Authors: Alma and Tadema
Editors: Ben and Mari

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© miyavi, J-glam Inc.

The Interview

Tonight is your last performance in Europe. How are you feeling?

miyavi: Actually, I feel that it’s been long and short. We’ve been going around to so many countries, and it feels like my test at this moment. But it’s been pretty good. I feel much stronger.

This is quite an extensive tour. You have done a lot of traveling in many countries. How has the tour been so far?

miyavi: There have been so many accidents and troubles on and off stage. Not only for me, though my back members and staff are doing well so that’s why we were able to keep pushing.

What do you think about your upcoming shows?

miyavi: South America?

Yes.

miyavi: I’m so excited because it’s the second time for me to go to South America and also there are two more countries that I’ve never been in. I’m really looking forward to seeing my people in South America.

Don’t worry, miyavi! You’re halfway done!

You went to Tokyo ten years ago with almost nothing and being no one. Now, you’re known all over the world by so many people. You’re even the president of your own company. How do you think you’ve grown as a person and an artist?

miyavi: First of all, I appreciate everyone around me for supporting me and giving me a lot of power. Of course that includes my fans. But I’m not satisfied yet. You know, compared to myself ten years ago, I’ve got a lot of things, but there is still so much…I still have my dreams though. What I want to do is to just keep trying my best.

Did you expect to have so much success?

miyavi: Actually, I dreamed to be an artist and have a world tour like this, but mostly I had no time to expect, so I just always tried my best.

Your music seems to evolve as you move forward in your career. You started with Visual Kei as a young artist, then to dokusou (solo acoustic), and onwards with the KAVKI BOIZ. You have the gift of making every genre you step into sound fantastic. Where do you see your music heading next year?

miyavi: The music style in the Visual Kei industry is not what I’m interested in, actually. I’m not putting makeup on just for acting on stage. I’m just trying to be an original artist from Japan. That’s why last year I tried to mix up Japanese traditional culture, Kabuki and street music. Also adding people tap dancing, being in a Japanese drama, DJ or whatever. Then, after the last tour finished, I was trying to try to make some new stuff- adding and making new tracks. Yeah, so the theme of this tour and the album which is gonna be released next year is “Neo Tokyo Samurai Black”. It is more developed than Kabuki. It’s more modern, more neo, solid, stylish and simple. This tour could be the first tour through which people see my next vision. I have a lot of tracks now and it’s more focused on myself- what ‘miyavi’ is in this world. Last year I brought Kabuki Boiz ’cause I just wanted to make some entertaining shows as a Japanese artist. After the tour finished, I thought that I tried and I did well to start to spread my music to the world. I thought that I could entertain my people who came to my shows last time, but at the same time there’s so many people all over the world, you know? I was thinking that I didn’t have to try to be Japanese too much ’cause we are all the same- living in the same era on the same Earth. So I wanted to express my original feeling as a Japanese artist but I wanted to make it more modern and more solid. This time I wanted to make it more focused on myself, miyavi.

Going back a few years ago, “Kimi ni negai wo” was a very moving song. What was the inspiration behind it?

miyavi: Oh yeah, my actual experience that I had before? Okay…it’s not a true story, you know? It’s just music.

The international branch of your international fan club opened recently. How are you feeling about it so far?

miyavi: I’m really happy to be able to have an official fan club again and that now it’s for everyone all over the world. That’s the reason why after the last tour I thought, “we can unite.” ‘Cause we don’t have to think about where we were born or which language we speak- we can be one through music and it doesn’t matter. To make a place where we can all feel connected to one another is one of my dreams. Coming here, coming anywhere where my people are waiting is the first step to unite. Like tonight and last night we can feel and be connected. The second step is to make some place like a fan club or something else to feel connected to one another. I want my fans all over the world to feel, learn and see Japanese culture. I also want my Japanese fans to feel that there’s so many countries, so many different identities, different cultures and different senses all over the world.

