【 Afro-Japanese Blues. 〜The Pearl of the South. Morocco, the country where the sun sets, welcomes me with open arms.

Fascinated by black culture and passion forLamrofand an African jewelry label calledAFLOGICAL JEWELRYSDaisuke Sakamoto, aka Shirley, is a fashion designer who pours generously into the "Shirley" brand.

In addition, in recent years, the company has been developing a new label, "Miscellaneous Goods," which focuses on items from the American mid-century period, which it had been operating for some time.Aflogical AntiquesHe has also changed the direction of his business to mainly African goods, expressing the black culture he loves from various angles.

The term "Afro-zero" means "of African origin. In this sense, Sakamoto is an "Afro-Japanese" with roots in Africa, even though he is Japanese.

In this series, we introduce the people, things, and things that Mr. Sakamoto has seen while wandering around the world, especially in Africa, through his own filter. We present the realities of black culture as he sees it, how he incorporates it into his products, and the realities of the black culture that has fascinated him, through actual photos and Sakamoto's own voice.

Photo_Sha-Le (Daisuke Sakamoto)
Edit_Naoya Tsuneshige

Morocco, the Land of the Setting Sun.

After leaving Gabon and spending some time in London, Mr. Sakamoto arrived at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city, via Frankfurt. This is reportedly his third visit to Morocco.

“By the third time around, you really start to feel attached to a place. By the way, I lost my passport during my last stay in Morocco and had to get a replacement issued at the Japanese Embassy there, so my passport actually says ”Morocco' as the place of issuance (laughs). That’s probably why Morocco feels a little special to me."

Furthermore, this anecdote illustrates why he considers Morocco one of his favorite countries.

"I arrived at the hotel starving, but it was already pretty late. I asked the front desk staff on a long shot if any restaurants were still open, but of course, they weren’t. I was joking with a Moroccan guy standing behind me in line, saying, ‘Oh man, I’m starving, but I’m stuck here,’ when he said, ‘I’ll order you an Uber, just wait here,’ and then he actually brought the McDonald’s that arrived right to my room.”

"And just as I was about to pay, he said, 'I already paid for you, so you don't need to worry about it. Welcome to Morocco!' and walked away. Isn't that just so cool? (laughs) It's not just him—Moroccans are kind and generous. It was a moment when my heart leapt with joy at this promising start, reaffirming just how much I love Morocco."

And so, my trip to Morocco began. Incidentally, Morocco is located at the westernmost tip of the African continent. Since Japan is known as the “Land of the Rising Sun” and Morocco is known as the “Land of the Setting Sun,” it’s said that you often hear greetings like, “Welcome from the Land of the Rising Sun to the Land of the Setting Sun.”

And the next morning, Mr. Sakamoto headed to Marrakech, a city known as the “Pearl of the South” or the “Red City,” which is popular for its unique architecture and colorful markets.

"Day 2 in Morocco. I got up early and spent the morning taking a quick tour of Casablanca’s Medina (old town), then set off for Marrakech by train in the afternoon. Since I wasn’t able to visit Marrakech during my last stay, I was really looking forward to this part of the trip."

"It was quite a distance from Casablanca, and we arrived at 7:00 p.m. Since it’s a city beloved by celebrities from all over the world—including Yves Saint Laurent and Ronaldinho—it was, as expected, buzzing with energy and teeming with people. It really struck me once again what a beautiful place it is. That night, I wandered around Morocco’s largest medina—which stays open late—to do some research, and decided to rest up for the next day.”

Also in the Ramlof theme.

"Marrakech is teeming with tourists," says Mr. Sakamoto. "This is where you can find Moroccan culture and valuable folk crafts." But where did he go in search of more niche items that others don't know about?

"We left Marrakech early and took a shared taxi for three hours to the coastal city of Essaouira. I don’t think many Japanese people ever visit here. But it’s a city rich in culture—so much so that many artists and musicians live here, and it hosts Morocco’s largest Gnawa Festival, a celebration of African music."

"The medina here in Essaouira, with its harmonious blend of blue and white, is absolutely beautiful and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I’m completely captivated by this city. It’s not just the scale, but the atmosphere, Essaouira’s unique take on art, and the countless treasures it holds. Since I visit every year, I have lots of friends here, and it makes me happy that they’re always glad to see me.”

I hear that the 25AW collection from , for which Mr. Sakamoto serves as designer, is themed around Essaouira. Essaouira means “beautiful city” in Arabic. Since the collection is said to express the pure feelings he had when visiting this city in the past, I highly recommendthis way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)Please also see the following.

On that day, Mr. Sakamoto spent the entire evening conducting research in the medina until around midnight, preparing for his buying trip to Essaouira the following day. Since he had visited several times before and knew some of the locals, he was able to conduct his purchasing and business negotiations smoothly.

"I had already narrowed down my destinations. My main stops were an elderly dealer tucked away in a back alley and a top-notch antique collector who sources special pieces from all over Morocco."

“When it comes to Moroccan jewelry, people usually think of pieces made by the Tuareg and Berber nomads of Western Sahara. These are quite familiar in Japan, aren't they? But actually, what you see in Japan are mostly just the ”standard pieces’—there are so many more designs out there. Here, we’ve sourced rare, one-of-a-kind pieces, focusing mainly on Tuareg jewelry. We’re proud to say we’ve managed to bring back special, unique pieces that will make people in Japan exclaim, ‘I didn’t know such things existed!’"

He went on to tell me this as well.

“Essaouira has a unique form of embroidery called ”Berber embroidery.' Using colorful threads, artisans hand-stitch original designs onto vintage clothing and traditional costumes. It’s truly beautiful. I almost forgot I was there to buy for my business and ended up buying a huge amount for myself."

"Regarding this Berber embroidery, we’ve spent a long time in negotiations with local artists, hoping to collaborate with . Stay tuned to find out how it turns out!"

His travels aren’t just about sourcing goods; they also serve as a way to gather ideas for *Ramlof*, the brand he designs for, as well as to shoot visuals and explore collaboration opportunities. Looking at his creative work from this perspective might reveal its merits in a whole new light.

Finally, he told us about this encounter.

"I had just met my purchasing goal and was thinking of taking it easy when I ran into an artist with cool dreadlocks."

"When I said, 'You're pretty cool,' he replied, 'Your style's pretty sharp, too.' That was our first conversation. As we talked, he mentioned he was also a tattoo artist, so I figured why not? We made a plan for him to ink me the next day, and then we went our separate ways."

In the next episode of "Afro-Japanese Blues," we'll bring you the second half of our Morocco trip, including footage of the tattoo session. Stay tuned.