A circle of friends connected by goof-touch! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.
On June 5, photographer Tsubasa flyaway, who also works on music videos from street snaps, will appear. His street snapshots started on TikTok in January of this year, and his first post received a whopping 6 million views. He told us about the appeal of street snapshots, including the “nice to meet you” relationship.
INDEX
With two of the program’s MCs, actually taking street snaps
Celeina (MC): The first person of the week is recommended by the program, photographer Tsubasa flyaway, who works on everything from street snapshots to music videos. Please give him a hand.
Tsubasa: Pleased to meet you!
Takano (MC): Actually, I am a follower on Instagram. I knew about you originally.
Celeina: You have about 200,000 followers on Instagram as well, and you started TikTok, or did you start photography on social networking sites in January this year?
Tsubasa: I started TikTok in January of this year.
Takano: I think it’s a bit of a climb up the eel ladder. We just had our street snapshots taken at Roppongi Hills. I was very nervous (laughs).
Celeina: It was really just a short time.
Tsubasa: Yes, we can finish the street snap in about 5 minutes already.
Takano: What a model you are, Celeina.
Celeina: Wait a minute, please don’t do that (laughs). If you are shy when being photographed, it’s the end of you. It’s embarrassing (laughs).
How did you get started with street snapshots?
Celeina: You are currently active as a videographer and photographer, but you originally wanted to be a dancer.
Tsubasa: That’s right. I have been dancing since I was a child, and I have never wanted to be a photographer.
Celeina: I see: I see. What made you decide to become a photographer?
Tsubasa: I hitchhiked across the country from Los Angeles to New York for about two months, and that’s when I started shooting for the first time with a GoPro or something. I started taking pictures for the first time with a GoPro or something like that, and I thought it would be fun to express myself with a camera.
Celeina: I started from the vlogging part.
Tsubasa: Yes, we started with the video in a Vlog-like way.
Takano: You also talk to people from overseas in English in your street snapshots.
Celeina: I wanted to ask you about one thing. If I don’t get much of a response after that, I will try to speak to them in English. I was really impressed by your attitude.
Tsubasa: Oh, really?
Celeina: Is that done on purpose?
Tsubasa: Yes, it is. I honestly don’t know. You never know if the person you are talking to can speak English. So, as long as I am in Japan, I try to speak to people in Japanese. People who speak English will respond in English, and people who speak Japanese will respond in Japanese.
Takano: Every video starts with me talking to them. I am really serious about that.
Tsubasa: Yes, we are very serious. I just talk to people I like.
My first street snapshot video received 6 million views.
Takano: By the way, Tsubasa-san, do you remember your very first street snapshot?
Tsubasa: The first one was taken in Asakusa. It was of an old man.
Takano: I saw him! I saw him!
Tsubasa: Basically, I always give you a photo on SNS after I take it, saying “Thank you for the work done,” but I thought, as expected, grandpa isn’t on SNS (laughs).
Takano: No, that’s right (laughs).
Tsubasa: Tsubasa: But the pictures were good, so I wanted to give them to him, but the video got about 6 million views.
Takano: The first video already had 6 million views. I didn’t know that was possible.
Tsubasa: Then, the video reached my grandchildren. And his grandson contacted me and said, “Your photos are wonderful. Please give me this picture.” I was able to give it directly to the grandfather.
Takano: That’s amazing. It’s a miracle story.
Celeina: It was a wonderful video.
Takano: It’s different from the photos of models and artists, isn’t it? It’s about people you actually meet on the street. Is it interesting or difficult?
Tsubasa: It was interesting to see what kind of people I would meet today. For example, I could meet and talk with an old lady who is about 90 years old. But in reality, you don’t have that kind of opportunity.
Takano: Yes, that is true.
Tsubasa: I think it’s interesting that we have the time to talk with her, when normally we just pass by each other and that’s it.
Celeina: When you take a picture with someone you’ve just met, it’s not private, but you can see a lot of things. So it’s amazing to have that instantaneous ability to meet someone on the spot and go to that depth in an instant.
Takano: I think it’s your personality. When I was watching the video, I felt that Tsubasa-san was very kind and considerate when he called out to them.
Celeina: What made you start doing street snapshots like that?
Tsubasa: I was influenced by a movie called “Suzume no tojikomari” directed by Makoto Shinkai. In the story, the main character travels all over Japan to prevent unprecedented disasters, and the people he meets there are actually the people who suffer from disasters. I was very moved by the depiction of the powerful, yet fragile, lives of these people. I wanted to express this kind of everyday life, so I started taking street snapshots.
Takano: On street corners. It’s like everyone living their daily lives is the main character.
Celeina: I see.
Takano: I see: Now, I asked Tsubasa-san to choose a song for us.
Tsubasa: Yes: Yes, it is “FAKE TOKYO” by iamSHUM & O-MENZ.
Takano: What was the reason for the song choice?
Tsubasa: Actually, I made the music video for this song myself. I made the music video for this song and it left a great impression on me, so I chose this song.
The difference between fashion snapshots and street snapshots
Takano: Ms. Tsubasa, you took our picture today. How did you feel about it? What did you think?
Tsubasa: Both of you are very good photographers because you are both in the public eye. Many people who usually take street snapshots are not used to being photographed.
Takano: Really?
Tsubasa: Yes, they are very good at it.
Takano: I was so scared (laughs).
Tsubasa: You were very nervous (laughs).
Takano: That’s right. I didn’t know which way to turn. I have opportunities to have my picture taken during interviews, but I never get used to it. I was staring at the moment you were being photographed.
Celeina: Street snapshots and fashion photos are two different things. So, in a sense, I am a beginner at street snapshots. So I was worried about whether what you wanted and what I was trying to do were the same.
Tsubasa: On that note, there are times when I happen to meet a model through street snapshots. But they already know what they want to do, and they think that is their color. On the other hand, those who are not used to being photographed are not used to being photographed, and I think that is their color.
Takano: I see. I have never been aware of the difference between fashion snapshots and street snapshots. Fashion snapshots have a clear purpose, such as showing various products. On the other hand, street snapshots are about the people themselves.
Celeina: Wait a minute, I want to start over. I feel like it’s different.
Takano: No (laughs).
Celeina: Now, “FIST BUMP,” we are asking you to introduce your friends to the circle of friends that you connect with Gutta Touch.
Tsubasa: It’s an artist, iamSHUM.
Celeina: I just played it for you! You just played “FAKE TOKYO”. FAKE TOKYO”. In a word, what kind of person is he?
Tsubasa: He is like an “Akaranger” (laughs).
Takano: (laughs) Like a hero.
Tsubasa: A sense of being the hero. We have a friend in common, and we talk all the time. I always talk to him, and he always seems to be an “Akaranger” from the bottom up.
Takano: He is neither blue nor yellow.
Tsubasa: If I were you, I would be called a midranger.
Takano: I see (laughs). That’s an interesting way of looking at it. Thank you very much. Tomorrow we will connect with artist iamSHUM, thank you very much, Tsubasa flyaway.
Tsubasa: Thank you very much.
GRAND MARQUEE
J-WAVE (81.3FM) Mon-Thu 16:00 – 18:50
Navigator: Shinya Takano, Celeina Ann
