What a campfire meister says when talking about fire tools . | feature

What the campfire meister says when talking about fire tools.

Masaya Ino, a.k.a. "Bonfire Meister," has published his second book, "Bonfires and Tools. What role do tools play in the simple act of making a fire? And what is the current state of campfire culture in the midst of the camping boom that has not abated since the Corona disaster? Writer Issey Enomoto, an old acquaintance of Mr. Ino's and a bonfire enthusiast, sat down with him around a campfire to talk about all sorts of things related to bonfire tools.

Photo_Ayako Koike

Text_Issey Enomoto

Edit_Hiroshi Yamamoto

PROFILE

Masaya Ino

Bonfire Meister

. Born in 1975. After working as a model for "Men's Non-No" and a writer for "Popeye," he cleared a wooded area of his parents' house in Chiba and established his own private bonfire site, "Bonfire Village . . He is currently active as a bonfire meister, president of the Japan Bonfire Association, and outdoor planner.
Instagram: @inomushi75

What does a "campfire meister" do?

Ino-san, your first book, "The Book of Bonfires," was published in September 2020. How was the response?

Inono:The response was very strong and the book sold well. The book was reprinted and went into its sixth printing.

Six printings is great. Is it like a big royalty payout?

Inono:. I think I got at least a first-class company bonus. Well, I think the publisher, YAMAKEI (Yama-kei Publishers), got more money than that (laughs).

I think your recognition as a bonfire meister has spread, hasn't it?

Inono:. The scope of my work has definitely expanded. I was asked to help an artist film a bonfire scene for his music video. It is said that a book is like a business card, and I strongly felt this.

What else do you do as a bonfiremeister?

Inono:In addition to supervising campfires for TV and magazines, I also teach at campfire events organized by campgrounds. . I may be the only person in the world who makes a living solely from campfires (laughs).

Ino-san, you once appeared on "Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai" and supervised the fire in "Ishibashi, Kaimoku wo Kabeeru" (Ishibashi, Firewood Burning).

Inono:Appearing on "Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai" was a turning point for me, and supervising the bonfires for "Ishibashi, Kitebiru" expanded the scope of my work. The influence of TV is still huge.

As a side note, the first episode of "Ishibashi, kindling the firewood" was recorded here (in Ino, a bonfire village). Before the recording, a staff member asked me, "Do you have a waiting room? I jokingly replied, "My parents live nearby, so how about that? I replied, "Well, I have my parents' house nearby, so how about that? Then, Takaaki Ishibashi actually came to my parents' house. My parents were so excited to welcome him (laughs).

I would be surprised if Mr. Ishibashi came to my house (laughs).

Inono:He was happy to have his picture taken with me (laughs). (Laughs.) I have caused my parents a lot of trouble, but I think I have finally been able to show them some filial piety.