A circle of friends connected by gootouchi! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.
On July 13, Masahiro Kadokawa, who is the owner of Wimjical in Koenji and also works with the “Curry Mason” brand apparel, was introduced as a hairdresser and sink Curry Jockey, a hair stylist and a flushing curry shop owner, appeared on the stage. We asked him about the reason why he started his business, and about his crowdfunding project, Curry Paste to Save the Earth.
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Origin of CJ and Curry Jockey
Takano (MC): The T-shirt and cap are cute. Are they original?
Curry Jockey (CJ): They are original and all silk-screened.
Takano: The Curry Jockey logo.
Celeina (MC): It’s very nice.
CJ: Thank you very much.
Celeina: This week, we’ve been connected to curry since Tuesday. What kind of curry do you serve, Curry Jockey?
CJ: I serve a different curry for each event. I travel on business, so I make a curry that matches the concept of the event, or if it’s a regional event, I use local specialties or vegetables from that area.
Takano: It’s really like DJing. I try to match it to the floor and to the people.
CJ: That’s right.
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Using curry, your specialty, as a medium.
Takano: What is your originality, or what is it about curry that you are concerned about?
CJ: I wanted to make it look organic. I wanted to use curry as a platform to communicate the fact that it is additive-free and chemical-free in a pop-up message, or to talk directly to visitors about the good vegetables used in the curry.
Takano: Right, like a media.
CJ: Yes, that’s right. I would like to use curry to do media.
Celeina: I see. And your name is CJ, Curry Jockey. It’s an impressive name, but how long have you been using it?
CJ: About three years ago, during the first emergency declaration, I had too much free time and started making curry. I am also a hairdresser, and I thought that being a curry jockey and a cut jockey are both C’s. I wanted to do something I couldn’t do as a hairdresser.
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What I couldn’t do as a hairdresser, I can do at a curry shop.
Takano: So hairdressers have freelance work too?
CJ: Yes, they do. It’s a style of work called “rent-a-cafe,” and when I receive an appointment, I go to work, cut or color the hair, and when the client is finished, I come back the next time.
Celeina: Which do you do more, hairdressing or working at a curry shop?
CJ: Lately, I’ve been working more at the curry shop. It’s changing.
Celeina: For example, as a hairdresser, do you make curry while you are cutting hair or waiting for coloring, or do you have some kind of set up?
CJ: I’ve done that a few times, but it’s still not very hygienic (laughs).
Takano: It’s better to separate them (laughs).
CJ: But if we sell out of curry, we can do haircuts (laughs).
Takano: So you are a traveling curry shop. I thought that concept was kind of interesting, but what was the concept behind this?
CJ: Just about three years ago, rented curry shops were all the rage. I once ran one myself, but after the first three months or so, people I knew started coming, but then they stopped coming at all. I felt as if I had started curry when there were no customers in the first place. After that, I started going to a lot of events, and the events became more enjoyable, so I stopped renting a room.
Takano: So you go to places where there are customers to begin with.
CJ: Yes, that’s what I thought at first, and it became my style.
Takano: Hairdressers usually wait at the store. It is interesting to see the opposite.
CJ: Yes, it is. Since I was a hairdresser, I have always wanted to be active, so I have come to feel that I can curry with people by going out and having a conversation with them.
Celeina: Did you always like curry?
CJ: I really liked eating it, and I ate curry all over Tokyo.
Celeina: And then you started making curry.
CJ: Yes, I started making curry about 3 years ago when I was on standby at home.
Celeina: I heard that you will have a chance to eat curry from Curry Jockey in the near future.
CJ: There will be an event in Nakameguro on the 17th of this month (already finished). It is an event called “Wakuwaku Toushi-Land” (Land of Exciting Experiences).
Takano: What kind of event is this?
CJ: It’s an event where you can experience various things you’ve never done before. Manga artist Hiroyuki Ohashi will teach portrait drawing, for example.
Takano: A workshop?
CJ: Yes, in the form of workshops. Ikebana, or a salesman teaching sales techniques, etc.
Celeina: Oh, that’s Yohei Takayama, the chairman of Okuribanto! He is the chairman of Okuribunt. He appeared in this corner.
Takano: Also, Mr. Negra from Delusional Indian Curry was on the show before.
CJ: I am also a big supporter. In terms of business trip curry, he is a big senior.
Takano: We are connected, aren’t we? What kind of curry are you planning to serve?
CJ: I think there will be a lot of alcohol, so I’m planning to serve a curry that is like a snack. I’m thinking of serving things like sabzi, poriyal, achar, and so on.
Celeina: I don’t know (laughs).
Takano: I can just barely understand achar.
CJ: Achar is like spices in oil. Sabbagh is the process of boiling the potatoes after frying them. Like frying potatoes until they are crispy after they have been cooked to a crisp. I think I will bring snack-like items like that.
Celeina: Sounds delicious! If you are interested, you can check out Curry Jockey’s social networking site.
CJ: Please do.
Celeina: So we asked Mr. Jockey to pick a song that we would all like to hear together on the radio at this time…what song would it be?
CJ: It’s a song called “SEMI” by T.V. NOT JANUARY, who is also an artist who will appear on “Waku Waku Experience Land”.
Celeina: What kind of song is it?
CJ: I think it is perfect for the beginning of summer. It’s nostalgic, a bit folky, and full of humanity.
Celeina: I like it. Let’s listen to it together.
Takano: Good summery song!
CJ: I’m looking forward to hearing it live.
