I want people to know that we are doing interesting things.

. How did Makita-san and Journal Standard come to work together on this project?

rice field used to grow crops. A buyer from "Journal Standard" always came to "THE UNION" exhibitions. However, our brand is not wholesaled to many large stores, and when he approached me, I always gave him a muddled reply.... However, I got along well with the buyer, and we were interesting to talk with. . So I had always thought, "I'd like to do something someday.

So your feelings have come to fruition this time around.

rice field used to grow crops: Yes, that's right. I was approached about it just last summer, and was told to "do as you please. Most of the items in my brand are plain, so I wondered if I could do the same thing this time and still appeal to the "Journal Standard" customers. I wondered if I could do the same thing this time and still appeal to the "Journal Standard" customers. We thought it would be better to create items that would better express our own character, so we decided to create two fictional schools, "Why not University" and "Why not High School," and to create goods that would be used in those schools. I thought it would be better to make the characters more recognizable.

I see. You dared to take a different approach to your own brand.

rice field used to grow crops. We wanted people to understand that we are doing something interesting through this project, and we wanted them to be interested in our brand.

"ALWAYS ASK WHY" is the educational philosophy.

Where do you get your inspiration for the design of your items?

rice field used to grow cropsI thought it would be interesting to make a collegiate item at this point in time. So I thought it would be interesting to make a collegiate item at this time.

I see that you added the "why not" after the fact.

rice field used to grow cropsI just thought of something: "Yes, yes, yes, yes . Everyone can understand "why not?" and foreigners can understand it, too, right? It's a common language, so it's easy to understand. So I suggested, "How about a 'nanya-nen' university? He seemed to like the idea, and we decided to go with it.

. I feel that Osaka's unique language is also very persuasive.

rice field used to grow crops. there are probably a lot of people out there right now who are tweaking the world. They are often making comments about the news or major companies. The university where people study such "tskkomi" is called "Why not? (Laughs.) Then, derived from that, I came up with the idea of "why high school. Most schools are built after the university is established, so we decided to create a high school.

. It's an affiliated high school, isn't it (laughs)?

rice field used to grow cropsWhy high school" is a school that teaches students to ask "Why? Why high school" is a school that teaches students to ask questions about various things, and "Why University" is a school where students learn how to ask the questions they have asked. It seems like you are going to become a very intellectual person, doesn't it (laugh)?

The setting is very solid (laughs).

rice field used to grow cropsThe school's educational philosophy is "ALWAYS ASK WHY. Always ask "why? (laugh).

A satire on society expressed through fashion.

I think that the setting of the film, in which you make a comment on the world, is somewhat satirical, but is that something that you are conscious of?

rice field used to grow crops. It's completely satirical. There was a drama called "Rikuoh" recently, wasn't there? I have always loved stories like that. A lot of people sympathized with the story of a small company competing with a big company, and how to win the race. Many people sympathized with the story of a small company competing with a large company. The message is similar to that story.

I don't mean to say that large corporations are bad, but if we rely on them, everything will become homogenized. So you are also trying to sound a warning against this.

rice field used to grow crops. If you have doubts about the world, you can have a sense of crisis. After this initiative was launched, "Rikuoh" began airing, so I felt confident that "what I was thinking was not wrong" (laughs).

Makita-san, do you usually think about your relationship with society when you make clothes?

rice field used to grow crops. I've been thinking about it. I once designed a cap with the words "WORKING CLASS" on it with a guy from Win Field Authentic Caps in Hokkaido, Japan. We thought, "Isn't everyone who works a hero? This item was created based on our own idea that all workers are heroes.

It's a tribute to John Lennon's WORKING CLASS HERO.

rice field used to grow crops. The caps are also, in our mind, a statement to the world. There are people who love fashion but have lost the energy to enjoy it after entering the workforce. We made the cap because we wanted those people to be able to enjoy fashion.

