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Stronger Than Pride

Beyond Language: Shuhei Kato and Tomoki Kuwajima’s Journey into Deeper Communication

2024.9.27

#MUSIC

Kicking off this series where Kato delves into exploring “himself,” the first guest is photographer Tomoki Kuwajima. Their conversation unfolded in a laid-back, friendly atmosphere, marked by a subtle exchange of perspectives and an easygoing humor.

Join us for this intimate and thoughtful dialogue, which spans a full hour and 45 minutes.

The Struggle to Close the Distance Between Two

Could you share how you both first met?

Kuwajima: It was around 2016. Stylist Hiroaki Iriyama was working on a project to create a ZINE, where stylists would style band members. I got invited by stylist Masayo Morikawa. It turned out the band was NOT WONK.

Kato: We went to a studio in Roppongi, and they had us dressed in these incredibly expensive, shaggy outfits.

Kuwajima: The shaggy clothes were shedding so much lint that I was worried if it was even alright, [laughs].

Kato: That was our first meeting. Then, there was a release event for Iriyama’s ZINE at Shibuya WWW, and Kuwashima came to see it.

Kuwajima: I listened to the album they had at the time and thought, “Wow, they’re really cool,” so I went to check it out. Then I went to their live show at Liquidroom in Ebisu. That’s where I heard “Down the Valley.” It starts with that driving four-on-the-floor beat, right? I really love four-on-the-floor, so I thought, “What is this? This is so cool!” [laughs]. After that, I wanted to take photos, so I joined them on their tour.

Kato: You came to all the shows in Sapporo, Osaka, Kokura, Fukuoka, and Tokyo.

Kuwajima: The first one was at Bessie Hall in Sapporo. I felt a bit bad going as a photographer when Sato, who has been taking photos of NOT WONK for a long time, was also there. I hadn’t really taken a lot of live photos myself, but I was excited to be in the front and capture them since I love it.

Tomoki Kuwajima
Commercial photographer and artist. Born in Okayama Prefecture in 1978. Graduated from Musashino Art University in 2002 and studied under Kentaro Kamada. Became independent in 2004 and established QWAGATA Co., Ltd. in 2010.

Do you have any memorable experiences from that tour?

Kato: At that time, we hardly spoke; we were in the same green room, but that was about it.

Kuwajima: I was hesitant to approach you before the performance. I wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate. I didn’t even know how to select the photos; I was thinking it might be better if your face was visible, you know? [laughs] Then, during the “YOUR NAME” event we did at ELLCUBE in Tomakomai, I put together a fan zine featuring the photos I had taken up to that point.

Photos of NOT WONK’s live performance taken by Kuwajima during that time

Your relationship started when you joined the tour to take photos, but you seem quite reserved for someone who reached out to sell yourself.

Kuwajima: I tend to be a bit shy. Everyone was younger than me, and I wondered if my actions were okay [laughs].

Kato: I always thought of Kuwajima as someone who was born and raised in Tokyo and really sharp. We chat on LINE, but when we meet in person, we don’t talk much. I mentioned to the members that since he’s always coming to our shows, it feels wrong not to treat him to a meal, but I wondered if he even eats at izakayas [laughs].

Kuwajima: That’s how I’m perceived.

Kato: I mean, he probably doesn’t eat things like French fries, right? [laughs].

Shuhei Kato
Member of NOT WONK and SADFRANK. Born in 1994 in Tomakomai City, where he currently resides as a musician. He formed the rock band NOT WONK while still in high school in 2010. Since 2015, he has released a total of four albums with KiliKiliVilla and Avex Entertainment. In addition, he released an album in 2022 under his solo project, SADFRANK. Kato has also taken on art direction for many of his works.

Kuwajima: But I understand that there’s a bias at play. I want to bridge the gap, but I worry about my own sharp edges hurting the other person.

Kato: So after our live performance at FANDANGO in Osaka’s Juuso, I boldly asked, “If you’re up for it, how about grabbing dinner today?”

Kuwajima: I was like, “Yes!” [laughs].

Kato: We went to a sushi izakaya. It was the kind of place where sushi is served on wooden geta, but since there were four of us, some would definitely be left over. So we decided to have a rock-paper-scissors game to see who would get to eat the sushi.

Thanks to that sushi rec, we quickly became closer. Plus, Kuwajima is really bad at rock-paper-scissors, so instead of treating him, we ended up eating all the sushi ourselves [laughs].

Kuwajima: But if I won and was eating a lot of tuna and salmon roe, that would be super awkward, right? So every time I lost, I thought, “Thank goodness!” [laughs].

That’s quite humble of you.

Kato: A very humble beginning! [laughs].

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