Fashion is not his specialty.
. that's why I want to wear something cool.
PROFILE
Born in Tokyo , 1991. . He made his debut in 2010 as a drummer in the rock band OKAMOTO'S, which he formed with friends from his school days. . He is also active as a DJ, making use of his wide range of musical background. On April 7, his fourth digital release for 2021, "M," will be available for download.
Instagram:@okamotoreiji
Today, we had the pleasure of photographing you at "BOY," a store in Shibuya that mainly deals in used clothing. It seems that you often come here on your own time.
I have known the owner, TOMMY-kun (Naoto Okutomi), for over 10 years now. We have held events together, sometimes DJing at the same events, and we see each other quite often outside of the store.
Is this one of the stores you always stop by when you come to Shibuya to buy clothes?
Rather than coming here to buy clothes, I come here to meet TOMMY and the people who gather here. I don't buy clothes at a particular store or follow a particular brand all the time.
. It seems that OKAMOTO'S band members are often the focus of attention when it comes to their fashion style. When did you become aware of fashion yourself, Mr. Rage?
That was when I went to an event that TOMMY-kun was holding about 10 years ago. At that time, I was not interested in clothes at all, and all I did was buy records. But I noticed that all the kids around my age at the event were stylish and had a nice atmosphere. Then I suddenly thought, "If I continue to be stubborn and do nothing but play music, I'll just become an old guy who knows a lot about music. . No matter how much knowledge you have about music, if it is not accompanied by other things, it is not convincing at all. . In that sense, I began to think about fashion properly, partly for the sake of music.
. So, you are doing it for your main job, music. That is quite a sober viewpoint for someone who is just waking up to fashion (laughs). (laughs) I get the impression that you always keep an objective eye on yourself and are more concerned about how you are seen by the world than others.
. It is indeed important to control one's image from time to time. Even when deciding what to wear, I try to keep in mind the kind of people I am going to meet today and the kind of event I am going to perform at.
Do your live stage performances reflect this commitment?
No, that's the only part I can't fake. . only when I am playing in a rock band, I am 100% true to myself. Fashion and social networking are things that I can do without in my life, at worst. What I should be doing is music, listening to a lot of music, and producing a better output. Other than music, it's not an essential element. But that's why it's important to be cool in the way I dress, and in social networking as well, I want to make an effort to deliver interesting content. That's how I feel.
Just between low tech and high tech.
Did you know about KARHU?
. I think some of our members wore them, too. I first heard about KARHU when I saw Shigeakira Kobukuro wearing them. He said, "You're wearing something unusual. Where are they from? I remember talking to him about it. There were quite a few people around me who were wearing them, so I was curious about them.
I see. What kind of image did you have?
My impression is that it pops, but not cheaply; I didn't realize that the brand has been around for over 100 years, but that's a nod to its long history.
How do you feel when you actually try them on?
Not only the design , but also the cushioning. It looks like it can run. Not only the colorful model I was allowed to wear today, but they also have monotone ones , which I'm also interested in. I personally like these sneakers that are somewhere between low-tech and high-tech.
I heard that you turned 30 years old this year (31 years old due to early birth). This is a major milestone in your life, but is there anything new you have started since turning 30?
Recently, I started playing futsal. I started playing futsal as a "trial" because I wanted to get some exercise, and I got really into it. I had never really played sports before, since I had always focused on music. I have never done any sports before, so I have never really done any sports. The feeling of screaming out in a high emotional state is similar to the feeling of diving at a live concert, and I think that's part of what I like about it. It's hardcore and punk (laughs). (Laughs.) When I slide, my team members say to me, "That was a very meaningful slide, even though you didn't make it in time! It's good for team morale, so let's keep doing that! (Laughs) Once a week, about 20 people get together, and we take it pretty seriously.
