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Similarities Between Yoga Philosophy and CHAI
In October, you held the “Kenko Beam Fest” at Loft9 Shibuya. How do you envision delivering “health” and “music” to your audience?
KANA: This event was something we started with Satsuki, who helped with voice maintenance during CHAI, and Masae Kobayashi, who has published a book on mugwort steaming. We wanted to share the message that “health can start with simple things” and that “it can be fun and doesn’t have to be something you struggle with.” On that day, we held a talk event, performed our music, and had a breathing workshop with Satsuki, as well as a chance for people to experience warming activities. We started it like that, but we want to gradually turn it into a full festival.
It seems like there’s a way to deliver health through entertainment, something that only MANAKANA could create.
KANA: I’ve personally struggled with lifestyle diseases and allergies throughout my life. About three years ago, I became interested in Eastern medicine and natural therapies, and as I started trying different things, I came across yoga, mugwort steaming, and qigong. I found it so enjoyable. When people tell me to “get healthy,” it feels a bit intrusive to me (laughs). It can even feel like being scolded. So, I want to approach it in a way that’s easy for everyone to get into.
We held this as the “0th” edition, but eventually, I’d like to make it a festival that combines music, food, and care for the body and mind, a place everyone, young and old, can come to. Right now, there’s so much information out there that it’s hard to know what’s really going to make you healthy or what’s correct. So, we want to create a market-like space where people can find what works for them, something they might think, “Maybe this is what I need.”
In your comment about hosting the “Kenko Beam Fest,” you mentioned, “I wonder if raising our health level even a little could be a way to give back to the Earth’s environment.” Could you share the thoughts and feelings behind that?
KANA: It’s hard to put into words, but everything is connected for me. I believe that the soul and body are separate. The body, when it dies, returns to the earth, and I want it to return in a pure state. Even when I play a flute made of wood, I feel a sense of “returning to nature.” I have this feeling that the universe and Earth are all connected as one energy. So, if I become healthy, the Earth becomes healthy, and life becomes easier for everyone. Since I became fond of yoga philosophy, I’ve started to feel that we’re moved by invisible forces. There are similarities between yoga philosophy and CHAI’s message. “If you don’t love yourself first, you can’t do anything” and “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t love others” resonate with me.
MANA: CHAI said that in a pop way.
KANA, you post your bedhead on Instagram Stories every morning. What’s the thought behind continuing to do this every day? I feel like it’s a counterpoint to the curated photos everyone posts on Instagram, and in a way, it’s a step ahead of the times.
KANA: I’m glad you think that [laughs]. It all started because my bedhead is so wild, and my husband suggested, “Why not post it every day?” Since it’s easy to fix with a comb or my hands, I take a quick photo right after I wake up [laughs].
MANA: So cute!
KANA: I started Instagram about a year and a half ago, but I’m not good at self-promotion, so I thought I needed something I could post every day to keep it updated [laughs].
I find myself healed by that every day. MANA, you’ve been working on your character “Omotchii” and took part in an exhibition in November. How do the moments spent drawing compare to your time immersed in music?
MANA: When I’m drawing, it feels similar to crafting melodies or lyrics in music. Creating sound flows naturally from my body, but with lyrics and melodies, I approach them more thoughtfully and with more focus. Drawing feels more like that careful process. It’s the same when I’m working on melodies—I’m always “in the middle” of it, learning and searching for the best elements while I create.
It sounds like the process of illustration also involves endless trial and error. How do you envision developing “Omotchii” in the future?
MANA： I hope “Omotchii” evolves at its own pace. Our main focus is healing music, and “Omotchii” exists as a branch that diverges from that. My hope is to bring that healing through it as well.
