This second article in our series introduces Daisuke Miyatsu, president of the Yokohama University of Art and Design. In 1994, while working as a corporate salaryman, he began collecting art. Developing an aesthetic sensibility through his observation of the art world, he became a visiting professor at the Kyoto University of Art and Design. Over many years, as he continued collecting art, he established personal relationships with both Japanese and foreign artists. Today, Miyatsu also serves on the board of directors of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. In April 2020, he became president of the Yokohama University of Art and Design, where his research has focused on the relationship between artists and society. He has produced numerous writings in this subject area. Also in 2020, his book, Shingata korona wa aato o dou kaeru ka (How Will the Novel Coronavirus Change Art?), was published by Kobunsha Shinsho. In this book, he discusses various ways in which the novel coronavirus pandemic has influenced contemporary art.

―― Please tell us about your work in the field of art education and especially about your fields of interest in your new role as the president of the Yokohama University of Art and Design.

DAISUKE MIYATSU: In the past, at Softbank, I worked in the human resources department, where I worked on improving the in-house training system and developed the careers of talented senior personnel. Nowadays, as the president of an art university, in addition to managing the institution, I pursue research about relationships between the economy, society, and art. I’m always thinking about how I may help support artists and designers so that they may take part in solving society’s many problems. Ever since I began collecting contemporary art, I’ve continued my close communications with artists and art-related people around the world. I’m also in charge of the “Practical Global Communication Seminar,” an original course that I created, which focuses on how people who have difficult experiences because they do not speak English proficiently and those around the world who do not understand Japanese can arrive at some kind of mutual understanding. The goal is for students to acquire the skills they’ll need in order to be able to present their ideas and their work anywhere in the world by using the full extent of the vocabulary they currently command.

―― In your new book and in your work as an educator, you are interested in the relationship between art and society. Please explain the emphasis you place on the relationship between art and the era in which it is made.

MIYATSU: “Gendai aato” (現代アート) is the Japanese translation of the English term “contemporary art.”

“Contemporary” does not mean only “current.” It can also mean “at the same time.” Therefore, with regard to contemporaneity, that is, to right now, works of art that do not reflect an awareness of the issues or express the concepts of the current time cannot really be referred to as “contemporary art.” With regard to society, how does one have an awareness of the issues? This is important.

Among artists, those who misunderstand the meaning of “contemporary art” are not few in number. Contemporary art might tend to be misunderstood as something from a particular period of time or something stylized, but instead of offering merely style, from outstanding artists whose works convey a sense of contemporaneity, we should be able to understand what “contemporary” means.

――Do young artists in Japan feel that being an artist entails having a certain role to play in society or a particular responsibility in relation to society?

MIYATSU: That depends on the artist, doesn’t it?

For example, in the United States, with the Black Lives Matter movement, or with the presidential-election contest between the conservative Donald Trump and the liberal Joe Biden, and so on, from race and gender to economic policy and diplomacy, it’s becoming apparent that various social issues are being felt in personal ways. Or, similarly, in Hong Kong, with the pro-democracy movement and the national security law that controls one’s personal life. For better or worse, people living in such places are feeling great concern about the situations in their countries and regions.

By contrast, in places where the political situation and public order are stable, the fact is that, for young artists, when it comes to making their work, it’s hard for them to grasp the structure of social problems. However, since 3/11 [referring to the tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear-power-plant accident of March 2011 in Japan], the usual “kawaii art” (cute art) has been in considerable decline, and I think that some outstanding [Japanese] artists have been capturing a sense of Japan’s current situation as they have made their work.

Today, the artist Takashi Murakami, who has become internationally well known, having articulated his notion of “super flat,” which is related to the history of Japanese animation and to a grasp of perspectival space that differs from that of perspective in Western art, is active on a global scale, presenting paintings and sculptures that are based on that concept. Since recognition by the art-market system and creativity overflowing with originality tend to go together, it can be said that he is the one Japanese artist who has achieved rare, worldwide success.

However, for many young artists, the problem of their personal inclusion in relation to society is one that is by no means easy to accurately comprehend. At least I don’t think that Japan, with its superficial peacefulness and security, and its economy, if compared to those of other countries, has fallen into serious circumstances [similar to those of certain other countries]. Therefore, in Japan, one might feel somewhat optimistic. But as many artists of the digital-native generation have been producing outstanding works dealing with games, singularity, or various other senses of values, one can appreciate them with a sense of, “Hey, that’s pretty good!”

―― Meanwhile, artists need opportunities to show their work. From the media, they need the active support of art and culture. However, in Japan, it has been difficult for this kind of critical discussion to materialize, and the media have not been very proactive regarding this concern.

MIYATSU: First of all, there are certain economic issues. The Japanese art market, especially the market for contemporary art, when compared to the broader scope of the economy, is extremely small. In New York, London, and other places with larger art markets, people who are well educated in art, philosophy, and art history and who have expertise tend to find employment in galleries and auction houses, for example. They attract capable people with superior skills, and offer high pay and good working conditions.

Unfortunately, however, in Japan, with its small market, the art world is just not as economically enticing as the financial world. Furthermore, the fact that there are so few critics and so little critical discussion — this is a big problem. As for the evaluation and the historicization of works of art, they need to be assessed in relation to critical discourse.

With this in mind, it’s clear that, with regard to American Abstract Expressionism in the post-World War II period, Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenberg had authority as critics at a time when New York had wrested art-world hegemony from Paris. However, today, with regard to art education in Japan, the focus continues to be placed strongly on the technical aspects of art rather than on philosophy, aesthetics, and art history.

Furthermore, in Japan, although most artists graduate from art colleges or from art-related, specialized schools, foreign artists who have studied in fields other than architecture and art, such as, for example, anthropology, medicine, engineering, literature, political science, among others, are not few in number. In this way, it can be said that there is a remarkable difference between Japan and Western countries.

―― How do you think art is going to evolve after the novel coronavirus pandemic ends? Moreover, when that time comes, what kind of art do you think artists should create?

MIYATSU: No one really knows how much time we’re going to need in order to return to normal life once the pandemic ends. However, not just with regard to artists, but also because, for all of us, naturally our lifestyles and ways of thinking should be changing, to ask “In what ways will artworks be produced?” may actually come to mean “How will we decipher the meanings of works of art?”

The novel coronavirus pandemic is not just something that became widespread. I believe that it is also a “trigger” that is going to drastically change our ways of thinking. From now on, artists will have to make their work while thinking about what are the most important concerns related to the survival of human life. For example, thinking about such problems as microplastics in the oceans or global warming, or problems related to the environment and the Earth.

In Japan, social movements like Black Lives Matter in the United States are still very few, but in setting one’s sights on the future after the pandemic ends, artists should be sensitive to social problems, right? Approval of the diverse sense of values represented by LGBTQ+ people, or the coronavirus-like rise of neoliberalism that economic disparity continues to expand, and so on — because, as it is, many social problems have been abandoned in a half-baked manner.

Meanwhile, I think that [different] regions and the [mainstream] art market are becoming more and more polarized. Thanks to the coronavirus crisis, throughout the world, the disparity between the rich and the poor has expanded, and the tendency for the high-priced works of artists who have already won recognition to increase in value could continue.

As represented by the failures of Brooks Brothers and Barneys (both American companies), and due to the economic decline of the middle class, I think that it’s going to become much harder for artworks worth tens of thousands of dollars to increase in value to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Depending on businesspeople working for companies that are in good shape or on entrepreneurs [who might want to buy art], well-liked works in the high low-price range can be expected to do well.

―― Today, with regard to trends in Japanese contemporary art, what kind of scene is there?

