I could never have predicted this situation a few months ago. . I miss the days when things were normal.... . We are almost there, let's hold on tight for now.
. However, in Tokyo, we have been refraining from going out for more than a month now. It is getting hard to stay at home. So we asked some of HOUYHNHNM's familiar faces to share their wisdom with us. How in the world are they spending their days? Let's take a look at what they are up to during their self-restraint!
Mr. HIROCK / Multi-creator
In addition to his design work, he is the organizer of "HIVISION," a media outlet that promotes the appeal of gadgets, stationery, home appliances, interiors, and other "things" from a variety of perspectives.@hirock_fnd
Q1. How do you spend your days staying at home?
Of course there is a sense of insecurity, but in terms of the business of being a designer, it is not much different. We have meetings over the phone or via the Internet , and work on the computer. Once completed, I send the data over the Internet. We already had a way of working that was prepared for the proper timing as it is now. However, not being able to have real face-to-face communication is not the best part of being alive as a human being.
Q2. What are some ways you enjoy or relieve stress during your self-restraint?
Just since the beginning of this year, I have been working on my YouTube channel, "HIVISION." is a really good hobby (and fun) in this mess, because I can shoot, edit, and upload all in the house. . In addition to the skill of editing, getting in front of the camera and speaking can be a sort of consolidation and confirmation for me. . If people like HOUYHNHNM readers also start their own channels, the world will become a much more interesting place.
Q3. Do you have any recommendations for movies or books for home time?
I am also a wrestling fan , so I watch wrestling on TV and YouTube. I am especially fond of All Japan Pro Wrestling during the era of the Four Heavenly Kings. There are many matches that I recommend, but if I had to pick one, I would say the main event of the Fan Appreciation Day on April 20, 1991, "TheJumbo Tsuruta, Akira Taue, Masanobu Fuchi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi. The 51-minute battle is still talked about today.
Q4. What is the first thing you want to do after the self-restraint is over?
I would like to walk around town, breathe, meet people, chat with them, and sometimes travel. I would like to do the things that are usually taken for granted, but I would like to do them with a sense of pride. . I can't wait to go camping with lots of friends.
Q5. Do you have anything you would like to say here?
. I try to be as positive as possible in these situations. There is no point in thinking too much about things that I cannot control. . . But I do have to be sure to implement the government's policies and the things that we all need to do. I think it is a good opportunity for me to put the brakes on my haste to live, to improve the quality of my work, to think about the future, and to grow as a person.
Yumiko Sakuma / Writer
. is a writer living in New York City. While working as a writer for both domestic and international magazines, he has published many books of his own, starting with "The Hip Lifestyle Revolution.note.com/yumikosakuma
Q1. How do you spend your days staying at home?
I am now in my 7th week of living on lockdown in a house in a wooded area about 90 minutes from Brooklyn, which I have been going to for the past 10 years. All of my outside type jobs have been cancelled, so I feel like I am doing a one-person strengthening camp to prepare for the "next" phase of my life, while doing the work I can do at home.
Q2. What are some ways you enjoy or relieve stress during your self-restraint?
. I just need to move my body. I do yoga whenever I can.
Q3. Do you recommend any movies or books for home time?
. It's times like this that I think it's a good idea to watch something that you normally wouldn't have the guts to get into. . maybe try to continue watching "Star Wars" in its entirety, or "Game of Thrones" from beginning to end, or reread "AKIRA". . What do you think?
Q4. What is the first thing you want to do after the self-restraint is over?
I want to eat fresh bread baked by a bakery. Like croissants .
Q5. Do you have anything you would like to say here?
The crisis that is now unfolding before our eyes visualizes the harsh reality that what you are entitled to is completely different depending on which municipality you live in and in which country. The more citizens participate in politics and government, the more responsibly they elect people to manage "their place," and the more they participate in the process of deciding the shape of society as a community, the more measures are being taken to protect them at an alarming rate. I am keenly aware that unless we recognize with open eyes what our local and national politicians are doing now, and take the next step, we will not be able to design a society for the people who live in it. At the same time, I, as a human being, am confronted on a daily basis with what actions I can take and how I can connect them to the future. I think it is time for each of us to think about how we can protect our lives from the selfishness and ineptitude of politics, the huge distribution network that has been exposed for its fragility, and the decisions of the business community that has nothing to do with us.
