Three activities that all connect.
Shihito Kouno (Soccer player / Designer for 〈CLUB SARCASM〉)
Crew Neck Short Sleeve L Black
PROFILE
Born in Tokyo in 1993, he signed a professional contract with FC Tokyo at the age of 16. After playing for other J-League teams, he joined Sydney Olympic FC in Australia, but unfortunately returned to Japan due to a serious injury. He returned to Japan and played for FC Oberneuland in Germany and London Samurai Rovers FC in England. Last year, he moved his base to Japan and is currently playing for Ichikawa SC.
-I understand that you often come to Maple Pizza.
Kouno: Ben, the owner, has many mutual friends and is a frequent customer.
-What kind of holidays do you usually spend?
Kouno: I guess I often go out to dinner with friends and seniors. But I don't like to rest, and I end up doing a lot of things.
-You are also involved in the apparel brand "CLUB SARCASM" in addition to soccer, right?
Kouno: That's right. I also run a company in Nagasaki that develops metaverse and AI. 5 or 6 years ago, I started trying various things. I feel like I have found the perfect balance between soccer and my other activities.
-You are active in the three pillars of soccer, apparel, and IT. How did that all come about?
Kouno: Club Circusm started naturally because I liked clothes, and I originally started the company because I was doing web design and was interested in technology.
-Can you do web design as well?
Kouno: I would like to continue playing soccer forever, and if I were to retire, I would like to choose my own timing. For example, even if I received an offer from a team that only paid me 100,000 yen a month, I could continue playing soccer if I had other income. I studied to choose how to end up as a soccer player. Even though I am doing completely different genres, there are situations where there is a connection. For example, design elements are required in technology, and what I have developed in soccer can be used in company management.
-I have to see holidays as holidays because there are things that can be connected.
Kouno: That's right. I have the personality to work hard during the week and not think about work on weekends. He mixes his public and private life, and there is no boundary between work and private life.
-How did you become interested in fashion?
Kouno: Everyone in my family loved fashion, so I naturally fell in love with it, just as I did with soccer. My father taught me to be different, and fashion was one of the tools I used to express myself.
-What is important to you in designing "Club Circusm"?
Kouno: I think designs with a bit of a playful feel are uniquely me. I didn't go to fashion school, so I value my own personality. It was tough starting from scratch, but I made a lot of friends who helped me out. Gradually, I began to understand how to do things, and I was able to make what I wanted to make.