MIYATSU: Prior to the nuclear-power-plant accident that occurred as a result of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011, in Japanese contemporary art there were many superficial aspects, and, overseas, it was teased for being “cute art.” However, following that tragic disaster, many artists began producing work with an awareness of the good and bad aspects of nuclear power and radiation. With regard to the subject matter of their works, it was a time in which Japanese artists started to adopt a considerably more politically-minded approach.

At that time, with regard to “nuclear” and radiation, the Japanese felt a great sense of anxiety and fear. At first glance, although the level of danger posed by the novel coronavirus appears to be similar, and radiation and the virus have in common that they are both invisible, in fact, they differ greatly. Because the virus is a living organism, it lives within our own bodies. In the words of the philosopher Timothy Morton, “To have a friend is to have a killer.”

On the other hand, when it comes to radiation, it will outlast our lifetimes and will not disappear for a very long time. I feel that, after the pandemic, with regard to the awareness of the issues that artists should consider, moving away from a binary-opposition way of thinking and adopting a more layered, probing point of view will become important.

―― Tell us about your personal collection. Why did you begin to collect art?

MIYATSU: It was 1994, and at that time, while my co-workers and classmates were thinking about buying studio apartments or luxury wristwatches, I made my first-ever purchase of a work of art. Already a longtime fan of Yayoi Kusama’s work, one day, at a museum, I saw one of her “Infinity Net” paintings, and it was love at first sight. Although I was merely standing in front of the painting, I had the feeling that I was literally being pulled right into the picture. From Fuji Television Gallery in Tokyo, which, at that time, was handling Kusama’s work, I used all of my summer and winter salary bonuses to purchase a drawing that she had produced at the beginning of the 1950s.

As my collection grew in size, I met artists and developed a strong interest in wanting to establish friendly relationships with them. Enjoying conversations with artists, dining with them, and sometimes traveling with them, my pleasant experiences coming into contact with the very sources of artistic creativity added up. I got to know the whole family of the French artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster [who was born in 1965], and today I even live in a house that she designed for me.

In the 1990s, especially, I was impressed by the “relational aesthetics” of the French art critic Nicolas Bourriaud. The way of thinking that he advocated — “The relational approach to creating art is inseparable from human relationships and from social contexts” — was resonant, and I remember fondly the home and lifestyle I have constructed along with my artist friends.

Today, there are more than 400 works of art, including video and new-media works, in the collection that I have amassed. I respond to requests from museums around the world for works to be loaned, and there are works in my collection that travel around the world more than their owner does! But, as for myself, art-collecting activity is not merely about acquiring artworks; through meeting artists in person, chatting with them, and sharing meals and traveling with them, it’s also about gathering memories [of these experiences]. I think that, as far as the relationship between society and art is concerned, frankly, it has to do with friendships.

 ―― Please share with us some of your observations about the broader contemporary-art market in Asia.

MIYATSU: Including Japan, it still cannot be said that Asia’s contemporary-art market has fully matured. But buying power driven by China and the oil-producing countries is large, and in Shanghai and Hong Kong, and in Taipei, too, important art fairs are taking place. Art from Indonesia, China, and India is attracting international attention, and along with these developments, each country’s market is showing signs of brisk activity.

Right now, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, many art fairs have been taking place online, but I’ve been hearing that two actual fairs that took place in Shanghai last year, in November, did extremely well. I think that, as soon as the coronavirus crisis comes to an end, Asia’s contemporary-art market will also continue to develop. Stay tuned. I think that, by no means has there been any great loss.

Daisuke Miyatsu
Born in Tokyo in 1963. President of Yokohama University of Art and Design. Member of the board of directors, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. His research focuses primarily on the relationship between art and the economy and society, and he is also a renowned collector of contemporary art. He has served as a member of the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Study Group on the Overseas Dissemination of Contemporary Art, as a juror for the Asian Art Award 2017 and Art Future Prize – Asia New Star Award 2019, and in other roles. He is the author of Let’s Buy Contemporary Art (Shueisha), The Age of Art × Technology (Kobunsha Shinsho), and Contemporary Art Economics II: Art in the Age of Depletion of Oil, AI, and Virtual Currency (Wates). He has appeared on NHK General TV’s Close-up Contemporary+ and NHK News, Good Morning Japan programs, among others. He is also widely active in the media.

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Notable from the findings is that people over the age of 60 have begun to enter the digital world. During the lockdown, older adults spent time online video distribution, online games, and social media. In the same survey in 2018, 17% of the respondents answered that they would play online games, but in 2020 it doubled to 34%. It seems that the number of people who started SNS from an isolated state seeking a connection with society has increased because they have no chance to meet children and friends. 12% of those over 60 who answered “I use SNS frequently” were 12% two years ago, it showed a big increase to 43%. In a report of the findings, sociologist Philippe Lombardo analyses “the need for physical inability to meet people and the changing image of digital.” The World Health Organization (WHO) has a slogan of “Play Apart Together” and actively promotes digital sociality and helps online games eliminate loneliness.

There have been changes in the practices of young people (15-24 years old) who have been familiar with digital culture and have spent a lot of time on SNS. The number of people in this group who practiced at least one cultural activity such as painting, photography, singing and dancing jumped to 71%, up 14% from two years ago. Many videos of singing on the windowsill have been posted on SNS. The number of users performing dance on TikTok has increased, so the background is that the number of young people who are incorporating cultural activities in real life for the purpose of posting on SNS. Among them, the most common answer was “I learned about photography,” and it seems that they tried to learn the technique during the lockdown in order to raise their image on SNS. In this field, about 35% of the people over the age of 60 were the same as usual. It can be seen that the gap in digital culture between generations has narrowed, with older adults moving toward digitalization and younger people practicing cultural activities.

The survey results also show the gap between white-collar and blue-collar cultural activities. Blue-collar workers who cannot telework during the lockdown are treated as closed due to a 70% salary guarantee from the government. After spending their leisure time at home, they can experience online virtual visits to museums and opera theaters. The results showed that they actively used cultural programs such as appreciation, science, astronomy, and historical research with their children. On the other hand, white-collar workers who continued teleworking were reluctant in cultural activities. There was a tendency to decrease in “reading,” which they are most enthusiastic about in general. The tiredness of teleworking in front of the screen all day seems to have left them away from digital in their free time.

During the lockdown, the City Hall of Paris launched a dedicated site to engage in cultural activities in a campaign to encourage virtual visits to closed museums. According to the results of a survey conducted by the French Ministry of Culture, the progress of digitization due to the pandemic has made it possible to improve “Democratization of Culture” regardless of educational background, income, or generation. However, it is unclear at this time whether these new cultural practices will continue after returning to normal life. The city of Paris and cultural institutions continue to make no mention of online service offerings. Sociologist Lombardo predicts, “it’s worth noting how much cultural activity will take hold in the future. Once you find the fun, you won’t let go of it so easily.” Older adults who have difficulty visiting museums for physical reasons, or families who have difficulty financially providing their children with a cultural program, do they have to give up the fun they find during the lockdown? The true “Democratization of Culture” depends on the policies of the government and cultural institutions after the end of the pandemic.

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After Re-encountering and Reuniting with The tea plantation in Kyoto

――Ultimately, all the songs in the new album, Reflection, are field recorded. First, could you tell us about the essences of this album?

COMPUMA: As I’m originally a record buyer with years of experience, I’ve been handling music of various genres and discovered some experimental tracks. Out of the eclectic catalogue, I found out about field-recording and was fascinated by the sounds of it. I gradually became interested in creating music with the method and eventually released our previous [field-recording] album, which turns out to be five years younger than our latest album Reflection.

