How come did you decide to cover British and Hong Kong graphic designers for the first issue?

For one thing, Hong Kong’s return to China and the other is that current British graphic scene is so intense. What’s interesting about Hong Kong graphic designers is they don’t care about British graphic designers, but care about basically Japanese designers. Like, in the interview, their favourite artists or designers are mostly Japanese like Issey Miyake, Ryuichi Sakamoto etc… They talked a lot about Japanese fashion trends when I took a series of interviews. On the other hand, the graphic designers in London don’t care about Hong Kong scene, they are keen on the Japanese scene.

How was taking the interviews in London and Hong Kong?

Yeh, I did. Though I had to take 5 interviews a day in Hong Kong. I enjoyed it in London, too. The studio of Dazed&Confused had moved to the suburb and it was almost like a big gymnesium. There was a ladder beneath the groundfloor, and there were graphic designers underground working on a logo of ABC magazine. It was their part time job.(laugh)

It seemed they didn’t like WALLPAPER in London. Supported by a big enterprise, Wallpaper is designed in Vienna and selling well in Europe, which causes a bad reaction to London’s subculture scene. I quite like it, though. It’s neat and fashionable and can attract Japanese people.

Are you thinking of featuring any Japanese artists at all?

I think I’ll pick up some CG artists in Tokyo and San Francisco for the next issue. It’ll be out in December or next January.

Who are you planning to feature?

It’s still on progress, but I’d say Nobuhiko Kitamura from Hysteric Glamour, Groovisions and a few designers working for Pizzicato Five. I am very much interested in Konishi’s(Leader of Pizzicato Five) visual works. I am sure he is a great editor as he used to work for Visage which was published by Men’s Bigi. I’d really like to introduce him with a different approach from music magazines now that Shibuya-Kei(mecca of the Japanese youth culture) is over. He should be regarded as a great editor as well as a famous musician. Also, Kitamura is a perfect editor who can deal with photography and graphics of fashion. They are outstanding in Tokyo as far as I am concerned.

Have you got any other editors you like in Japan?

I’d say Masanobu Sugatsuke who started out a mag called COMPOSITE is quite unique in the way he does the selection of a suitable person. Also, he is very knowledgable about photography and graphics.

Any photographer and art director?

Definately, Tycoon Graphics. They are master at it. They’ve always been a great team, and still now.
As for photographers, I really like Nick Knight who photographed for Yohji Yamamoto. Nothing will ever surpass it. It’s a state-of-the-art kind of stuff. And my favourite Japanese photographer is Takashi Homma.

Who works for this +81 magazine?

Yamashita works as the creative director, and I edit it basicaly. And the rest of the work is for other companies we know.

So, what kind of readers are you making the mag for?

Those who are interested in creativity, who find creation interesting, who can enjoy creation regardless of any categories.

I heard that you are supposed to release +81 in foreign countries?

We are now working on that. They’ll have it in Hong Kong. Maybe London, too.