Although the phrase "shocking collaboration" is often touted as a "shocking collaboration," [Joon]...New Era®.. It will be difficult to find a more powerful impact in the future than the tag-team of "Taro Okamoto" and "Taro Okamoto".
On the occasion of the launch of this monumental collaboration, a special event was held . The talk show featured Akioomi Hirano, director of the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum of Art, reggae musician Red Spider, and Motoyoshi Kamiki, editor-in-chief of "The New Era® Book" . Here is a report on the event.
Left: Reggae artist RED SPIDER
Middle: Motoyoshi Kamiki, Editor-in-Chief, The New Era Book
Right: Akeomi Hirano, Director of Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum
Before this collaboration, did you know about "New Era"?
Akeomi Hirano: No, I didn't know anything about it (laughs). But when I heard about it, I thought it would be interesting. I receive various inquiries about collaborating with Taro, but my batting average is not that high. The reason is that I usually don't know why they want to collaborate with Taro or why they want to collaborate with Taro. But when I was approached by New Era, I could tell that they loved Taro and had a lot of affection for him.
Mr. Ueki, please tell us about the New Era brand.
Ueki: New Era is always trying to do something new, and it has captured the hearts of young people. When I heard what you just said, Mr. Hirano, I see what you mean.
Mr. Hirano, what are your honest impressions of the collaboration items?
Hirano: I think it's good. What is good is that they are not reserved. Everyone is reserved at first. They are like, "Is it okay to trim? I thought it was wrong. Taro is not something to be displayed on the altar. I want to inspire the young people who will create the next generation, so I want them to play with it more. But it's hard to break that spell. The people at New Era did it freely. I think that's why we were able to achieve such a drastic quality.
Taro Okamoto is probably an artist with an intimidating image, isn't he?
Red Spider：That's a scary image, isn't it? I thought I would get angry (laughs). If anything, I was wondering if I would be scolded today as well (laughs).
How do you like the items, Red Spider?
Red Spider: I would very much like a Kintetsu cap. The design of the Kintetsu Buffaloes is also the work of Taro Okamoto . . I had an image that Taro Okamoto was from Osaka.
Hirano: Actually, I think it was only the Osaka Expo, and I don't think we had that many contacts with Osaka.
Ueki: I remember the Osaka Expo , I just thought it was amazing.
Hirano: I don't think the people who are viewing the Expo today are familiar with the Osaka Expo, but it was amazing. A fantasy world that had nothing to do with everyday life appeared before my eyes. It was the biggest and best event of my life.
Ueki: This was probably the most exciting time in my life in Japan. The symbol of that time is the Tower of the Sun , so it is symbolic. I heard that half of the Japanese population went to the Expo. Is Taro still loved in Osaka?
Red Spider：The Tower of the Sun is something that we take for granted. I would like to do a live concert in front of the tower someday.
What do you think of the image of "New Era" in recent years?
Ueki: I think the high quality of the brand has spread more widely than I had imagined. There are people whose fathers were B-Boys and had New Era in their homes since they were small children, and I think the culture is being passed on to the next generation through hats. I met Masuda Okada's daughter, and she told me that she grew up being told that New Era is a hat within a hat.
Red Spider: When I went to Oita Prefecture, I was once laughed at for why I had a sticker on my hat. Why do you have that on your hat?
Ueki: I heard that this comes from hip-hop culture. . One theory is that it is to show off that I have enough money to buy a new one.
Hirano: New Era's technical skill is high by anyone's standards. But isn't the shape universal? Why is it so popular?
Ueki: The materials and design have not changed for almost 60 years. . Perhaps it means that it is as close to a finished product as possible.
Hirano: A collaboration between a universal platform and a new sensibility. It is the same with Red Spider's music, isn't it? I met him for the first time, but I feel a breath of the present that is different from traditional reggae. He is putting his current thoughts on the most important core of reggae. I think he is trying to decide what should be changed and what should not be changed.
