My role is to design a product that will not embarrass even the most enthusiastic of people.

First of all, please tell us how you felt when you decided to participate in VOTE FORWARD.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I couldn't hide my surprise at this special 30th anniversary milestone, and at the offer from Nike, which I had been buying as a follower for a long time.

At the end of last year, on my birthday, a Nike representative from Japan came to see me and told me that he had a big birthday present for me before everyone else got drunk and sobered me up completely (laughs).

This was one of the top three most significant events in my life, and I have had many experiences in my life. I am truly honored and happy, but at the same time, I am feeling an immense amount of pressure. Especially in Japan, there are many people who specialize in sneaker culture and are very knowledgeable and obsessed with it.

I wondered why I was chosen over such people, but I am happy that what I am doing now has been understood, and I feel that my role is to create designs that will not embarrass my predecessors or enthusiasts.

How did you feel when you actually visited Nike's headquarters in Portland?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)It was the most exciting place I have ever been to. It is like a sacred place where things I have been influenced by have been created. I was really moved. I felt like I was in Disneyland.

It was like going to an amusement park for the first time and being taken on all the attractions. And the joy of being able to work there was unbelievable. I was grinning the whole time (laughs).

What was your schedule like over there?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)The day we arrived, we had dinner and went to bed in the evening. The next day, I had an orientation in the morning and was given a tour of the facility, and I was allowed to visit quite a few places.

All the participants rode bicycles around the facility. It is a huge site, like the size of the Tokyo Dome. There was a sports center named after Bo Jackson, a Jordan pavilion, soccer courts, swimming pools, gymnasiums, and gyms. There were soccer courts, swimming pools, gymnasiums, and gyms.

In the afternoon, there was a design session. In the evening, we had a dinner party with about 30-40 people, including participants and designers involved, and returned to Japan the next day. It all happened so fast.

Express your background through Air Max.

What was the orientation like?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I learned about Nike's Air innovations, the history of Nike from its early days, and stories about the company's founders.

The worst part was the "DNA," a highly secretive area in Nike's headquarters where photos are of course not allowed and cell phone GPS must be turned off. It's a gymnasium-level warehouse where all the past apparel and shoes are archived. I was allowed to enter there.

It was a special place that only a very limited number of people in the company could enter. It was a special place where only a limited number of people from within the company could enter. It was very moving to be shown that kind of place. I have seen this before in "Boon" (laughs)! I was inspired once more and went to the design session.

Did the inspiration you received there change the design you initially had in mind?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I used fabrics and materials that I had forgotten about in the archives shown at "DNA". I remembered fabrics and materials that I had forgotten about from the "DNA" archives, so I used those materials. I also requested to use materials that are not used anymore, such as hard mesh that was used in the past.

Image-wise, I was going to base it on the "Air Max 97" with Flyknit, spandex, and 3M embossed synthetic leather. As if to show my background, I imagined the black light of a club, or Tokyo in the future, or the atmosphere of the night.

The design session was held with one designer from the Nike design team for each participant, wasn't it?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)The process was to take the image we had in mind and create a model of it. There were many materials available, such as fabrics and sole units. I had a certain image of what I wanted, so I thought about how I wanted to combine them to create the finished product.

It was a lot of fun, but time was short because fun things happen so fast. The combinations were so endless that it was hard to land on one (laughs).

Everyone was in a serious mood at the site, but many of the other participants were interesting. The Europeans were very taciturn, silently working on their designs, and Sean from LA would talk to me in a friendly manner, like, "What are you making? Sean in LA would talk to me in a friendly way, like, "What are you making? That kind of communication was also interesting. The Brazilian girls were very fashionable. The Turkish guy was really cool, too, with his character.

He prides himself on liking sneakers more than any of the participants.

I heard that many of the participants this time are young people.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I think it's a good idea to make it younger. I feel like you are intentionally going younger this time. What was impressive was that many of the participants used "Air Max 97" as their base. The people at "Nike" were surprised by that. They seemed to think that they would choose the more classic "Air Max.

I think the fact that we changed the generation of the participating menus led to these choices. When I talked with people about which "Air Max" they liked, "Air Max Plus" was always mentioned. When we talked about which "Air Max Plus" was our favorite, "Air Max Plus" came up. Maybe it's because it's popular now, but everyone responded to the Nike designs of the late 90s.

Did you have a different mindset when designing "Air Max" than when you usually make clothes?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I was very careful to make sure that the shoes would not cause injuries and that they would be comfortable to wear. I talked with the designers and paid a lot of attention to the fit. Of course, we don't take clothes for granted, but because it is a sports brand, we have to be more than careful.

Since I was chosen, I didn't want it to be just an appearance. I thought it was a match that I couldn't lose. There were architects, dressmakers, and many others, but I am proud to say that I like shoes more than the others, and I think I was able to give them feedback on the good and bad points of what I have worn so far.

I really want to win. And it's going to be released worldwide.

It will be a great tailwind for the overseas expansion of "Magic Stick," won't it?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I think it would be great if they released an "Air Max" that I had designed (laughs).

I am looking forward to the online voting period starting on the 18th!

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I have not seen the designs of other participants yet, but I hope that the voting will be in such a way that we will not be able to see who designed it.

That way, they can really choose us based on the quality of our design. Then I am confident that we can be number one.