Have you drawn the picture on the street?

No. I have not done it. From the time when I was at the first grade in a high school, I was interested in drawing pictures, but there was no such environment in my local area, Nagoya. There might be such environment. If I lived in Tokyo at that time, I might be doing it (laugh).

I think that original graffiti is a way for people to leave his assertion to other races and society as a message. Considering the meaning why Japanese draw graffiti, I just figured this should be the assertion of individual feeling rather than the racial or social problem. In the case of Japan, that is a solitude in that individuals are discriminated. Conversely, a faction in the society as a group, a self-assertion called individuality, a meaningless comparison theory, an ambiguous borderline, rather than a racial unit. I think that graffiti is a more complicated and difficult representation, which is not steadfast backing that a good thing is good. It is a word that cannot be expressed with words. It is difficult to express. I think it sad to only be called “scribble.” I think that the graffiti of Japan cannot be expressed only by it. In Japanese society, unless it is easy to understand, a work is not easily received. But I think that the easiness may be a good portion of Japan. There is no message from the first. Therefore, everybody is asking for individuality as a style, adding individuality to individuality.

Everybody is asking for ‘a significance of sense’ of existing easily. It becomes more complicated. It is a message that is valid only to these yellow-skinned races. Everybody that is not yellow wants to become the yellow. Japanese may be such a self-satisfied one. Everybody wants to claim now that Japanese society is moving by the feeling like the discrimination within Japanese. It’s just a quarrel among the same race. It is easy to do because everybody can understand. Therefore, everybody realizes anew that he is a Japanese and Japan is an island country. It is exciting to think, “Oh, I am at having known a few to the Japanese origin” (laugh). But if it is viewed from overseas, it cannot be understood eternally (laugh).

I often see your illustrations and works of comics in various media. Is such an exhibition held very well?

I held the plan exhibition at “NAF gallery” in Nagoya (till May 30), and also at the gallery “CAI” in Sapporo in January 2000.

I think that many people have an image of “Imai Toonz” as an illustrator or a visual creator, but your artistic approach like this is seldom known. In the special feature article of the magazine around 98, you said you wanted to charge and to carry out activity as a “creator” from now on. Please let me know what it became after that.

I did not have an intention of carrying out dramatic change. It is mental one. Since day-to-day output of the works was painful to me, I needed a time to input. After that, I have done the works of illustration, the works of comics, and the individual works. As a stance, I am almost the same. Only one method of representation was added and nothing has changed at the bottom. Although I do not know whether the expression “creator” is appropriate, I am allowed to use this.

Although I do work as a professional, in order to represent imperfect things freely, I want to use the stance, “creator.” I can consider again by having you look at the work or having the work put on various places. Or everyone may create a work together. I actually create freely. I feel sorry and appreciate it.

You are called by various titles, such as the comic artist, illustrator. Which is suit to you?

My main occupation is illustrator. But abroad, illustrator is considered to be a person describing a caricature, so I was said that comic artist is more suitable for me. In Japan, I call myself illustrator to acquire work easily. But I think that I am doing the genre “Imai Toonz”, in fact.

Is “Imai Toonz” a genre?

Some people asked me why “Imai Toonz” is a plural form. This is not my pen name but a genre, a shop name and a trademark.

The concept of “Imai Toonz” comes from a style like, “Japanese animation and the culture of comics affect an American comic, and if a Japanese called Imai imitates it and re-imports to Japan, what does it become?” If it is accepted as a sign, it can be said that it succeeds as a concept. And when it changes a form over various people and is repeatedly sophisticated, if it produces a newly well-shaped common sign, it is interesting.

And I think that I myself practice the genre “Imai Toonz” as a person who extracts “a shared form” that is neither picture nor sign, and a representation of “a cross between Japan and foreign countries.” But this is troublesome, so I make this a pen name (laugh). My mind to draw a good picture will not change, anyway.

I think that young illustrators with similar feelings have come out after the Imai Toonz birth. Although I do not know whether I may call them imitator, can you share some advice with such illustrators?

As a concept, you can follow my works, because my works comes from the stance that imitate the extracted form and make it develop. But due to a concept, if you imitate surface, you better investigate creators and thoughts that influenced me. If you cannot draw a picture well, a picture becomes a concept-like one and stops functioning without explanation. Therefore, training of drawing a picture is indispensable.

You majored in oil painting at Tama Art University. In the interview of a magazine, you said that you created the solid from wood using the hot bond. What did you create? What’s the relationship between this and the present style?

I can remember being university student, creating a furniture-like object and drawing the picture on this, melting a hot bond by the burner and stick it, creating human-like object. I have made the character from that time. The style of drawing is almost the same as that of now.

The concept was “My God” in a masochistic meaning. I thought that creating my god is interesting and made it possible to represent inside of a human. Avoiding a human shape slightly like gag comics and a shape with four hands, conversely, I tried to perform humane representation.

The style of my oil painting is similar to that of current work, but it is difficult to represent a line with oil painting. I stick to a line now. I have used the illustration as a motif from that time. For me, the illustration was a sign to represent the purpose.

By the way, you came from Nagoya and lived in Setagaya in Tokyo now. Please let me know the influence of the town on your production of works.

I came down to Tokyo from Nagoya at the age of 18, and have moved 5 times until now, from Kichijoji though Tsunashima in Yokohama, Higashi-Kitazawa in Setagaya, Setagaya-daita. Now I live in Nakameguro.