PROFILE
. Born in 1975. After working as a model for "Men's Non-No" and a writer for "Popeye," he cleared a wooded area of his parents' house in Chiba and established his own private bonfire site, "Bonfire Village . . He is currently active as a bonfire meister, president of the Japan Bonfire Association, and outdoor planner. He supervises bonfires for Fuji Television's "Ishibashi, kanbiberu" and is a member of BS Nittele's "Gokujo, Sanzuboshi Camping! Three-star Camping" on BS Nichtelephony.
No matter how many times I do it, I never get bored.
Congratulations on the publication of your first book, "The Bonfire Book. Why did you decide to write a book about bonfires in the first place?
Inono:I have always wanted to share the appeal of bonfires with more people, and in order to do so, I have wanted to publish a book about bonfires. Then, at the end of last year, when I was having drinks with a publisher, I asked him if he would be interested in publishing a book about bonfires, and the conversation went very smoothly. I also felt that my title of "campfire meister" was finally being recognized, and I thought now would be a good time to publish a book.
How often do you usually have bonfires?
Inono:. It depends on the time of year, but it's usually about 10 days a month.
That's quite frequent. Don't you ever get tired of it?
Inono:That is frustrating, but I don't get bored with it at all. I should get bored doing it all the time, but no matter how many times I do it, I can't stop looking at the fire. It's a strange thing.
Do you make a living solely from bonfires now?
Inono:About half of my work is with bonfires. . other than that, I sometimes work as a manufacturer's ambassador, or as a writer or model.
Ino-san, you operate a private bonfire site called "Bonfire Village Ino," but it is limited to use for filming and events only, isn't it? Do you have any plans to open it to the public?
Inono:Sometimes I don't think about it, but at the moment I have no plans to do so. . I am a pain in the ass at heart (laughs). . Also, if we open it to the public, we won't be able to choose our guests. A campground staff member I know told me that when he warned a group of people who were having a late night party, one of them pointed his phone at him and took a video, which was then broadcast live on TV, saying, "The staff is getting angry with me right now. . It is horrifying.
