How did you start DJing?

When I was 16, my first year of high school, I got to know an older DJ, and we became friends. At the time, clean clubs for minors were trendy in Tokyo. When I went for the first time, my DJ friend taught me about the decks and how to use them. That was eight years ago. Now, I work with a friend called Gen, whom I met in my first year of college. We call ourselves WASP.

My parents influenced me to listen to Western music when I was a kid. I didn’t have a lot of friends in junior high and high school who shared the same interest. But the people I met at the club? They were the ones I could talk to about music. I think I was attracted to DJing as a way of sharing, so I could get out what I was feeling. And even today, I still see DJing as a way to express myself.

You launched your fashion brand called SOL last year?

My father is a fashion designer, and I always had an interest in it. There came a point when DJing wasn’t enough to express my feelings. It didn’t leave anything tangible. So, I was like, why not make my own fashion brand? It literally started in the most casual way. But the more I got into it, I started seeing friends wearing my clothes, and the feeling it sparked in me was terrific. Having said that, I don’t distinguish between music and fashion because they’re both tools for expressing myself.

What does home mean to you?

Initially, it was a place where I could feel 100% rested or relaxed. Recently, though, that changed. I quit my job at a production company when my brand began to take off. I don’t go to work every day anymore because I work from home. So, for the past three months or so, my body struggled to adjust to working where I should rest. It has me a bit confused.

Lately, I’ve gotten used to it. Now, when I work, I go to a cafe. I’m doing my best to balance the two. I’m finding it’s easier for me to enjoy home when it’s a resting place.

Is music a constant for you at home?

Yes, I always have music playing. It depends on the timing, but sometimes I play my playlists. Before a DJ session — I’m DJing tonight, by the way — I play someone’s mixtape or playlist. And if I pick up something good, I’ll be like, “Let’s play this today.”

Your clothing line, art and books fill your place. What gives you the most joy?

It’s when I’m DJing. I have the most fun mixing. I also love when friends are over because, for me, talking with people is the best source of inspiration. My room is tiny, and the kitchen is small too, but I like cooking despite how small it is. I invite my friends, cook for them, and then we just chill together.

I’m the type of person who turns a hobby into a job, but it’s not always the best way to be. For example, when I go to other DJs’ gigs, I can’t help but think how I would do it. When I go to clothing stores, I wonder what fabrics they use and can’t purely enjoy the experience of shopping. I was recently thinking about what brings me pure enjoyment. I realized that cooking at home is probably it. It’s something I enjoy without thinking about work.

Where do you feel most like yourself at home?

I have a bookshelf with a DJ booth on it. Standing there and DJing — that is the place I feel most myself.