PROFILE
Born in Kamakura in 1976, he made his acting debut in 1994 and has been involved in numerous TV dramas and movies. On the other hand, he has been active as a professional surfer since 2000, and has been the director of his own brand "Magic Number" since 2008. He is a father of two children. . Hobbies include motorcycles, skin diving, snowboarding, and cars.
See you at the beach.
The sea in Shonan, where we met up that day, was a solid calm, not enough for surfers. If it weren't for the filming, I wouldn't have come here today," Ryu says with a laugh. . He usually checks out the waves in advance and rides them as long as he can, even if only for a little while. In the past, he was an actor, and today he is the director and president of a brand, but "my axis has always been surfing," he says.
The brand he launched is called "Magic Number. The name "Magic Number" is a brand name that contains a variety of thoughts and feelings.
I liked the song "The Magic Number" by De La Soul when I was in junior high school (laughs), and there are also magic numbers in the dimensions of surfboards. (laughs) Also, I have been associated with numbers my whole life, and when something big happens, it is often related to that number. I chose "magic number" as the name of my brand, as a way to attract good luck.
By the way, what is the number? ." to which he smokes out, "That's a bit of a stretch.
Like surfing, Ryu has always loved clothes, and a brand he came across at a surf store in Kamakura over 30 years ago led him to the world of clothing.
I was in the first grade at the time, but the clothes, the font, and Sean's way of life really resonated with me. I was in the first grade at the time, but the clothes, the font, and Sean's way of life really resonated with me. And the clothes were sharp, yet casual, right? That must have been how I fell in love with the clothes."
From there, he worked as an actor and professional surfer for a number of years, directing a number of brands. He felt a sense of inadequacy in the process, and launched his own brand, "Magic Number.
I knew that because it was not my company, there were many restrictions. Even if I felt that I had to make something now, it might be several years later. In order to do things like that freely, I had to take risks on my own. That's why I started Magic Number.
Fifteen years have passed since then. The brand has matured with each passing season and is now recognized by many.
The "SEE YOU IN THE WATER XV" printed on the "Magic Number" T-shirt Ryu was wearing that day is a new tag line adopted on the occasion of the brand's 15th anniversary. It means "See you in the water.
Surfers use this word quite a bit . In the U.S. , it's really used a lot. Even when I was a stay-at-home in the Corona Disaster, it didn't matter that it was the ocean, so everyone would say 'SEE YOU IN THE WATER' and split up. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
Along with the tagline, the brand's logo was revamped at the same time. That story will be told later in the article.
There are no waves, so why don't we go to a temple?" Ryu-san next took us to Myohon-ji Temple, which is located on top of a mountain that has been cut out of the sea. At the foot of the temple is the kindergarten Ryu attended, and Myohon-ji Temple has been his playground since he was a child. He still visits the temple once a week to keep his mind neutral.
It's very close to Kamakura Station, but when you walk in here, the air changes at once, doesn't it? I always come here to take a rest and relax. And I feel neutral. I don't know if it has anything to do with the "magic number," but what I learned here is completely in my blood and bones, and it is definitely my roots.
As he was walking in the precincts of the temple, a woman walking her dog appeared, saying, "I came to see how you model. In fact, she was the one who took Ryu, then in the first grade of junior high school, out surfing for the first time, and she was also his surfing teacher.
My sister Kazuyo was very dear to my parents, and she used to come over to our house all the time. When I was in the first grade of junior high school, they took me to the beach, and they had surfboards ready for me, and that's when I was introduced to surfing for the first time.
Kamakura is a major tourist destination and a place with many people, but the Kamakura community where Ryu-san is located is a slow, mellow, and peaceful Kamakura, where people are indeed connected to each other.
The parting greeting to the teacher was, of course, "See you at the beach.