Red Spider: We are doing new things, but there are also things that we have to protect. . it's hard to convey that in words. When I went to Jamaica, I found some offensive lyrics. I thought, "Oh, anything is possible. . things that shouldn't be changed, like not making fun of your friends and family. . Even when it comes to music, there are things that I should do. It's hard to explain in words, but I convey all these thoughts in my live performances. Please come (laughs).
Hirano: A live concert, if it is a big one, has a number of crew members and band members.... . It is common for such a large group of people to make the audience enthusiastic. However, in his live performances, he is the only one who makes the audience go crazy. There is no big stage set, but the audience goes wild. He does not control the space with something visible, like the Stones' stage set. . something invisible. That rhythm. It was closer to a primitive festival, or Indonesian kecak, or an African festival. More to the point, I thought it was witchcraft. Sorcery communicates with the unseen. So I thought he was a sorcerer (laughs). I wondered how he could do such a thing. I wondered if he was not afraid.
Red Spider：When I realized that the audience had grown to 10,000 or 20,000 people, I thought it would be scary if the number of people had been that large from the beginning. I think it would have been scary if it had been that size from the beginning, but . I don't really think about it. I just hope that what I'm doing will make people think, "I'm going to work hard tomorrow," or something like that. I even scold children who lie to their mothers and borrow money to come to the show (laughs). (Laughs.) If they stop coming after that, I don't care if they stop coming. That has always been my attitude. Basically, I try to be myself. I don't want to say, "This is my second hometown," even in the countryside (laughs).
Hirano: What did Taro Okamoto do? When asked, Zubaku: "A person who tried to convey the devotion of Jomon to the people. The first thing Taro did when he came back from Paris was to go to Kyoto and Nara . He thought he didn't know anything about Japan, so he went around to see Buddhist temples and other places in search of something Japanese. But I thought, "This is China!" . (laughs). . Later, as I traveled around Japan, I came across the Jomon. I thought that the Jomon people, who lived in harmony with nature, were the essence of Japanese culture. The Jomon loved and feared nature. . That is an invisible, so to speak, magical feeling. Taro said that in the Yayoi period, with the beginning of agriculture, humans became cogs in the wheel. He is saying that we lost the freedom and dignity that we had when we were hunters. I think that is the same thing about reggae, don't you?
Red Spider：Yes. I saw Taro say "don't fit into a mold" somewhere, and I thought that was a good idea. When you are doing music, you tend to try to fit into a mold, but if you don't, you know it from experience. But I know from experience that this is not the case. I try to remember that it is a good word.
Are there any new collaborations you are looking forward to?
Red Spider: I hope there will be a Red Spider x Taro Okamoto (laughs).
What would Taro Okamoto think if he actually saw this collaboration?
Hirano: I think you would say, "Hmmm" (laughs).
Will you wear it?
Hirano: Of course, I think it will be covered!
Ueki: The New Era book, which will come out on Thursday, March 16, will feature rare photos of Taro, who loved baseball. I hope that "New Era" will continue to go ahead with the project. And since the 100th anniversary is coming up, I think it's valuable to be able to witness the brand's 100-year milestone.
Red Spider: I know from TV that there is a face in the basement of the Tower of the Sun , and I would like to see it.
Hirano: It will open as a museum next year, and we will recreate the fourth face to show you (laughs).
Red Spider: I am looking forward to it!
www.neweracap.jp/pickup/2017/taro_okamoto
Below you will find a selection of the collaboration items. The color variations arethis way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)From.
59FIFTY ¥5,800+TAX
Pom-Pon Knit ¥4,600+TAX
Bucket-01 ￥4,800+TAX
Daypack ￥10,000+TAX
Each item freely and boldly incorporates Taro Okamoto's artwork, giving it a unique presence. A special collection that will undoubtedly never be available again. . It should be seen not only by fans, but by all art lovers.
Text_Taiyo Nagashima
New Era
Phone: 03-5773-6733
www.neweracap.jp
