PROFILE
Born in Aichi Prefecture. After working as a stylist assistant in Tokyo, he returned to his hometown and opened his own store "SHIKI" in 2009. 2015, he started his career as a barber and renamed his store "INN THE PEOPLE". At the same time, he launched the running community "COMMON LANDSCAPE" and organizes group runs in Nagoya.
We want to keep impurities as low as possible to zero and express naturalness.
When did you open this store?
Okamoto:It was 2009. At the time, I was not yet a licensed barber, and my focus was on management. I was originally a stylist's assistant in Tokyo, but after returning home, I got married and decided to open a store with my wife.
I see that Okamoto-san also obtained his barber's license after that.
Okamoto:When I was about 27, I visited New York and was very fascinated by the local barber culture. So I went to school and got my license when I was 30.
Have you always loved fashion?
Okamoto:I have liked it since long ago. I love fashion, and this store is an extension of that love. I started skateboarding with a good friend when I was in junior high school, and I was also greatly influenced by Hide of X JAPAN. I was attracted to rock and punk at the time, and when I saw Hide wearing George Cox boots, I thought it was cool. I got into fashion from the culture of skating and music.
I sense a sense of beauty not only in this store, but also in the SNS of the running community "COMMON LANDSCAPE," which Okamoto-san presides over. I wonder where this sense of beauty comes from.
Okamoto:I am conscious of "health" as a theme in my daily life. I believe that expression is only possible if it is healthy, and if there are any lies or falsities, they will be exposed, and if I am overworked, the quality will not improve. I want to keep as many impurities as possible at zero and express myself in a natural way.
Once upon a time, I was satisfied with just looking at something cool and copying it. However, I gradually began to realize that there was no depth to such things. I began to realize that I was halfway there. I started running at a time when I was searching for something that came from my own life and a way to express myself in a more pure way.
When we are conscious of our health, and running is incorporated into our lives, the expression that naturally emerges from such a situation is pure and enjoyable. I think about this every day of my life.
When did you come to this conclusion?
Okamoto:It was around the time I started COMMON LANDSCAPE, so about 2015.
Why did you choose running as a way to stay healthy?
Okamoto:I renewed the store in 2015, and since I started working as a barber myself, I was so busy that I was frustrated that I could not communicate with my customers properly. I named the store "INN THE PEOPLE" because I wanted it to be a pleasant store, like a small hotel where people gather, but at the time I was just too busy cutting hair. I wanted to create some kind of community to engage with customers in a fun way.
There is a client named Kameyama-kun who is currently taking photos for COMMON LANDSCAPE, and while I was cutting his hair, we got to talking about the running boom that was taking place overseas. When we looked into it, we found that music, fashion, and other cultures were also closely linked. Influenced by this way of thinking, we decided to give it a try, even though we had never run before.
Every week, Kameyama and I would get together and run together, calling out to various customers, but we couldn't get enough people, so for about two years we ran together (laughs).
How did the number of people grow from there?
Okamoto:Now that I think about it, Kameyama and I had a common language in fashion and music. By approaching people based on this common language, we naturally attracted people who were interested in our activities, and the number of community members increased. When I was cutting hair, I would talk to customers and lightly ask interesting-looking girls if they wanted to run with me. That is just a starting point, but now I also enjoy discovering people who can express themselves through running.
It is not just a running community, but also a group of expressive people.
Okamoto:Yes, that's right. It is most interesting and gratifying to see how the members connect with each other and start working together in their private lives.
But first I have to run (laughs).
Okamoto:Yes, you have to run (laughs). (laughs). So our common language has changed to running. We want to share the scenery we see there, and we want to appreciate what comes out of it.
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