――By previous album, you mean SOMETHING IN THE AIR-the sound of quiet light and shadow layer- which is the memorial album of Ujikoen’s 150th anniversary and the first album of the “Tealightsound” series, released back in 2015, right?

COMPUMA: Yes. For the previous album, we focused on conveying the sacred attractivity of the tea plantation and capturing its bona fide atmosphere by field-recording. We also formed into a mixed-CD-like structure and sequenced the tracks seamlessly into one flow. On the other hand, regarding the new record, field-recording is not the main subject, and we wanted each track to be sort of independent—Those are the biggest differences between the two records.
In the process of making the new album, we both shared and combined our images of the tea plantation. We were constantly adding and subtracting our ideas, images, and expressions until we achieved a satisfying result.

――In the production process, how did you two divide the work?

COMPUMA: Other than producing the songs, I would say I was responsible for making a blueprint of the album. I would adopt Ken’s ideas and build them into the structure, decide which materials (songs) to use as there were some that needed to be kept for other prospective projects and plan out to be done within the allocated time frame. I was portraying the entire picture in my head, and in order to succeed, I had to be objective.

――Meanwhile, you (Takehisa) had to make a concise image of the guitar part, how did you roll with the production?

Ken Takehisa (Hereinafter Takehisa): The opportunity of revisiting the tea plantation for this production gave me a lucid concept of “re-encounter.”
When we revisited the place, I was dumbfounded by how it had changed; later I came up with guitar phrases and melodies to construe my emotions at the plantation. For the first two months, I recorded my ideas that would suit the project, sent the collection to COMPUMA to get feedback from him, and brushed up the ones with good responses. The more we garnered the pieces for the album, the more I became motivated and conceived new scenes (tracks) that would fit well in the entire picture. I had fun following and feeling the flow of the project and its narrative.

――Your inspiration from the tea plantation is interpreted in Reflection. When did you visit the abandoned tea plantation in Kyoto? Also how did you feel when you saw the place?

COMPUMA: We went back to the plantation towards the end of June 2020. We were there for two days for recording. Five years ago, we had to go to the plantation many more times and required so much time as we had to start from finding the perfect spot that picked up the sounds clearly. However, on our second journey, we were able to finish the recording in a short period of time. We couldn’t stay there for too long anyway considering the risk of Covid. We were told that the plantation is at the most beautiful lush state in June, yet, as it has been five years since it abandoned and it was during the rainy season, the plantation was like a dilapidated jungle.

Takehisa: I think fundamentally my impression towards the plantation was the same as our first visit, but I have to say that the view was more profound this time.

COMPUMA: I agree, that’s well put. We don’t mean it in a negative way, though. The words that Ken mentioned earlier, “re-encounter” and “reunion” resonated strongly in my head this time. Now that I think back, as we were in the self-isolation period, I was especially euphoric to be out in such a surreal location. It was exciting to be surrounded by the power of nature.

TAKEHISA: Ditto! Also, both last time and this time, I felt a bit impish like we were in a furtive place…

The Album Embraces the Story Concocted by The Sounds of The Mountain

――When you say, “a furtive place”, does that mean an inviolable area or somewhere sacred?

COMPUMA: I don’t want to sound like the plantation is extremely spiritual or apotheotic, but I would say it exudes that type of mood. I actually had an unforgettable experience at the place: When I was field-recording, all alone at the top of the hill killing my breath, I heard sounds of distant grass footsteps. At first, I thought it was Ken and looked around but no one was there. Then I heard the same sound over and over again… I started feeling anxious and creeped out, but I couldn’t move as I was still recording.

――You didn’t want the mic to pick up your sound.

COMPUMA: That’s right. I peered around to find out where the sound was coming from, and soon after a wild deer and a fawn appeared. I was relieved and surprised at the same time. My mind was imploding the entire time! Suddenly, the deer cried out loud and was in a defensive posture. They are normally known to be innocuous, but you never know; I wouldn’t be able to fight back if they attacked me with their antlers. So, there we were staring at each other for a while (Laughs) . After an intense moment, the deers left into the woods. I was relieved but felt sorry for them. I felt bad that I had scared them off. This whole interaction is captured in the recording, so I mixed it towards the end of the second track “Decaying Field”—It’s definitely the most authentic documented soundscape (Laughs) .

TAKEHISA: We were in fact intruders to them (the wild deers.) They were probably freaking out thinking “who’s there? What are they up to?”

――Back to the conversation about the albumーWe felt the unique flow of starting from “The Back of the Forest”, moving on to the enigmatic “Decaying Field”, then to the cathartic third track of “Nostalgia” with the unbridling guitar melody.

COMPUMA: Earlier, we mentioned that the order of the songs was decided towards the end of the production, but we kind of knew from the start that “Decaying Field” should be towards the beginning. We also had a broad idea of developing the story from “Nostalgia.”

――Personally, the most significant track was the final song “Enka (Twilight Zone.)” The word “Twilight Zone” in the subtitle means “an intermediate area”—does it refer to an area in between reality and the tea plantation?

COMPUMA: To be honest, there’s no deep meaning behind it (Laughs) . We merely wanted to add the word “Twilight Zone” to the title. It has multiple meanings—an undefined place, time and epoch—and we thought the word was perfect to describe the ethereal atmosphere of the plantation. But I guess it could directly mean an intermediate area between the tea plantation and reality.
For this final song, there’s a humming melody that makes it…I don’t know how to say…maybe “poetic?” It was a challenging piece in terms of expression.
The title “Enka” is devised to have a double meaning: One is simply Enka as the traditional Japanese music genre, and another is “a glistening song.” Anyway, it’s complex (Laughs) .

Discovering the Frolicsome Nature in The Mountain Louder Than the World Today

――The cover art of the album is designed by Satoshi Suzuki using Tomoo Gokita’s illustration, the same artists from the previous record cover SOMETHING IN THE AIR -the soul of quiet light and shadow layer-.

COMPUMA: Yes. Actually Mr. Gokita drew the illustration of Reflection five years ago and gave it to us together with the one from the previous record. We’ve decided to use this one for our new album from the very beginning, even before starting with the production. We had elaborated our ideas based on the drawing; so, to speak, the illustration is the mainstay of this album.

Takehisa: The artwork is exceptionally perfect for the theme of this album.

COMPUMA: Yes, it’s as if Mr. Gokita predicted this new album five years ago. It really makes us think so.

――Reflection is being released during the global pandemic. Do you think the way you express yourself and the contents you deliver have changed living in a life coexisting with Covid?

Takehisa: Of course. As there are less gigs and chances of performing in front of people, it gave me time to reckon and assess what I wanted to do. Although being under the circumstance, given a theme and opportunity of creating Reflection was a fluke.

COMPUMA: Likewise. I was happy to be part of the production. I was also in the same situation as Ken—I didn’t get a chance to DJ since spring, and stayed home, living the life of quarantine. Since I had more spare time, I read books that I hadn’t been able to start, which inspired me to deeply reflect on the art of listening to music and the world of soundscape. In Tokyo, normally the city lacks “tranquility” due to the ongoing urbanization, but because of Covid, the city has become quieter and I felt the soundscape of the world regaining its quiet time and space. This sentiment is portrayed in Reflection. Back when we visited the tea plantation in June, although it is in the outskirts of the city, as we were recording in the mountain and listening carefully to the sounds of the nature living and breathing, the place started to sound louder than in the main city. Through the recording process and Covid, we were able to notice and pay attention to the aesthetics of insouciant things in our lives—it was a remarkably interesting experience.

