Taichi Mukai is a millennial singer-songwriter who creates music that has never been heard before, flexibly and freely incorporating elements of alternative, ambient, and electro music with R&B elements at its core. His name is spreading both in Japan and abroad. In this issue, he talks about music, fashion, and "Zurich," where he is a multi-talented model and writer.

Taichi basically handles the casting of his own production staff, including photographers, hair and makeup artists, and designers. Although he tends to be blinded by his own uniqueness in self-production, this is not a problem for Taichi, who has excellent flexibility and control.

In my case, I don't stick to anything or pigeonhole myself into a genre, but rather freely incorporate what I'm into at any given time. Musically, I aim to create a well-balanced mix of the current sound and visual style with the familiar melodies and melancholy lyrics of Japanese songs.

In his constant march of evolution and deepening, there is one thing that has remained a staple: R&B.

. "I've been listening to R&B itself since I was a kid, but it wasn't until I got to high school that I started listening to a lot of different music and realized how great each of it was. Recently, I've been listening to a lot of R&B from that time, and it was then that I realized for the first time that 'Oh, I love music. I remember feeling as if I had grown up a little bit.

I was curious about Taichi's daily life wearing these "Zurich" shoes, and I couldn't help but ask him, "How do you usually spend your off-time?" I asked him.

I like beautiful, well-maintained parks, and I often go to places like the Imperial Palace area. . I spend my days off in Marunouchi buying bread and other things with a bit of sophistication. . I usually do the same things as a highly-sensitive female office worker (laughs). I also like animals a lot. The other day I went to a café with hedgehogs and met a kotomekawaso (a small otter). Similarly, I often go to aquariums, and I love that humidity and the tranquil atmosphere of museums and shrines. Most recently, I found the Mandala exhibit very interesting."

Every time he opens his mouth, a new side of him peeks out, which is hard to imagine from his face as an R&B singer. He is now turning his attention to the new fields of visual arts and apparel. What is his goal?

Everything comes from within me, and the most core part of me is my face as a singer-songwriter. I hope that ultimately it all comes down to the music."

As was the case on this day, the outfits were basically self-styled. Therein lies the true feelings of a 26-year-old who prefers dull, neutral colors and longs to be a mature man with a sense of color, when a simple outfit would make him mistaken for a college student.

. I think R&B is basically hedonistic music, so I want to aim for sexiness. . So recently I have been using scarves to make myself look classy and sexy. I have always been amanojaku in both music and fashion, and I may always have a sense of wanting to stay out of vogue.

That is why he always wears leather shoes on his feet, not only on stage but also in his private life. He must have found Birkenstock's sandals refreshing.　When we asked him about it, he surprisingly confessed that he used to be a fan of Birkenstock's Arizona sandals.

Birkenstock is popular among people of all ages because of its trend-setting design. The Arizona shoes I was wearing at the time had leather uppers, and in addition, they had a perfect balance of relaxed and elegant. I really liked them and loved wearing them.

Although he is an amanojaku, his flat selection of good things, which he greedily adopts, is based on the sense that he has cultivated over the years. This time, we had a new encounter with "Zurich. The moment he actually put his foot through the shoes, the comfort of the footbed, which has evolved to be even more comfortable, touched Taichi's heartstrings.

. The comfort of the shoes has improved a lot. These days, there are many products that have been updated only in terms of functionality, without changing the design itself. I myself like that kind of approach, and this is a perfect example. I share your attitude of enhancing functionality with new technology while preserving the classic look and feel.