Revivification of life with Hi-Bye’s “Rebirth”

Fai-Fai’s eight years saw significant changes

– As for Fai-Fai, how has it changed over eight years? It’s been eight years since 2015’s Rebirth. Some members moved out of Tokyo and live in other parts of the country.

Fujitani: Things have changed. Yes, it has.

Sasaki: I remember Rino (Rino Daidoji) went to Italy right after “Regeneration”. Yamazaki (Kouji Yamazaki) also moved back and forth to Shizuoka, and the shared house we were all living in was dissolved.

Sasaki: I also thought that my previous production style would continue forever, but around 2018 I started to think that I wanted to take more time off. I thought that in order for me to be happier, I should take some time off from work, so I went back to Kagoshima. I have to think about the balance of money and other things, but I’m also going to die anyway.

Fujitani: In Fai-Fai, Fumi and Yamazaki were called “wind people,” and everyone looked at them with dazzled eyes as people who made a quick decision to leave Tokyo before Corona started (laughs).

Sasaki: We wanted to shift to doing what we wanted to do, rather than being invited by someone else to create a work. It was more efficient to move a little slower than to move too fast. Seriously, we thought, “If it moves too fast, it will go faster.

Fujitani: If you hurry, you can turn!　I will keep that word in my heart. From the beginning, “Fai-Fai” was a group that valued life. We did not go out for a drink after rehearsal, we went home right away. I personally respect that, and I think that Fai-Fai is a group of people who do not devalue the happiness of their lives for the sake of their activities. I have the impression that “you are all as good as you think you are” as I get older.

Sasaki: Until “Louie Louie” in 2019, it was me working grubbily for now, but at this time I wanted to set a landing point and create something beautiful. The concept was something like “I’m going to deal with loneliness,” but I got the impression that it was a beautiful state, and I was able to let go of the grueling work and think about the balance between planning and landing to get there. Of course there are lots of failures. That may be the change in the past eight years.

– How about you, Fujitani?

Fujitani: I think things have changed since I started working with various artists around 2015. I became more conscious of the fact that my work is possible without costumes, and I became freer. That means it became easier to find what to do with the costumes, but it also allowed me to be more spontaneous.

Fujitani: But as Fumi said earlier, “I’m going to die anyway.” As I get older, my death is getting closer, so I want to be more carefree. In other words, my ability to have fun has increased.

Sasaki: Working with Mr. Iwai, I am also relaxed. You seem to enjoy working with Mr. Iwai, but I don’t think he is the type of person who can work with anyone. But I am relieved by that. I’m not the type of person who can get along with a lot of people dexterously. I feel close to you.

Fujitani: I understand.