COMPUMA (Koichi Matsunaga)
Born in 1968, in Kumamoto. A prolific DJ who has performed with and opened for numerous artists and DJs not only from Japan but from around the world.
Recognized for his own project, SOMETHING ABOUT; by producing the serialized cutting-edge soundscape mixed CDs, Something In The Air; as a member of the DJ trio Akuma-no-numa; and for releasing various DJ mixes of both originals and remixes.
http://compuma.blogspot.jp/

Ken Takehisa
Known professionally as a guitarist, lead singer, composer, and producerーThe guitarist, lead singer, and synth of the band KIRIHITO, and the guitarist, composer or the “idea-generator “of the instrumental band younGSounds. Also recognized as an esteemed live and studio session musician, who has worked with eminent artists including UA, FLYING RHYTHMS, Illreme, Hitomitoi, Yakenohara, and Dengaryu.
http://www.takehisaken.com/

Photography Shinpo Kimura
Text Ryo Tajima
Translation Ai Kaneda

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The coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed our world, leaving many anxious about the uncertainty of our future. But the music that comes out of these fraught times might offer us a glimmer of hope or insights into how we can turn our situation around.

This time we talk with imma, featuring pink bob hair, is the first virtual model influencer in Japan.

imma, who burst onto Instagram in 2018, is not known for her height, weight, nationality or background. According to past interviews, she likes fashion, art, culture, has a younger brother (plusticboy/he is virtual human, too), has a dog named Einstein, has minor changes in makeup and hairstyles, and likes to joke around. As well as being virtual, she is “a woman,” a label that may stir up curiosity, and possibly sympathy, in the viewer. She has more than 290,000 followers on Instagram (as october 19, 2020). Since featuring on the cover of “CG World”, a comprehensive computer graphics magazine, in January 2019, she has been active in many industries in Japan and overseas.

She speaks words used nowadays, but they occasionally have persuasive regardless of real or virtual. When I heard imma’s story, I could see her belief in a bright future, even on dark topics.

ーーHow did you start modeling in the first place?

imma: At first, I was just posting what I liked on my Instagram account. Then, I gradually started to get requested, so I tried to model myself. It’s still challenging, even now.

ーーWhat do you think of for your Instagram posts?

imma: Actually, I may not think of anything (laughs). Perhaps because I’m changing my way of thinking flexibly. I take pictures in a place that I thought was cool, and I might only think about my posts as .

ーーWhat are you conscious of when you dress as a model?

imma: First, the concept of modelling has changed dramatically, and I feel that the model is chosen based on an individual and their lifestyle, rather than style. So, the first thing I think about is how to express my own identity.

ーーWhat was the most impressive job you’ve ever done?

imma: Working as a model for Burberry. As a representative from Japan, I was happy to work with the top models from Taiwan and Korea. It was also exciting to go beyond the normal modelling boundaries and appear in global commercial movie for SK-II.

ーーWhat are your interests at the moment?

imma: I like art, but I’m hooked on CGI production software, such as Maya and the Unreal Engine! I’m learning to make CGI by myself.

ーーWhat does it mean for you to encounter art and culture?

imma: I really feel it helps me collect myself.

ーーIn the past, you said that you like Gerhard Richter. I think pieces with an ambiguous line between painting and photography, such as “Over-painted photos” and “photo paintings,” are linked to your existence.

imma: I like his work very much. I first saw it in Paris, and it was love at first sight. I watched documentary and became even more enamored. Of course, the ambiguity of the boundary is something to think about, but the mind quickly settles down.

Virtual human has also each personality

ーーVirtual models are becoming more prevalent in Japan, but what would you say your advantages are?

imma: My pros… I guess it’s my desire to improve society? Everybody’s different and there are many things that only I can do, but I think it’s the same for others.

ーーYou post on Instagram with the hashtag #ithinkimcgi. If you say you’re CGI, I think you may be seen as something new or strange.

imma: I think things are consumed depending on how they are used. I look at each job and see what I can do, but I refuse jobs if I can’t express myself, in fact. I think my personality is what viewer feel. Since there are many things I don’t know, I want to absorb what I can and work to give constant output.

ーーNow, with VR and editing apps, humans are approaching CGI. How do you feel about the difference between real and virtual life?

imma: I don’t think there’s much difference. Virtual is now real, and real has become virtual. It’s all about what you believe.

Living in the Now and Facing the World

ーーYou sometimes send post your opinions on social situations through social network. Now that individual influence is growing, we must take responsibility for what we say, yet we can also say irresponsible things.

imma: I think many people find it difficult to live when anyone can say anything. However, I think it’s good to be able to communicate our feelings.

Sometimes it’s hard to build discussions and know them more deeply, but that’s just how individua is. How to make the most of that to their lives is up to individual, but I think it’s important not to be afraid.

ーーDue to COVID-19, some of your work appears to have been canceled. Have you had to change the attitude towards work throughout this period?

imma: Yes, we are in an age where there is always change, and I often think that what we took for granted yesterday may not be so today. However, there are many correct answers regarding social and human behavior. I believe that if I work on something with a pure intention, I will not lie to myself and go in the wrong direction.

ーーNow, there are many people who feel depressed because of all the negative news. How do you change your mindset?

imma: I sometimes feel depressed about the negative news myself. However, we can’t go back to the past, so I think about how we can make a brighter future and get better. By thinking and acting in this way, I want to always positively grasp the current situation.

ーーThe survival of origin of art and culture is in jeopardy. As someone who loves that, what do you think should be done?

imma: I think it’s important to protect and forgive, and to keep them in mind so they are not consumed.

ーーI think that people like you will expand the playing field in the future. Do you have any new projects or areas that you would like to take on?

imma: Many! There’s too much to say here, but now I’m gradually moving forward. The future is bright, and I think there is more that only I can do. I can’t say anything yet, but I got surprising request. I want to excite everyone through being myself.

imma
Opened an Instagram account in July 2018. Her height, weight, nationality, or career are unknown. She is mainly active as a model and has appeared in the collaboration of Sly and Puma, and the visuals of Porsche Japan. She is active in various industries such as forming partnerships with IKEA. https://www.instagram.com/imma.gram/?hl=ja

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About six months after the state of emergency was declared in response to COVID-19, New York is past its peak of infection and the rate of positive tests has dropped to less than one percent. While we’re all wary of another wave in the fall and winter, perhaps it’s possible to say that the worst is behind us. I can’t detail the full course of events because I’ve been away for so long. But when I think back to six months ago, when the city was panicking as if the world were ending, things seem much more peaceful now. The streets are decidedly quiet.

In the morning, there used to be a huge traffic jam of trucks on the main street. In the afternoon, a mix of students commuting to the nearby university and tourists holding guidebooks. And at night, a chorus of merry pub-goers drinking until dawn, taxi drivers shouting at each other, and police car sirens. It was normally a noisy place to live, but all of this has suddenly come to a halt and gone quiet. With less crowds, every day resembles the quiet of Thanksgiving (Close enough to New Year’s Holidays in Japan.).

Outside of one school’s dorms, there’s a notice announcing that all buildings are closed due to a coronavirus infection. In front of the train station, an elegant office building, the kind with a receptionist permanently stationed, has all the lights off and a plywood board seals up the glass entrance. I wonder if they’d put this up when the BLM protests of this past spring had intensified, and then left it there. Even if you think about how everyone who used to work in this building now works from home, that’s already a huge number of people who have disappeared from the streets.

Not to say a ghost town, but to those who know how much energy used to exist here, the whole city appears to be half-asleep. Restaurants aren’t allowed to seat diners indoors, so all of them have set up outdoor seating under awnings on public streets for the time being. While coffee and sandwich shops may be able to get by with take-out orders, bars and restaurants will continue to struggle in this business climate.

