COVERCHORD CULTURE

Leading creative personalities share their plans for the summer

What will you do this summer?
We asked leading creative personalities about their summer plans.

Obon is one of the three main holiday periods in Japan.

Up and down the country, shops and businesses close up for a few days in mid-August to commemorate deceased ancestors and spend time with family and loved ones.

After several years of restricted travel and postponed plans, this summer feels like an opportunity to finally have some fun. So where will you go, and what will you do this season?
We asked creatives from various fields about their plans for the summer.

Photo by samsara@hk

Where to go
Shiga, my hometown

Until recently, I’d never really felt the urge to go back to my hometown of Shiga.
Since working in Tokyo for over ten years and spending four years in Paris in between, I didn’t have the time to think about visiting.
Recently, I heard some news about what’s changed in my hometown and it made me realize that just as I have grown and changed in the last decade or so, the same amount of time has passed in Shiga too.
It made me wonder how it has changed in those years, and I want to go back to see for myself. There’s a lake that I used to drive past regularly with my mom, I wonder if it looks the same as I remember it.

What to do
Eating and island-hopping

There’s a restaurant in Shiga called SOWER which I’d like to go to. It is based in a fairly remote location and run by chefs who previously worked at some really famous restaurants, so I’d be interested to see the cuisine they offer there.
I also want to eat at CAFE AKATSUKI, which my friend renovated from an old private house. The hamburgers there are probably the best in the world.

There’s a small island called Chikubushima in Lake Biwa, where I always go whenever I return to my hometown.
The island houses several places of interest such as the Hogonji Temple and Karamon Gate, and is known to be a famous power spot, a place I can go to recharge my energy.

Misa Takeuchi
PHOTOCOPIEU designer
Takeuchi began her career as a corporate designer in 2008, and studied abroad in Paris after winning a prize at the Kobe Fashion Contest in 2013. After four years in Paris, Takeuchi returned to Japan and established PHOTOCOPIEU Co., starting in Autumn/Winter 2019.

Website_photocopieu.fr
Instagram_@photocopieu

Photo by Tom Hilton

Where to go
The John Muir Trail (JMT)

There are three long hiking trails that crisscross the United States.
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in the west, the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) in the center, and the Appalachian Trail (AT) in the east.
All of these trails would take more than six months to hike in a single trip, no matter how quickly you try to walk them.
However, one section of the western PCT that extends south of Yosemite is considered the most scenic trail, that is the John Muir Trail.
It is a mountain trail that can be hiked in a little over two weeks, which seems like the perfect length of time.
 
 
 

What to do
Just walk, with a tent and food on my back

I will wake up at sunrise, look at the map, and mark routes to streams to find water.
I’ll tend to the blisters beginning to form on my feet and try to find flat land to camp for the night.
I’ll encounter thunderstorms and grizzly bears, which will frighten me to my core.
But then the sun will rise and shine through the thin fabric of the tent and all I will feel is pure happiness.
It will be late summer when it’s not too cold and I can travel light.
Just imagining it fills my heart with joy.
 

Ryohei Kamide
TV producer
Born in Tokyo in 1989. Creator of the popular series Hyper Hardboiled Gourmet Report.

Instagram_@kamide
Twitter_@hyperhardboiled

Photo by naoko kawachi

Where to go
Los Angeles or Hawaii

I’ve been to New York a few times, but I’ve only been to Hawaii once for work, and never to the West Coast, so I would like to go there.

What to do
I’ve led a pretty restricted life during the Covid pandemic, so I just want to go somewhere where no one knows me and roam around carefree, without having to worry about anything (laughs).

Hikari Shibata
Model
In addition to modeling, Shibata works as a photographer, holding exhibitions and collaborating with brands.

Instagram_@shibatahikari
YouTube_peep inside head

Photo by Marco Ravicini

Where to go
Lombok

I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited many places around the world since I was young, but when asked where I wanted to go now I immediately thought of Lombok Island, which I visited only once more than 20 years ago. At the time, it was not as easy to get information as it is now and the area was not at all developed, so everything was very exciting.
I am sure things are completely different now, but I am sure it will be fun too.

What to do
Surfing

People who know me now probably won’t be able to picture this, but I used to love surfing. I’ve been to many different locations to surf, but my surf trip in Lombok was one of the best. We chartered a boat to reach the breaking waves where there was no one else around and I was able to surf for as long as my body would allow. If I went back there now I know I wouldn’t be able to surf like I used to, but it would be fun just to relive that moment.

Masahiro Tsuchiya
RAINBOW DISCO CLUB organizer
Creator of Japan’s leading dance music festival.

Website_rainbowdiscoclub.com
Instagram_@rainbowdiscoclub
Instagram_@masahirot

Photo by Ikusuki

Where to go
Remote islands in Okinawa

I would like to go to either Miyako or Ishigaki island for a real, tropical summer vacation. I’ve been to Okinawa many times before, always for sightseeing. Next time I go, it will be for a different purpose. All I will take is a small bag and wear a T-shirt and flip-flops.

What to do
Do nothing

I want to literally do nothing at all. I want to laze around, relax, eat delicious meals, and take naps. I want to spend a luxurious time doing nothing. Maybe I’ll go see the water buffalo, or if I feel like swimming in the ocean, I’ll go find a swimsuit to wear and jump straight in.

Saki Kojima
freelance PR / hairmake / uneven director
Kojima worked in PR at a Tokyo hair salon for five years whilst working as a makeup artist. After going freelance in 2019, she works primarily in PR for fashion and as a hair and make-up artist, and as the director for UNEVEN.

Instagram_@kojimasaki_

Where to go
Gunma safari park

My husband and I want to take our one-year-old son somewhere he can enjoy, where it’s not too crowded or hot. I came up with the safari park because we can get there by car. We went to the Fuji safari park recently, but my son was basically asleep the whole time… so we’re going to try again with a different safari park and hope he stays awake!

What to do
Make memories with my son

I want to ride the safari park bus with my son so he can get up close to all the animals. He’s only one so he probably won’t remember anything but I still want him to have lots of new, exciting experiences this summer.

Marie Inaba
Inaba worked in sales and press for many major select stores before launching her career as a freelancer. She launched OVERLAP CLOTHING in late 2020 with fashion stylist Ryohei Mizuno.

Instagram_@inabamarie

Where to go
Ojiragawa Canyon

I usually can’t take a lot of time off work during spring and summer, so with the little time I do take off I like to take as an opportunity to recharge. My family and I usually go to the canyons to surround ourselves with negative ions and play in the rivers. This year I would like to go to Ojiragawa canyon in Yamanashi, which is one of the 100 best waterways in Japan. The beautiful scenery will help to heal my mind and body.

What to do
Family river trip

I would really just like to sit and listen to the sound of the water and be at peace, but I have a five-year-old son so I’ll be playing in the water with him. I heard there is a campground nearby, so maybe we can go camping with family and friends. I want to make all the traditional summer memories, with fireworks, splitting watermelon, and having BBQs. Onsen (hot springs) and shaved ice on the way home are a must.

Toshiyuki Watanabe
BLANC.. designer
After working as a buyer for a select store handling domestic and international designer brands, he started BLANC.. in 2012. Combining fashion with the technology of his hometown Fukui Prefecture, he devised eyewear that is both practical and fashionable. A new store LHITE, opened in April 2022.

Website_blanc-products.com
Instagram_@blanc_official

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