Q. When you were a kid, what did you want to be?
When I was a kid, I was always sick so I really just wanted to be healthy. I wanted to just be a normal kid, were I could muck around like any other kid. My Grandpa always made things, so I wanted to become like my Grandpa.
Q. Early bird or night owl?
Maybe I am a night owl… I usually start my day from 9am and finish work around midnight, I need to work those hours or else I won’t be able to complete my projects. Although when I am busy, I need to start from 6am and work through till 3am the next morning. I feel that I can make better decisions and feel more inspired in the morning. Working at night results in something like when writing a love letter to my girlfriend. The following morning, when I read over it my reactions like, “Wow, did I really write this, how embarrassing?” That tripped out feeling.
Q. What are you listening to?
Currently, I’m listening to Tommy Guerrero. I only knew Tommy Guerrero as a skateboarder, so it was a surprise to me when I found his flyer on the street promoting his live music performance at Yoyogi Park. I was hooked after listening to his performance.
Q. What is the most prized possession in your space?
I would say my tools. Especially the tools that I’ve customized because it is irreplaceable. It really made me think after the tsunami and earthquake hit Japan and I thought, it wouldn’t matter if I lost everything as long as I had my tools and my unfinished sculptures.
Q. What inspires you?
My ideas are usually drawn from the inspirations I’ve developed when I was a kid. For example, I thought Ultraman was so cool as a kid and even till this day I think he’s cool. I’ve also grown to love skateboarding as a kid and it’s something I still love doing.
Q. How do you approach designing a new project?
I’m always conversing with Deluxe Company and Keith (HUF) Hufnagel. Keith contacts me when there’s a project and we discuss our ideas. For example, I imposed the idea to Nike of using a bunch of boards that have been ridden by professional skateboarders such as Eric Koston, Paul Rodriguez, Lewis Marnell, Brian Anderson, Stefan Janoski. This has lead to my creation of the ‘Nike Dunk’.
Thank you Haroshi!
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