That Hip Person. vol.6 LOBSTERR | feature

PROFILE

LOBSTERR.

A weekly newsletter curating "Seeds of Change" stories from media outlets around the world. Compact text, long-range perspectives. Analysis and reflection rather than cynicism and criticism. Insights that nourish the mind and heart, not fast-food news. Once a week, it delivers an opportunity to think in a fast-paced society.
www.lobsterr.co

The age of following individuals rather than media.

From left to right: Hiroto Miyamoto, Yasuhiro Sasaki, the founder, and Jun Okahashi. Mr. Miyamoto is a freelance editor, Mr. Sasaki is a business designer for "Takram," and Mr. Okahashi is a strategic designer, usually working at different locations.

Lately, people around me often ask me, "Have you heard of LOBSTERR? I've been getting a lot of "Do you know 'LOBSTERR'?

Sasaki:I am very happy. Thank you very much.

I am looking forward to hearing more about it today. Thank you very much for your time. You all usually work at different places, don't you?

Oka Bridge:I work for a consulting firm, doing new business and other work. That is my main job, and I do "LOBSTERR" on the side. I also teach at a graduate school.

Miyamoto:I work as a freelance editor and am involved in media such as "AXIS", Hayakawa Shobo's "SF Magazine" and "WORK MILL". I also work for Takram thanks to Mr. Sasaki (laughs).

Takram has a very strong digital image.

Sasaki:I do a lot of research. So, in that sense, it is similar to "LOBSTERR. You also do research, don't you, Mr. Okahashi?

Oka Bridge:Yes, I do research in my day job about what the future will look like 10 years from now and what new trends are emerging. I think that what I think and write about in LOBSTERR is useful for my work.

I see. How did the three of you meet in the first place?

Sasaki:I was staying in Denmark for two weeks in the summer of 2013, and his brother was also studying in Denmark at that time. About five years later, Okahashi-san's brother suddenly contacted me and asked me to meet his brother. The first time I met him was work-related, but he left a great impression on me, so when I decided to work on this project, I immediately approached him.

I had been following Mr. Miyamoto unilaterally on Twitter for some time. So when I decided to launch "LOBSTERR," I wanted to gather my friends, so I asked him to join me.

Oka Bridge:Mr. Miyamoto often came up as a potential friend on my Facebook page. We had many mutual acquaintances. So when Mr. Sasaki first told me your name, I thought, "Oh, that's him! I was like, "Oh, that's him!

So you were contacted out of the blue, Mr. Miyamoto?

Miyamoto:It was sudden. However, I had known Mr. Sasaki for some time and had often listened to his "Takram" podcasts. So when I met him, I was familiar only with his voice (laughs).

That's strange (laughs). What made you go to Denmark, Mr. Sasaki?

Sasaki:I had studied abroad at a design school in Chicago for a year, but I had a month of free time before that. So, I was just wandering around Europe, but I didn't feel like traveling, so I went to a summer school at a school where Okahashi-san's brother was going.

I have the impression that Denmark is advanced in many ways.

Sasaki:We often feature Danish stories in "LOBSTERR".

Miyamoto:Yes, I think so. The same is true in the field of food, such as "NOMA," gender equality, quality of life, and so on.

Oka Bridge:There are quite a lot of topics in Scandinavia, not only in Denmark.

The LOBSTERR newsletter is based on news articles from around the world, and each person's thoughts are written on them. How do you collect the topics for the newsletter?

Oka Bridge:I subscribe to dozens of newsletters, so when I wake up in the morning, my inbox is full of them. That's the main thing. Also, I used to work for a magazine called "MONOCLE," so I also like magazines. I still buy paper magazines.

Sasaki:I'm on Twitter a lot, I guess. I also subscribe to the newsletters of people I follow. I don't follow websites directly.

Miyamoto:I'm kind of a mix. I subscribe to a lot of newsletters and about 30 media outlets via RSS.

Sasaki:Also, all three of us like to watch.Dan Frommer's NewsletterIt is. He used to be the editor-in-chief of a tech media outlet called "Recode" and now runs a newsletter that is delivered twice a week for $200 a year. Many of his stories have a strong affinity with "LOBSTERR. The last time he came to Japan, I couldn't make it, but two of them met him and interviewed him.

Miyamoto:Email me for a rush.

Oka Bridge:Don't call it an interview, just a cup of coffee? I invited him to join me for coffee. I asked him if I could interview him in the middle of our conversation. I asked him guerrilla style (laughs). (Laughs.) What happened at that time is shown in this year'sIt's included in the first podcast.Please listen to it.