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Speaking of which, I’m writing this article from an outdoor table at Kindred, a restaurant in the East Village. It’s the sister-restaurant of Ruffian, a very popular wine bar in the same neighborhood, and it just opened at the end of last year. Originally, it was only open for weekday dinners and weekend brunch, but they recently started a new service called “Work From Kindred,” where people who are tired of working from home can rent a table to work at.

From 8 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday, you can get an outdoor table by making reservations online. This comes with free charging stations and Wi-Fi, as well as free refreshments. There’s a separate menu for a simple breakfast and lunch, and you can order a glass of wine or go straight into happy hour in the afternoon. It costs about $25 (about 2,620 yen) for half a day. Incomparable with any other services like coffee shops, but it’s not so bad to support our neighbors face-to-face, not only donating remotely from home.

One day in mid-September, I arrived at the restaurant a little after 9 AM. There were two groups of customers already sitting outside, where there are around ten seats. However, a waiter asked me if I’d made a reservation in advance and told me the restaurant would basically be full for the rest of the day. I was surprised; the service must have only started a few days ago. I didn’t think it would be so crowded already! As a regular customer, I managed to get a table in the corner.

The tables spill over onto the streets, and even with a partition, it’s hard to ignore the cars and bicycles that whizz past. But since I’m wearing a mask, the exhaust fumes don’t bother me too much. In the morning the temperature is 17 degrees Celsius, which rises to 25 degrees during the day. It’s sunny with a breeze, so I need a jacket but I’m not sweating. It’s the best time of year here.

In another month, I won’t be able to go outside without a coat or scarf. My apartment doesn’t have a yard, or even a veranda or a balcony, so I’m grateful just to be able to bask in the sun at this time of year. I can’t afford to pay $25 every day, but as long as I get to work in style and reset my mood once in a while, I guess I’m okay with it.

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At the table next to mine, placed a reasonable distance away, two women sit together. It seems that they aren’t co-workers, but friends working different jobs. It’s a new “shared office” in this new way of life. They order today’s lunch, an open focaccia sandwich and a chickpea salad, even pairing it with a glass of rosé. “Yay!” they exclaim, and thus begins a social media photoshoot. And yes, I did exactly the same thing–although my drink was water.

I should note here that I’m the author of the book, “Eavesdropping Between Heaven and Hell” (Kinobooks), a collection of overheard conversations at restaurants. I eavesdrop on their conversation, aware that it’s rude but justifying it to myself as part of my work. I hear the women gush, “Such a memorable moment!” To sit outdoors on the street, this time of year, drinking wine and working together. It’s a memory we won’t forget! Really! They say happily to each other.

This feels like the biggest change in the half year that I’ve been away from this city. In March of this year, everyone was terrified of this unprecedented health crisis with no clear end in sight. People looked at each other and lamented, deeply and seriously, that life as we knew it would never return. While the future remains unpredictable with a serious health crisis caused by a mysterious infectious disease, I’m glad to see a little optimism returning to this city.

New Yorkers love new things. They want to go to new stores before anyone else, witness events they’ve never seen, and experience different cultures they don’t yet know. Next summer, there’ll probably be something else that happens. But for now, it’s the best time of year, in 2020, a year that we’ll never get back again. Let’s do our best to enjoy ourselves in a way we never have before. In a city where laughter is returning, I have a feeling we can get through anything

Picture Provided Iku Okada

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According to a survey conducted by IFOP in April, “outdoor space” was listed as the number one requirement for living space by French people, and 81% of French people answered that outdoor space is the most important such as gardens, terraces and balconies. With many companies continuing to telework, the need to live in urban areas has diminished, and living in rural, spacious, detached houses with gardens has emerged as a viable option. Spending about two months of lockdown in a small apartment in Paris or in a rural second-house area may have inspired them to rethink their ideal way of living and contact with nature. In Japan as well, from May 25 to June 5, when the state of emergency was completely lifted, the Cabinet Office conducted a survey of 10,000 people. As a result, 24.6% of those who had experience in telework are interested in moving to rural areas. In particular, those in their 20s living in the 23 wards of Tokyo gave a high figure of 35.4%.

It’s no wonder that French people are more likely to choose hotels in green as vacation destinations that can maintain their personal space in the vast natural scale rather than the densely populated resorts. The long-established hotel “Troisgros”, located in the rich nature of Roanne in central France, is a longing place that French people once want to visit. This summer, it seems that there were many people who visited there as a reward after lockdown.

Their restaurant has been awarded three-Michelin-stars for more than 50 years since 1968. The third generation Michel Troisgros is now the current chef who has been preserving the tradition and history of French cuisine. When it reopened in June, about 95% of their customers are French and 5% are from Belgium and Switzerland. As a new attempt, they served a special menu of 120 euros (including drinks) for people under the age of 35, it gave many young people the opportunity to experience gastronomy at a reasonable price.

“I notice that customers are more attentive and careful towards us as we are towards them. They are not only cautious about what is put in place to protect them, but also interested in knowing how we do, how we work. They have empathy for us. I have the impression that there is mutual empathy, that we share the same difficult situation,” Michel said the differences of customers between before and after the pandemic. Moreover, he realized a lot about the society. “We live in fragile society and that companies can be fragile too. There is an interdependence between both. In our work, the effect of the pandemic reinforced our collective spirit.”

His father and the second chef, Pierre, is known as the first French chef to visit Japan. Michel first visited Japan 45 years ago and was inspired by Japanese cuisine and culture early in his career. “I didn’t want to create a particular concept, but I was naturally attracted by candied ginger, wasabi, yuzu, sudachi and umeboshi etc. Poached cod in a dashi koshihikari rice; one of my first dishes in this spirit with a lot of success” said Michel. The taste is inherited from prior generations, and “Troisgros” has maintained their history as a special place to heal people’s minds and bodies.

On the other hand, since three years, there is a trend in France toward the opening of a new lodge hotel that stands in a small space in nature. “D’une île” is the most popular one among foodies, located in the countryside in the Perche region. As Head Chef of bijou bistro Septime, Bertrand Grébaut and his business partner Théo Pourriat had opened the hotel in 2018, who are at the helm of this wildly bucolic country house with its yellow stones, its charming bards, its vintage decoration and its islets where you can relax in the garden far from everything. Their original meals made with products from the on-site vegetable garden and local Normandy farmers. Here, too, the inspiration comes from Japanese food as Bertrand said, “we use some Japanese elements in our kitchen such as smoked vinegar, miso and katsuobushi. I feel very close to some aspects of their philosophy such as the esthetic sleekness, the discrete elegance, the wabi sabi concept.” Although France still has few tourists from overseas, “D’une île” was thriving by domestic travelers, “we had more local customers that were happy to be able to enjoy a nice weekend in the country side again,” said Bertrand.

Over the last few years, the values of life have shifted from material affluence to experiential affluence, and the pandemic has further boosted it. It is difficult to define how society should be in a situation where the outlook remains uncertain due to changes in the way of working, living, and consumption trends. Both Michel and Bertrand said, “we are still in the middle of a pandemic; it’s not over.” The future in which the pandemic of COVID-19 has converged must be full of beautiful changes. The only thing that hasn’t changed in the future is the high expectation that French people have for vacations.

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Woman rapper, Akko Gorilla praises “Gyaru,” which is an umbrella term for a highly influential Japanese fashion subculture, in her music. It can be said that there are a lot of people that look to her as the ideal woman of a new era. After leaving her label in the midst of the pandemic, she released a zine in May called “#SayHello.” With the theme, “spit it all out now,” Akko Gorilla published a zine project made from artwork submitted by anyone who wished to do so. She also released a theme song alongside the project, aptly named “SayHello.” Both of these works are filled with Akko Gorilla’s thoughts and feelings regarding the current times we all live in. What exactly are those thoughts and feelings? What does it mean to live authentically as a rapper with a “Tsuyo Tsuyo Mind”?

