“Change” is also essential.
The coffee cup Mr. Obana used during the interview was a Chemex. Even in his choice of such everyday items, his characteristic attention to detail comes through naturally.
—I see. Speaking of Mr. Obana, he’s known as a connoisseur of hot springs and public bathhouses—do you always carry a bath set in your bag?
Oka: Back when I was writing a column on hot spring tours for *UOMO*, I used to carry a thermometer with me everywhere I went, but I don’t really do that anymore (lol). These days, the items I always make sure to pack in my bag are my workout gear—things like gloves and trigger balls. I make sure to bring them with me whenever I go on business trips, whether they’re domestic or international.
What exactly is a trigger ball?
Oka: It’s a tool designed to release tight muscles by applying firm pressure directly to the body. By the way, VersaGrips’ PowerGrips are designed so you don’t waste grip strength when pulling, allowing you to focus on the specific muscles you want to target. Among them, I particularly like the Xtream series. The Elite Gloves from Cobra Grips also help you avoid wasting energy by stabilizing your wrists when lifting weights, allowing you to focus solely on the lift. They also prevent calluses from forming on your palms, so like the Power Grips, they’re an absolute must-have for me.
Let’s take a peek inside the bag that caught my eye. The workout gear is something she never forgets to bring along on business trips or vacations. Although only a glimpse is visible in the photo, the fact that everything—including her cap and swimsuit—is coordinated in a single color scheme may be a reflection of Ms. Obana’s disciplined approach. The yellow inner bag is highly visible, which helps her easily identify items when taking them out.
—So the shoes are New Balance, right?
Oka: This is a collaborative model with New Balance that we created a while back. It has just the right amount of cushioning—not too much—and the sole isn’t too thick, so it feels great, almost like walking barefoot. I guess I just always have a pair of these on hand.
—I knew you said weight training was your life’s work, but you really take it seriously, don’t you? To be honest, I felt more passion in that than in the bag itself (wry smile).
Oka: So, should I switch to this one? (lol)
—“Hermès,” please (lol). So you go to the gym even when you’re on business trips or traveling?
Oka: When choosing a hotel, I tend to go for places that have a pool or a gym—even if it’s a bit of a splurge. Just that alone makes picking a hotel more fun.
—You mentioned that starting strength training changed your lifestyle. Does that change extend to the things you choose to buy and how you view yourself as well?
Oka: It’s true that things might have changed since I started working out. As you get older, your body naturally starts to decline. That’s why I make a point of taking care of my appearance. It’s not so much that I want to look better, but rather that I don’t want to look worse.
—Just like the bag you’re introducing today, there’s a growing trend these days to view the wear and tear found in vintage clothing—like scuffs and fading—as a positive feature. I feel like that sensibility connects with what you’re talking about. It all comes down to how we perceive it and how we approach it.
Oka: People often talk about age limits in fashion, but ever since I launched my brand in my 20s, I’ve been wearing clothes so tattered people would ask, “Did you get caught up in some kind of incident?” (laughs). But the younger generation these days takes it to a whole new level. Just the other day, when I stopped by the Rose Bowl Swap Meet during a trip to L.A., I saw young people dressed in ways that surpassed even my own shabbiness back then. It wasn’t just a matter of frayed edges or holes—they were wearing clothes with the front panels split right down the middle. I’d have to question their sense of style (lol), but when you really think about it, that’s fashion too—and because they’re young, it comes off as fleeting yet cool. That said, it doesn’t mean you have to dress your age. Even with shabby clothes, depending on how you approach them and style them, you can make them fit who you are right now. Conversely, you wouldn’t even have that way of thinking if you hadn’t lived a few years—the relationship between age and clothing really is fascinating, isn’t it?
—Could you please explain once again what “essential” means to you, Mr. Obana? Incidentally, in a past interview, you said, “Items that are unique or have a rich history, or those imbued with a strong personal connection to a person or event. And then, completely new things that give a sense of the future. It may sound cliché, but those are the criteria for what makes a product appealing to me.”
Oka: I always strive to keep evolving. Even when I find something that’s perfect for me, I’m the type of person who feels incredibly anxious about staying stuck there. From a product perspective, I find “things that have existed in the past but feel like a fresh discovery” to be incredibly stimulating and interesting. The Chrome Hearts ring I bought recently might be a good example of that.
—Mr. Obana and *Chrome Hearts*. It seems like a rather unexpected pairing.
Oka: Right? (lol). But there are definitely some things you just can’t understand until you actually touch them or own them yourself. In the past, I’ve sometimes gone out of my way to try things that made me think, “Oh, you’re actually going for that…?” But having lived that way, I now feel it’s important to experience the so-called “mainstream” things—to see what I feel, why they’ve become so popular, and what that experience gives me.
—It’s about embracing change and considering what we feel when we “dare” to do something, isn’t it?
Oka: It also opens the door to conversations with others and new forms of communication. So, if you’re even slightly curious, I think it’s worth giving a try to things you’ve been avoiding. If staying true to yourself and holding fast to a single thing is one of life’s essentials, then “changing” is another essential for me. Perhaps that’s why I’m drawn to Amazonia—a material that gets more and more worn the more you use it.
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