prewar Buzzword Dictionary”, but I personally call this book “Dictionary-style reading material”. Originally I was working on design, so I never imagined that I would write a book. Originally I liked to dig and research various things.

It’s a continuation of this era, as I tend to find something interesting in the process of making the previous book and decide on the theme for the next book, but I’m not necessarily a prewar cultural expert.If anything, I’m more interested in women’s way of life and critique.
A long time ago, I designed a T-shirt under the title of “Modern New Word Dictionary” in an apparel project, but at that time I already had an idea for this book. I’m sure that from that time on, popular words and new words from the Taisho era and the early Showa era were my boom.

――I think it takes time and effort to create a dictionary,Please tell us these process.

Asako：At first, I looked at as many old buzzword dictionaries as possible, picked up the words I was interested in, and roughly divided them by genre.The first intuition may have been quite important in choosing something that is interesting to read now. There were many candidates for words to be included in the dictionary, but I cut them down considerably. Since I have been working at a university library, I was familiar with these materials, and I was originally crazy for search, so I was able to take advantage of that personality. It’s a pity that there were so many references that it was impossible to include them all. Anyway, this book is based on a huge amount of material.

I wanted to convey the nuances of the texts of the publications at that time as they were, so I incorporated typographical errors as much as possible without correcting them.The sentences in the dictionary at that time were very unique, and I wanted to express its charm directly, which was the original motivation for making this book.The main content of the current buzzword dictionary is “Basic knowledge of modern terms”, and you are trying to make objective descriptions. The old buzzword dictionary contains the subjectivity and prejudice of compilation and is very interesting as a reading material, so I hope that it can be reflected in this book as well.

――Did you discover anything by facing the words?

Asako：It is interesting that words include the life and atmosphere of that era, and you can get a glimpse of the social situation and the way you have your heart. Even if you learn the modern history of Japan in class, politics and economy are at the center of it.Even if the textbook contains the history of customs at that time, there are very few pages that introduce fashion and trend.However, from the trends and words used in everyday life at that time, I felt that the human life of various types of people, such as students, office workers, and young women, could be felt to fill the gap.And I think there are many parts that overlap with us living in the present. I still tend to omit words, but people at that time also tended to omit them, so I tried to say “Mochiron(Of course)” as “Mochi”. It’s the same as “Ryokai(OK)” gonna be “Ri” now.This book also introduces the chapters “Student Language” and “Schoolgirl Language”, but now JK, idol nerds,young boys and girls who are familiar with various cultures, and college students are producing a lot of popular words. There is something in common between that era and the present.

――Are you interested in modern buzzwords?

Asako：Every year, I am interested in checking what kind of buzzwords are available.
Words that I don’t know are selected, and it’s also an opportunity to look up the meaning and learn about a new world.But this year it looks completely different, and I wrote it in the postscript of the book, the 2020 buzzword was almost a corona-related word, so it’s hard to find my favorite one.I was surprised that the threat of corona has reached this level, but it may reflect the times.

――I’d like to continue using the Prewar Buzzwords, but I have no idea which to use.Give me an idea?

Asako：My favorite is “Imoki（妹貴 – younger sister）” introduced in the student language chapter.It’s a version of “Aneki（姉貴 – sis）”, and it’s limited because it can only be used in situations they have younger sister, but I definitely want everyone to use it at this opportunity. Also, “Zakkubaran” shorted “Zakubara”, “Mochi Course”, which is a combination of “of course” and “Mochiron (means also of course)”, and “Toteki”, which stands for “Very Nice”, may still be easy to incorporate into everyday conversation.The goal of this book, or as an ambition, would be great if it became a TV drama or other work.I would love to see if there is a buzzword-bound sketches show.I think that there is something like a revival of words in the times, so I would like everyone to incorporate the words contained in this book into their daily lives and put them into practical use.

――It’s my last question but please tell us the recommended Prewar Buzzwords for TOKION readers.

Asako：I thought about various ideas, I reccomend “アップ・トゥー・ミニト（up-to-minute)”?The word has the meaning of “latest in the latest”, but when I saw the TOKION website, I got a sharp impression of culture and fashion, so for example.”His favorite web mag is TOKION, he is a アップ・トゥー・ミニト（up-to-minute) guy”. If you can use it like this.I think that English is mostly used in foreign words in Japan nowadays, but in the past, when you look at this, you are influenced by various countries such as French and German.It’s amazing that there were English buzzwords such as “アップ・トゥー・ミニト（up-to-minute)” and “インフルエンス（influence）” that are still easy to understand.Even with words that you already know, you can discover new things by knowing the background of the times. I would be grateful if you could make various discoveries from my “Prewar Buzzword Dictionary”.

Asako Hirayama
A writer, designer, and story collector. She is good at prewar culture and research on free-living women who do not appear in textbooks. Summarized the results in “20th Century Breaking Celebrity” (Kokusho Kankokai) and “Meiji Taisho Showa Bad Girls History” (Kawadeshoboshinsya). Realized the importance of what she saw and heard with her own eyes after the 2011 earthquake, and self-published “Pure Personal Magazine Hobbies and Benefits,” which advocates her “selfishness.” Other project song unit “2525Kagyo”,plays songs from the Meiji and Taisho Showa eras, Japanese and Asian folk songs, and oral traditions.The latest book “Prewar Buzzword Dictionary (Sayusha) on January 31, and has been well received.
Blog: http://asakojournal.blogspot.com
Instagram: @achaco2

Translation Sumire Taya

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The post Learn the history of chic words known from the “Prewar Buzzword Dictionary” that brings back the old popular words to the present day appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.