Shuhei Kato’s Work with NOT WONK and SADFRANK Embodies a Core Belief: ‘Never Leave Your Value in Someone Else’s Hands.’ His Connection to Punk and His View of ‘Alternative’ as a ‘Path of Life’ Rather Than Just a Genre Reflect His Quest for Unity in a Modern World Where Lives Are Monetized and Existence Is Reduced to Numbers. At the 2019 ‘YOUR NAME’ Event in Tomakomai, Kato Advocated for Trust and Autonomy Through the Simple Act of Calling Each Other’s Names, Seeking to Affirm Individual Existence. In 2023, With SADFRANK’s Release of ‘gel,’ He Reflected on the Question ‘What Is Existence?’ by Turning It Inward, Continuing His Journey Through Music While Seeking Self-Definition. Kato’s Creative Drive Is Fueled by Confronting Forces That Aim to Erase Individual Existence and Inspiring a Continuous Struggle for Life.
The New Festival He Founded, ‘FAHDAY 2024,’ Serves as a New Gathering Place Under the Theme of ‘Expression Exchange.’
Kato’s Extended Stay in Tomakomai During the COVID-19 Pandemic Helped Him Recognize the Overlooked Daily Lives of People. He Came to See These Lives as Vital Assertions of Individual Existence and the Culture That Continues to Evolve. This Interview Delves Into the Spirit of ‘FAHDAY 2024,’ a Festival Aimed at Connecting People and Creating a Larger Circle Through Human Interaction, Providing a Clear Insight Into Kato’s Unwavering View of Humanity and What We Should Focus On Now.
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NOT WONK/SADFRANK. Born in 1994 in Tomakomai and currently based there, Kato is a musician. He formed the rock band NOT WONK while still in high school in 2010. Since 2015, he has released four albums through KiliKiliVilla and Avex Entertainment. In addition, he released an album as a solo project, SADFRANK, in 2022. He is also responsible for art direction on many of his works.