Kosuke Kawamura / Artist
Collage artist, graphic designer, and art director of ERECT Magazine . In addition to providing artwork for various brands, he also works extensively on DVD/CD jackets and book covers.@kosukekawamura
Q1. How do you spend your days staying at home?
. I have been working endlessly on my artwork. I am working not so much on the pieces for the end of the year, but rather for an exhibition that is scheduled to take place in a year or so. The works for overseas events are especially large, so I feel like I have to start now.
Q2. What are some ways you enjoy or relieve stress during your self-restraint?
. I shop online without any boundaries (laughs). Recently, I bought a TV, a sofa, and many other things. . I think that's probably how I've been able to release my stress. . Also, I'm thinking of moving, so I'm looking for a house. I may be calling a lot of friends.
Q3. Do you recommend any movies or books for home time?
I've been watching "Breaking Bad" back from season 1. However, I haven't seen much of that sort of thing. . to be honest, it might be mostly property hunting....
Q4. What is the first thing you want to do after the self-restraint is over?
I'm not going to play with friends online, but offline, without a mask, and I'm going to play hard! I am a member of the "I'm a member of the community"!
Q5. Do you have anything you would like to say here?
I don't know when it will dawn yet, but a good future will surely come, so let's get ready for it! Don't waste time being negative! Be positive at all costs!
Shunsuke Ishikawa / MARKAWARE Designer
Born in 1969, he launched Marker in 2003 and Marker Wear in 2009, and in 2019 he will launch a more sustainably-rooted brand, Texto.@shunsukeishikaw
Q1. How do you spend your days staying at home?
The world has changed so dramatically , I'm thinking about the new world like crazy. I am trying to adjust my mindset to it. I am stressed because I can no longer do things that were so important to my lifestyle in the past, but I am focused on looking forward. . However, I am having a hard time thinking about the next collection, and I am wondering what to do about it.
Q2. What are some ways you enjoy or relieve stress during your self-restraint?
Although I am in the midst of self-restraint, I have been so busy that I haven't been able to do much, but I dare say it's reading. I have been binge reading books that I haven't read, books that have accumulated in my KINDLE, and books that I have read in the past but want to read again. It's not so much to relieve stress, but to keep my brain active. When I get settled down, I plan to go to a bonfire by myself to cool down my brain, which has been activated.
Q3. Do you recommend any movies or books for home time?
It's a time of drastic change + the timing is right for you to take the time to read it, so if you haven't already, please do so.The Complete History of Sapience." by all means. And, please don't forget to check out the "A Complete History of Philosophy and ReligionI think it would be good to have a general overview of the history of ideas in . From there, I think it would be a good idea to cut out what interests you and read various books.
Q4. What is the first thing you want to do after the self-restraint is over?
. a trip to look for raw materials, because during April I was supposed to go to Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, then Egypt and Mongolia, but it's gone. I promised Argentina and Peru "in October! I have promised Argentina and Peru.... . Also, I would like to go to eat delicious sushi. But I wonder when the world will return to a place where such things can be done normally.... I think it would be better not to think about it too much.
Q5. Do you have anything you would like to say here?
One of the goals I set at the beginning of this year was to increase the number of followers on Instagram. It is an important tool that allows us to communicate directly with our users, and we are doing a variety of things with it.@shunsukeishikawPlease follow up on the following Politically, Japan is a country of domestic demand, so we need to abolish the consumption tax and distribute cash to increase domestic demand! I believe that if we don't do it now, even if it means leaving the country in debt through government bonds, it will be even worse in the future.
Did you have any good ideas or insights?
I am sure you are anxious and frustrated because you have never experienced anything like this before. Each of you may be in a different position and have different feelings. But now is the time for all of us to be patient, to STAY HOME & STAY SAFE, and to STAY FUN as much as possible, and we will get through it.