A medium for individuals to bring about change, no matter how small

――You’ve been working at a fast pace despite the ongoing pandemic, but do you think the reason behind that can be seen in “#SayHello,” the zine project you released back in May?

Akko Gorilla (hereinafter Akko): I actually don’t have the desire to work fast. I had been depressed since the pandemic started and was asking myself why I was feeling that way. Upon looking inwards, I realized that people feel like they can’t really be their own person in society. At the core, it’s socially unacceptable for people to openly express human emotions such as unfiltered happiness all the way to anger and I’ve always disagreed with the values that exist on top of that social rule. Despite the fact that people feel like they can’t own who they are, entertainment doesn’t confront that reality. Rather, entertainment provides a way to escape it and I felt like that shouldn’t be the case. That’s why I wanted to create something with everyone and thought about making a song and zine which focus on the theme of everyone having a seat at the table. The zine and song were released under my name but since we all did it together, this work is ours.

――On the cover of the zine, there’s a photo of you with your mouth being covered and that imagery is impactful.

Akko: I was planning on handing out that bandana (instead of a mask) to everyone during my “Miracle Me- One Man Tour,” which was supposed to happen in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka starting from March 20th. We were still unsure about going forward with the tour, so we stopped producing the bandanas at that point. With the artwork, I wanted to convey how I couldn’t say what I wanted to say because of the bandana, but “sell” it in a tongue-in-cheek way by saying that the bandana would fight off viruses. Like “I can’t say anything because my mouth is covered, but I will say hello!” After the tour got cancelled, I started working on the zine and song in April and released them both in May.

――Would it be right to say that anger is the main emotion in “#SayHello”?

Akko: It’s not like it’s just about anger. When I look back at that period, I was filled with rage but I actually think the overall zine is more… chaotic. My goal wasn’t to say that I was angry. I wanted to provide one solution to dealing with social rules; it’s the norm to always read the room and refrain from openly expressing emotions. I just did what I could as an individual living through the coronavirus pandemic. “#SayHello” is a small project, but I wanted to create a medium that would enable individuals to bring about change, no matter how small. The zine format is small and simple, but it resonates with people and also welcomes a lot of freedom in regards to expression. There’s a lot of things that need to be changed right now, right? I’m not a politician nor am I an educator. However, I am a rapper and I think what I can do is change people’s mindset.

Having a reason to live; the necessity of creating a zine

――“#SayHello” was a participatory project but could you talk about how you gathered the artwork?

Akko: I used a website called “note” and social media. I announced that I had started working on a zine project on social media and wrote about the details as well as my thoughts on “note.” I didn’t receive a lot of submissions at first but I ended up with a lot of them eventually. When I saw what was being sent, I was like “as long as I put my heart into it, people will understand me!” I was also surprised to see that a lot of young people submitted their work. You could say that teens and young adults pay acute attention to what’s going on and come to question society. They want to take some sort of action as a result of that.

――What sort of works were submitted?

Akko: I got a lot of different kinds of work. For instance, I got cute drawings that were about protesting and original playlists and such. With this project, I made it a point to refrain from laying out specific guidelines. I wanted the project to feel raw and authentic. There were artists that sent in their work but they did that with their own volition. That really hyped me up.

――Did you have some personal changes by creating this zine project?

Akko: The way I think has changed here and there. Also, I was able to go out of my comfort zone because of this and my career has expanded too. I think my role is to tell everyone, “don’t hold back; let’s take a step forward together.” In retrospect, perhaps it was a good thing I assigned myself the challenge of finding my purpose as an artist.

――Did you lose sight of your purpose around April to May, when we were all essentially at home?

Akko: The stage is a vital place for me to express myself. In other words, in a way, performing live is also a political act for me. I’ve expressed what I stand for at my live shows, so not being able to do that was tough. It’s hard to stay motivated without a goal, and it also makes me feel lost. That’s why I decided to find out what it is I live for and started “#SayHello.” On “note” I wrote, “isn’t it important for all of us to have a purpose? Why don’t we create our own purpose in life?” The zine was made through a series of meticulous processes but it was so fun. I think this project gave the participants a sense of purpose too.

Let’s make mistakes together because it’s normal to be imperfect

――On April 1st, you announced your marriage and decision to leave your label on Twitter. Was the decision to become an independent artist something you had already decided on prior to making that statement?

Akko: My decision to leave the label wasn’t affected by coronavirus at all, as I had made up my mind many years ago. My goal isn’t to sell hits as a mainstream artist. With that being said, I aimed to change people’s mindset by using an environment where my lyrics could reach a large amount of people. That’s what I wanted to do with being signed to a major label. When I signed to this major label in 2018, I worked with people that related to what I wanted to do, which was changing the listeners’ world. As a result, I was able to connect with so many people by working in an underground way as a mainstream artist, so I became independent as planned. Because I left the label in on a good note, I’m still close with the people I used to work with. I’m able to translate ideas into action immediately now that I have more leeway, so being independent goes well with the way I operate. Once I think of something, it’s like “time to get to work! Alright, what’s next?” (laughs). Products like “#SayHello” and the bandanas are sold on my online store called “Evergreen,” and my friend helps me run it. We’re figuring it out as we go. I’m at a good place right now because I get to spend my time with my friend as well as myself.

――You also started “Gorichan Club,” which is a new community that fiercely sticks by your side.

Akko: Yeah, that’s a fan community and it’s just so amazing. During that period where we were advised to stay home, I distanced myself from social media. I wanted to create a utopian fan community without any of that toxic internet culture like people one-upping each other and cancelling others. Those in my community say what they want with full autonomy. It’s not like there’s a lot of people but we’re getting more members day by day. Some of the things that have been happening have exceeded my expectations. For instance, the fans make their own content within the community and sometimes, that leads to potential business opportunities. I was like, “so this is what an online community looks like!” (laughs). I want to continue fostering a community with good vibes, with all of us educating and empowering each other.

――What sort of influence does your “Gyaru” philosophy have on you today?

Akko: There are so many different types of “Gyaru,” so I can’t make a sweeping statement. I grew up reading “GALS!,” which was a running manga series in “Ribbon,” a manga magazine. The “Gyaru” girls in the manga series were unapologetic about themselves and had this sense of independence that was quite Hip Hop in spirit. For me, being a “Gyaru” is like, “Come on, hedonistic girls! We’re all so amazing, for real!” The characters in the series aren’t the brightest, but I love how they carry this attitude of like, “Yes, I live with my head held up high. Got a problem with that?” For instance, instead of saying “I don’t know much about politics so I can’t say anything,” a “Gyaru” would say “this involves all of us; no one is perfect so let’s make mistakes together.” I think that’s the attitude of “Gyaru.” That attitude has had a huge influence on my work during this time. There’s a little bit of self-doubt reflected in my “Miracle Me E.P.” album, which came out in February, but at the end of the album, that feeling is transformed into “I chose to have this ‘Tsuyo Tsuyo Mind,’ so what?” “Tsuyo Tsuyo Mind” refers to having a strong mentality. You can see how my thinking shifts to “I’m just doing what I want” throughout the album. The “Gyaru” ideology has this subversive power to crush darkness in any given era.

――I see. What’re your plans for the near future?