Are you nervous or excited?

miyavi: Yeah of course I am, but I just want my people to know that it’s not just being my fan by joining my fan club, ’cause it is expensive. It was really hard to set up everything, actually, with all the different countries. I think it works now, but even so it was my first step to progress, to unite, so I’m just happy.

Is it going how you have hoped?

miyavi: I want my people to feel happy through my music. That’s the main reason. That’s all.

There have been many new things happening to you this year. For instance, you are now a father. One of our team members will be a father next year. What advice would you give to a father to be?

miyavi: The way I felt through the experience of birth was, “there’s nothing better than having a baby.” I think that’s the reason why we are living here. It was so hard…I had a hard time concentrating on my work, so I had to stay away from my baby. I couldn’t spend time with my baby before the tour started ’cause I had to do so many things- not only as an artist but also as CEO. It will be kinda hard to have a good balance between work and private. When you gain something, you lose something, so I chose to lose my time to have spent with my baby. At least I’m really happy. I think that’s the only advice I can give.

How do you think having your new family will affect your music?

miyavi: I don’t know. I mean, that’s another thing about families and babies…like lullabies, you know? I’m gonna scream because I’m miyavi, but I’m sure that that’s gonna affect me in some way. That’s why I wanted to share how I feel through these experiences with my people all over the world who are supporting me ’cause it’s really important for me. I didn’t want to hide anything from my fans. Hiding some private stuff from fans is really normal in the Japanese industry. There’s so many people around me that have had to do it- they couldn’t come out with anything. I didn’t want to choose that way ’cause I’m singing from my experiences from my entire life. That’s that’s why I decided to just quit my company and make my own company and everything.

A lot of your fans all over the world have tattoos commemorating your impact on their lives. How do you feel about them having tattoos with your name, lyrics or even your face on them?

miyavi: Oh really? Yeah, first I want to say sorry to their moms. But really, they believe that they are doing it on their responsibility, their own decision, right? So I respect that. What I can do is just be an artist who they can respect.

Have you seen any of these tattoos?

miyavi: Yeah yeah yeah. Yeah, sometimes I’ve seen some show me at my shows. This one man, he came to my show and he was in the very first front row and then he was taking his clothes off. I was like, “…what the fuck are you doing?”, but then he showed me his tattoo and he had the same tattoo as me! I thought, “OH! Are you sure?” Yeah, ’cause I was really happy and then I feel more responsible.

You have a lot of passionate, loving fans. What’s the best and/or craziest thing a fan has even done for you?

miyavi: I don’t know…they know their manners. Even if they find me at the station or hotel, they just come over to me and ask me for an autograph or something. Of course there are some of them who want to take a photo with me but I’m not allowed. When my staff tells them that I’m not allowed to take a photo with them, then they understand, shake hands, get an autograph and that’s all. That’s very nice, very polite, so I respect them. I don’t know…the craziest thing? Of course on stage they’re crazy. Sometimes they are taking their shirts off and showing their body. Its really neat though for my band members!

With all this traveling you’ve been doing, surely you’ve eaten all kinds of good food. What’s the best thing you’ve eaten so far?

miyavi: On this tour? Japanese food in France. I don’t think we’ve been having the local food so much. Japanese food in France is very good. Like this one restaurant, the one my friend is the owner of. It’s not typical Japanese food like sashimi or tempura- it’s more local Japanese. You know Nikujyaga (Editor’s Note: Japanese stewed meat and potato dish)? Korokke (Editor’s Note: Japanese croquette)? Yeah, it’s really Japanese local food.

Please, give a message to our readers.

miyavi: Your website, yeah? Thank you for your support. I’ve known about Masa Karasu as a big group which has helped me a lot. I’m really happy to feel that the people are supporting me, having fun and enjoying my music. In this era we can all be connected through the internet or whatever so that is why I’m trying to update my website, too.
Let’s unite.

That concludes our interview. Thank you very much for meeting with us!

Masa Karasu would like to thank miyavi for taking his time to answer our questions. And a special thanks to Matthias for making this interview possible.