I see.

rice field used to grow crops. I always title my clothes with something socially relevant. . I myself am always questioning things. It is important to think about why things are the way they are. It is important for me to think about why things are the way they are. The designs themselves do not change much, but the color schemes and other small details express my thoughts at the time.

. co-written with ZEN ONE, a leading figure in the Osaka graffiti scene.

You worked with Osaka-based graphic artist ZEN ONE to create the graphics for the items in this project, didn't you?

rice field used to grow crops. yes. I have a story like this , what do you think? . He laughed and said, "Yeah, why not? I asked him if he would like to include a "Hatena" mark and the feeling of a person making a comment, and he gave me a lot of ideas. Oh, and I also asked him to put "always ask why.

What do you find attractive about ZEN ONE?

rice field used to grow crops. I asked him to make a picture with a "tsk tsk" in it, and he said, "Do you want it to look like the B.C. period? When I asked him to make a picture of a man making a crack, he said, "Why don't you make it look like B.C.? Why don't we make it look like Greek mythology? He gave me an unexpected suggestion (laughs).

rice field used to grow cropsThe way he draws the tsukkomi is still a bit awkward, since he is trying to depict a time when the concept of "tsukkomi" was first born.

. You have expressed such details in your work.

rice field used to grow crops. We are on the same wavelength, so he always gives me a good answer to my request. We are on the same wavelength, and he always gives me a clear answer to what I ask him to do. I trust him. Also, ZEN basically draws the graphics by hand.

Are the graphics hand-drawn as well?

rice field used to grow cropsOf course. I think that most of the collegiate stuff you see in used clothing stores today is handwritten. I would be happy if people could feel the charm of such an analog format.

. It is important to nurture the twins in the local area.

The items are only available at the Journal Standard store in Kansai, the Omotesando store, and online, right?

rice field used to grow crops: Yes, that's right. Since the setting is a fictional university in Osaka , we are trying to make it easy for people in Osaka to buy our products. Of course, there will be customers in Tokyo who are from Osaka, so I hope they will buy from Omotesando and online. It would be great if people from Osaka in Tokyo would find it interesting and mail order it.

Not only you, but there are more and more people who are trying to make things in their hometowns while making things in the countryside, aren't there?

rice field used to grow crops. I really feel this trend. The regions are becoming more interesting. I personally think that Tokyo should be the most interesting. It is the capital of Japan, and I think it will ultimately be good for Japan. However, in order for that to happen, the regions need to be nurtured.

I see.

rice field used to grow cropsWhen I moved to Tokyo, I was able to compete in Tokyo because I was trained hard by my seniors in my hometown. I couldn't lose! I couldn't lose! In the same way, I think it is better to see and feel interesting things in various places and build a foundation before going to Tokyo, so that you can create and do good work.

The "wunderkinds" from all over the world will gather in Tokyo and create something new. And in this way, Tokyo will become more lively.

rice field used to grow crops. I don't know if that is the right answer, but I think it is a shortcut to a better Japan. That is why I would like to create imaginary schools in various places in Japan, and not stop in Osaka.

Sounds interesting!

rice field used to grow crops. I think it would be fun to ask artists from around the world to create graphics for the series, and if we can make it into a series to some extent, it would be fun to hold a summit in Tokyo. The school series has a lot of storylines. However, in order to do that, we need to make this high school and university a success (laughs).

Since it's a college production, do you feel that you want to reach a student audience?

rice field used to grow crops. I don't have a desire to limit the number of customers I deliver to. . I'm happy just to have people laugh at me. I'm just happy if they laugh at me. I hope they will laugh at me. But I'll double down and say, "You're not kidding at all! I would double down on it (laughs).

Kohei Makita is working on a series of goods for Why High School and Why Yannen University. As a matter of fact, as the second phase of this project, he is planning to release products in collaboration with a certain company. What is he going to make with which company? We are curious to know, but we will wait with our ears wide open for an announcement in the near future.