Akko: I’m not sure when it’s going to be released, but I’m making an album. Also, I just started working on creating a magazine with a friend. I’m planning on coming up with my own chronological table of each “Gyaru” for the magazine, and I’m doing so much research regarding history right now. I want to portray historically important women as “Gyaru.” Like, “Joan of Arc? Raicho Hiratsuka? Yep, they’re all ‘Gyaru’ now!” (laughs). Plus, I want to add a Hip Hop context too, as that’ll make it even more interesting. With women like Aretha Franklin and such in mind, I would like to create something that anybody could read and have fun. I would also like to express myself in my own free-spirited way. Doing research is quite hard, but gaining all this knowledge is helping me expand my mind. I’ll do my best so stay tuned!

Akko Gorilla
Akko Gorilla is a rapper. She also started hosting a radio show called “Sonar Music” on J-Wave in 2019. After leaving her former label on April 1st, she’s been working vigorously. She runs and oversees “Gorichan Club” and “Evergreen” (online merchandise store).
http://akkogorilla.com/
Instagram：@akkogorilla

Photography Satoshi Ohmura
Text Ryo Tajima
Translation Lena-Grace Suda

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“Aroma Zone”, an organic cosmetics brand is founded 20 years ago by chemist Pierre Vausselin, has a wide selection of products such as undiluted solution, high-concentration vegetable oil, essential oil, and plant powder, and proposes DIY skincare

to combines them that you create yourself along with your skin condition. Although they have a policy of not advertising at all from the beginning, it continues to grow year by year due to growing consumer interest in organic products, DIY ideas, and products at a low price of 3.5 euros. In 2019, sales reached 80 million euros, this year, sales are expected to exceed 100 million euros, and the gross profit margin is expected to be about 25%. It currently has two stores in Paris, one in Lyon, and a new store over 700m2 opened in Bouches-du-Rhone at the end of July. They sold online during the lockdown period (April to May), and their products with high disinfection effect were popular mainly such as tea tree, garlic, thyme essential oils and DIY cosmetic kits and household cleaning. The company said that sales are increased 70% for cosmetics, 40% for essential oils. “Consumers will retain the new lifestyle they’ve gained during lockdown for a long time,” Vausselin anticipates further business growth. In the future, there are plans to open a new store in Toulouse and another store overseas.

DIY skincare advocated by “Aroma Zone” is now becoming a significant trend in the beauty industry in Europe and America. “The Ordinary” from Canada, which was founded in 2016, also has an extensive lineup of undiluted solution and concentrated beauty ingredients made based on clinical technology. Each product is labeled with its components in detail, vegan prescription, and cruelty-free, which show skin safety and environment-friendly. Their low price range, the serum is from 5 euros, is attractive for a wide age range from young people who make their skincare debut to middle-aged who want to focus on aging care. It is possible to use the product as it is, but they propose DIY to mixi them in accordance with the condition and skin troubles.

“Typology,” which was born last year, is also in the spotlight in France. They are developing skincare, body, and hair products by keeping the number of ingredients in each product to 10 or less based on organic, vegan prescription, cruelty-free, 100% made in France, which is highly transparent and clean raw material. The hair shampoo I purchased had a base shampoo and hair oil separated, so that hair oil could be used for scalp massage or mixed with a base shampoo and customized in my way. Their serum is from10 euros and priced at the same level as “The Ordinary.” Also, these brands have in common that they use recyclable glass and plastic-free aluminum in their packaging.

“DIY skincare is the destination by natural beauty, organic, and clean beauty.” Yoshiko Suyama explained what kind of consumer consciousness is behind the rise of DIY skincare trend in the beauty trend, who has been living in France for 20 years, runs a beauty and design consulting company “Dessigns” in Paris. “I think DIY skincare is the ultimate in having clean ingredients in Europe, where transparency of products is valued significantly more and more. Consumers have begun to understand that even if they purchase products contain many ingredients such as rich serum or cream, few of ingredients effect the skin and that there is not much they need. They understand from various information that it is more effective and better to use the necessary ingredients in undiluted solution than various ingredients. In the end, the idea pushes them to have a strong desire to check all the content components by themself and make and use only the necessary ones.”

She is the head of the project “Bijo;”, which has the theme of Japanese beauty culture and products, and has been holding pop-up stores in Paris since 2016. In particular, the pop-up store held at the luxury department store Le Bon Marché is always thriving. At the third pop-up store opened in July-August after the lockdown, sales increased 10% compared to the same period last year, despite a significant decrease in the number of tourists. Before the event, a buyer from Le Bon Marché asked her to focus on healing the mind and body for French customers by Japanese beauty and hospitality. She said  that the body care series of “Uka”, which is based on the aroma with a high healing effect that acts on the autonomic nerves, became a best-selling product as customers responded, “I need this right now.” She also told me that 100 pieces of scalp brushes, 200 pieces of face cassa, and 600 pieces of face masks were sold out, and the sales of high-grade body brushes and purification goods increased. “There were many French people who were very interested in protection and purification, and changed their minds through scents. I feel that there is a consciousness of investing in themself and valuing their own time.”

Furthermore, she said, “Because of the pandemic and unstable social situation, a beauty routine would be a major factor that supports our minds. If you give up the beauty routine, surreal cruel reality comes up. I think the beauty routine is the act of adjusting your mind and looking at yourself.” There is a history that even during World War II, women increased their awareness of beauty by putting on perms and makeup. It seems that spending money and time on beauty is functioning as a source of mind for survival in an uncertain future.

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“The link between what we wear and how it makes us feel is undeniable,” says Dr. Dawnn Karen, a leader in the growing field of Fashion Psychology who pays close attention to the relationship between attire and attitude: not just how clothes make you look, but how they make you feel. She earned a masters degree and was a former candidate for a second masters in counseling psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.  After graduating in 2012, she invented the Fashion Psychology Field® in which she studies the impact of clothing choices on the way in which we perceive and judge each other while working as a model and jewelry designer. Became an instructor of Fashion Institute of Technology at the youngest age. She launched the online course Fashion Psychology Institute in 2015 and published her first book, “Dress Your Best Life” this year.

Many people meet the criteria for clinical depression during the pandemic. Now it continues the uncertain and unstable social situation, what is reflected in her eyes when considering clothing we choose from the emotions? I asked Dawnn about what kind of sentiment our clothes represent, what to wear to stabilize our mind, and the future consumer trends to be understood from psychology.

— New York, where you are based in, has been locked down for three and a half months. How did you spend your time at home?

Dr. Karen: Even though the lockdown are easing, I’m still stay home and isolated as much as possible. The online course Fashion Phsychology Institute was able to continue and lots of new students registered during the lockdown. As you can imagine, there were many people who wanted to have a therapy session in an unstable situation, so I was switching the session into the video session instead of physical. My book will be translated into other languages and published in each country, I spent much time to prepare for it.

— Did the pandemic affect your emotion?

Dr. Karen: No one can stay in a stable mind. I was deeply depressed, a psychologist is the same person as everyone else. I just know a little bit better than others about organizing my mind and getting out of a dark tunnel. The most traumatic thing for me was the death of a student during the pandemic. In addition, the killing of George Floyd case caused deep sadness and push me into the dark as I’m the same African-American. Seeing the movement of Black Lives Matter was too harsh for me, so I took social media detox for one and a half months, and drastically reduced my workload. As a psychologist, of course, I want to support my clients, but I can’t help others when my mind is unstable. Now my break is over, I’m in a state of calm.

— What did you wear at home to boost your mood?

Dr. Karen: Even before the pandemic, I always wear kimono at home. Flare fit and long sleeve silhouette give you an elegant and graceful feel just like a queen. Yet it gives you a feeling of freedom without straining, relieving anxiety, and completely relaxing. Especially I wore flower patterns and light-colored kimonos during the lockdown as I couldn’t go out and see the beautiful spring flowers. It’s not the only thing that kimono affects emotion like this, so I recommend it to many people.

