02: END x Totoro & Kirara
PROFILE
Flyer artist / Owner of GReeD TOKYO / Director of OLDX from Tokyo, Japan. He is also the owner of GReeD TOKYO, a select store in Shibuya, and directs the brand OLDX.
startfromend.com
Instagram: @endflyer
I often wonder, but that's what makes it so fascinating.
END is an artist, store owner, and brand director who is active in a wide variety of fields. Under the name "Endo," which is based on Japanese motifs, he also creates works with cats as motifs, revealing his cat-loving side.
Before the shoot, Mr. END said, "Kirara runs away in front of everyone except me and my wife, so I might not be able to take pictures of her...," and she did indeed run away (laughs).
END:Yes, I guess she is still very cautious because she is a big sister.
Totoro and Kirara are sister and brother.
END:Yes, Kirala is the big sister , and the younger one is like Totoro.
What is the origin of each name?
END:My wife named them; she had raised them both before we were married, and I started living with her when I came to live with her and started living with cats. Totoro and Kirara are both named after Showa period (1926-1989), and I like them very much.
It is interesting that they are siblings with the same pattern, but their personalities are the complete opposite! When do you feel lucky to have a cat in your daily life?
END:I think about it every day. When I come home, the first thing I do is say, "I'm home," and we go to bed together. I feel at peace when I am with them because they are a part of my family.
Do Totoro and Kirara have any favorite foods?
END:. such as okaka, chew pet, and cat meat. Now that he is older and has a chronic illness, he is on a medical diet, but I also mix in some of his favorite foods so he doesn't get bored.
Food is important, isn't it? Do you have any favorite places or things that make Totoro and Kirala happy?
END:I think it is still about being with ourselves. When I am relaxing in bed, Kirala is always on my back and Totoro is always next to me. I think they feel safe when they are with their family. (Their favorite place) They don't have a specific place, and they live their lives freely. They seem to like to be a little bit higher up, as is the habit of cats, and they often climb up. Whenever my wife sits down, Totoro always goes next to her to be with her.
Top left: As she says, "I take as many pictures as I can (laughs)," and the strange thing about pets is that no matter how many years they have been with us, we always end up taking pictures of them. . Top right: A photo of Kirala, who could not be captured in this photo shoot. . Below: The photos show how they treat her as if she were their own child.
When he uses Japanese motifs, he uses the name "Endo" instead of "END," and some of the works he has done so far have cats as motifs. The beckoning cat, a good-luck charm, is depicted in detailed line drawings.
What is END's favorite item for cats?
END:We change the beds regularly for hygiene reasons, and we are happy when they sleep in their new beds!
Have you ever owned any animals other than cats?
END:I had a white dog when I was in elementary school , and his name was Totoro. It was my mother who named him, but it was a complete coincidence, and I feel like it was a strange fate.
That's a great coincidence, that's the best kind of story! END, you also draw pictures with cats as motifs, but have you ever used Totoro and Kirara as direct motifs?
END:うーん、トトロとキララを直接はないですね…。2匹ともトラ柄で絵にするととんでもない線になってしまい、描くのがむずかしすぎますね（苦笑）。
I see... . Finally, do you have any recommendations for cat living or anything you would like to tell people who would like to own a cat?
END:They are not objects, but rather companions of the heart, and I hope that those who keep them will take good care of them. Excessive affection may tend to stress them out, so be strict at times and gentle at others. I think it is best to treat them exactly as you would a human child. Naturally, they are different creatures from humans, so living with them often makes us feel strange, but that is also what makes them so fascinating. Cats have a shorter life span than we do. . That is why I would like to spend each day growing with each other in the dozen or so years we have together. Cat life is the best!
