TRAVERSE TOKYO

Primarily they do not change too much. Even with Hedi Slimane coming back, the collection in general has not changed greatly. But while observing in the city, the younger people have been changing. Maybe it is limited within Harajuku, but there are kids wearing things we wore in the 80’s like BOY LONDON, or loud prints like KENZO. The silhouette and tops are bigger, and the bottoms are slim. Hairstyles are often a “2 block” cut. So looking at that, things have started to be more fun through the past seasons.

I think that the creators also think the younger generation is changing. But the generation right after us is not. Like at Isetan or Parco, I am now seeing pop-up shops of a “stylist-designer” brand for the younger people. So I think if the older generation starts picking up on that, things can start getting more interesting.

Recently people are not keeping up with them anymore. If there are not more exciting fashion magazines being made, these guys won’t have anywhere to show off. There are so many magazines that are similar to each other. If magazines like COMMONS&SENSE and HUGE keep being published, I think then things could change, but today’s fashion magazines are quite bland. They say then the magazines would not sell, but I think that’s because they are all the same.

I think they are all being stifled because they have no place to flourish. It is the same for women’s collection. No matter how much they work to get a great photo, it gets extremely cropped and used in a tiny space, leaving none of the original creativity. And this type of situation has continued in Japan. I think that internationally there are new fashion magazines being made, yes? Including independent labels. Japan is so advanced in other fields but is extremely dated when it comes to fashion related print media.

The other day I finally bought multiple copies that I had been meaning to get, (While saying that, he takes out about 10 different books from a large paper bag. And there laid out were various collections, from the newest editions of artists such as Mario Sorrenti, Andreas Gursky and Miyako Ishiuchi) but I haven’t had the chance to really look at them. This Shomei Tomatsu’s “make” I like. And this was a while ago, but I found Mikiya Takimoto’s “LAND SCAPE” very fascinating.

When buying a book of a photographer you do not know, for the most part the cover decides it. This can be unsuccessful. But you can buy them after looking through the content. I essentially never buy them from the Internet. I would be shocked if a book I bought had bent pages or a corner was completely crushed. So I always feel a book with my own hands, examine it with my eyes, and then purchase it. For me to purchase clothes online is impossible.

Paris has impeccable quality as well as a large amount, but it is expensive. Regarding just amount, that would be in the United States. There are many wealthy people in the Hamptons, so it is said that there are nice items there. Cologne, Germany is supposedly good too. There have good publishers and printing houses.

No. I like to collect the same photography book in the different language.

I was interested in it some time ago, and I have not done it for awhile, but I would really like to start pottery again. That time not thinking about anything, but to just be completely immersed in is wonderful. It’s so much fun to interact with elderly women, foreigners, children, and to spin the potter’s wheel.

Oh, no, I’m not at that point yet. I have to first be confident with the basics. I have to start at catching the ball. And then successfully return the ball to my partner! (Laughs)