When I did an interview with BUTT magazine about seven years ago, the editor in chief said something like this: “It’s becoming ordinary to be gay in Europe and getting boring.” I was so inspired and sympathized to what he said. Because I feel more comfortable being in an underground scene and have thought that art should be described with words like underground, cutting-edge and innovative.
In the past two years, I have lived a dual life as full-time worker and full-time student. i.e. I have been too busy doing these at the same time! I just submitted my master dissertation and am graduating this March. Through attending as many lectures as possible, contributing to classes, writing the dissertation, I could have precious experiences like meeting good friends, professors and books.
I haven’t come out to my family, so I haven’t got (a coming out) story to tell.
There’s gay scene but not gay community in Tokyo, I guess. The gay scene is in Shinjuku, bars, clubs and gay magazine offices are gathered now and then. But with rising internet sites and applications to meet people, the centeredness of Shinjuku is getting weaker. Maybe the reason that I feel that way is I was once in the scene djing at the club and the editor for the gay magazine, but not now.
(Advice I’d give my younger self) Be yourself, borrowing from DJ Danny Tenaglia’s track.”