— What recommendations do you have other than kimono?

Dr. Karen: Wear loose-fitting clothing does not tighten your body which gives you a sense of security as if you are hugged such as oversized sweatshirts, bathrobes, or even blankets. All restrictions are imposed on the outside world, like the current social conditions, wearing masks when going out, and social distance. At least at home, it is essential to release yourself and lift the restrictions.

— Nowadays, there are many people who continue teleworking even after the lockdown. How do you suggest to people who want to make themself feel better while staying at home?

Dr. Karen: Change clothing on several occasions to eliminate monotony. For example, if you have multiple video meetings during the day, change your outfit for each meeting. I recommend that you bring about a great change in your lifestyle by replacing your clothing when you work out or cook.

— Did you see any differences between before and after the pandemic?

Dr. Karen: Obviously, many people are depressed. For example, one of my clients, a long-standing female doctor, was in an unstable mental state before the pandemic, and the COVID-19 exacerbated her emotions. She lost weight as the size of her clothing dropped from 16 to 8, so she looked a lot differently and said, “I don’t know what to wear.” I suggested not to wear pajamas and not to wear the same clothes for more than three days as a prescription. Pajamas are worn when you are down. If you are already feeling down, pajamas may cause a negative spiral. As a rule of thumb, choose bright colors when going to work, and advised her to wear yellow for her personality. Each person has different colors, so bright colors are not always right, but yellow, pink, and turquoise have the effect of energizing the mind. Depending on the client’s personality, I may propose colors that have a sense of stability and release tension, such as dark black and gray. I foretold that I wore a floral kimono, but I would like you to keep in mind that it does not apply to everyone because the pattern may invigorate and cause anxiety for some people.

— You say that you are making proposals to each client, but what kind of advice increased as a tendency after the pandemic?

Dr. Karen: “Kawaii” style, which has become one of the trends in the United States, has a positive impact on people’s emotions, so more proposals have been made. I gave a prescription to the depressed client, who suicide run in her mind, to wear clothing with Hello Kitty designs, character socks, and pink tutu at home. The fantastic light pastel “Kawaii” style can have a healing effect. Literally, Hello Kitty saves her life! It may seem weird to the Japanese people who invented the “Kawaii” style, but it is fresh and fantasy, and looks different for my clients and me like Americans born and raised in different cultures from the Japanese perspective.

— Could you analyze what kind of clothes consumers would prefer to wear after the pandemics in the near future?

Dr. Karen: Even if an effective vaccine is generalized, the virus never ends, fear is always with us. As a result, people become conservative and have a strong feeling to protect themselves, which will also appear in their outfits. For example, in addition to masks, I think that people will naturally wear more hats, sunglasses, scarves, gloves, and other accessories that cover the skin. From another perspective, many of us should have thought about the value of life and improve their quality of life by having the time to face ourselves during the lockdown. It should also work to pursue the essence rather than showing off its good-looking appearance on Instagram and the consumption method of fast fashion. I want to ask everyone this question, “Do you dress up for yourself or someone else?”

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We spoke with Lutz Leichsenring, a spokesperson for the Club Commission, of which more than 140 Berlin clubs are members. He is also the sole driving force behind United We Stream, a livestreaming service calling for donations that started as an idea to break out of the current impasse.

――What is United We Stream?

Lutz：It’s a free, video livestreaming service calling for donations for clubs that started on March 18. Up through June, a different club would appear every night. It is broadcast as part of the content put out by ARTE CONCERT by ARTE, which provides public broadcasting that is jointly financed by France and Germany. ARTE handled the production and production costs while the clubs paid for the artists’ appearance fees, and we had some artists who took part free of charge on a voluntary basis.

――Roughly how much have you collected in donations? How are they being allocated?

Lutz：At present we have collected more than 500,000 euros (approximately 60 million JPY). The money is distributed to clubs involved in the project first and foremost, and is allocated with consideration given to a number of factors, such as whether they are currently in dire straits where they cannot pay their rent, for example. But we’re not just thinking of ourselves here. We are donating 80% of the donations gathered through this project to nonprofit organizations that provide things like support for refugees. Germany has the Soli-Party (a party calling for solidarity), and since this can no longer be held right now it is running short of money, so we thought we should do what we can to support it as much as possible in this way. In particular, the money is being spent to improve the state of medical care in refugee facilities in Greece.

Depending on the size of the club, some of them have been able to cover part of their expenses for things like rent with the immediate subsidies from the German Confederation, and Berlin’s city government has also allocated a number of immediate subsidies. Closer to home, of the 140 clubs here only 40 were able to receive the Immediate Grants IV given out by the Berlin city government. The amount for these on average came to 81,000 euros (approximately 9.9 million JPY).

Prior to this many of the clubs only had access to loans and so took on enormous debt, so I feel that these subsidies have given them a little breathing room.

――Where did the idea for United We Stream come from? You got it up and running right away from before the full-scale lock-down began, right?

Lutz：Before the order restricting people from going out was issued on March 13, the decision had been made to close all of the clubs. The idea came to me right away at this point in time. It was important to widely spread awareness of the current situation regarding clubs and to collect donations, while also strengthening solidarity among the community and connecting together artists who had lost the venues for their activities in the form of clubs.

――United We Stream is streaming with the public broadcasting TV channel ARTE as its media partner. How did this collaboration initially come about?

Lutz：From the outset ARTE and the clubs of Berlin had a relationship as partners, so the talks went quickly. By having the TV channel side handle the production and bear the production costs, as well as broadcasting this from ARTE’s official site, we were able to reach a broad audience. The number of viewers is roughly 5,000 people for each broadcast. There isn’t a club around that can hold an audience of this size! What helped us out more than anything was that since ARTE is a public broadcasting channel, from the outset it already had licensing fee contracts with GEMA, which is a German organization that manages copyrights! This was great because one of the biggest problems with livestreaming is getting the rights to the music and the royalty fees for copyrighted works.

――While United We Stream got its start with the clubs in Berlin, it is now being held in places all around Germany and all over the world. How have you gone about deciding which clubs get to participate?

Lutz：Now 76 cities around the world are taking part. From the very beginning I had been hoping that the idea would increasingly be used in other cities as well, so I’m glad that it has become as widespread as it has. While it’s popularity in Berlin has been important for collecting donations, over and above this we have highlighted the high level of originality and artistry of the artists themselves. We also give consideration to ensuring that there is an even mix of men and women among the participating artists. It is also important that the artists not discriminate based on race or sexual orientation, such as through racism or homophobia. While I’m sure our partners in countries all over the world have their own respective preferences, I feel they are organizing their programs by paying attention to these points.

――United We Stream doesn’t just stream music, you also put on a talk show, correct?

Lutz：I feel that over and above collecting donations and delivering music, we are also raising awareness of the political position occupied by club culture and artists. United We Talk holds discussions on not only pop culture, but also discussions in which we invite a variety of different activists, scientists, and others to serve as guests. We hold talks on the theme of how do we turn this critical state of affairs into an opportunity to progressively reshape society? While the restrictions are being eased, that is not to say that the virus has gone away. There are concerns over a second wave, and while I of course want the clubs to reopen, human life is the number one priority. When we try to uphold social distancing and when it is impossible for people to move about freely while maintaining distance with one another, then the continued existence of club culture becomes untenable. Since we can hold outdoor events and the like by listening to the opinions of experts such as virologists, I’d like to see us move in that direction little by little. Now, more than ever before, we have the opportunity to establish social systems with connections and solidarity between people as their foundation! We need to take this opportunity without letting it slip away!

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