Hat Portrait Profile.30
Yasuharu Konishi

Tell me about when you started wearing hats.

When I was a child, I didn't like wearing school caps or anything like that. I started wearing them myself when I became a fashionable university student. I'm from Hokkaido, and people there don't often use umbrellas, even when it snows. I got used to that habit, and I don't use an umbrella unless it's pouring rain. When I was in university, I bought a Barbour oiled rain hat to protect myself from the rain. I always wore it until it was worn out, and now it's my third one. When I was younger, I felt like it didn't suit me, so I thought, "I want to be able to look good in a hat as soon as possible."

Who would you like to wear a hat?

When I was in college, I used to go to a cafe in Shibuya where Sumio Wakabayashi, a member of the folk group Musashino Tanpopo-dan, worked part-time. At the time, Wakabayashi was someone who was passionate about style, and he taught me a lot about fashion. He also taught me how to wear a hat. I also remember the photo of the band members wearing hats on the inside cover of The Band's first album, and the raccoon-like hat on the back cover of Colin Blunstone's One Year... there are so many things related to music that come to mind (laughs).

Please tell me what you pay attention to when you wear a hat.

Sumio Wakabayashi warned me, "When wearing a hat, make sure your bangs don't show." I've always been conscious of that. It even bothers me when I watch old movies (laughs). When I wear the bucket hat (the one in the main shot this time), which has been my trademark since around 2001 when Pizzicato Five disbanded, I always wear it low over my eyes so that my eyes aren't visible. Sometimes the photographer will say, "Please show your eyes," and the shoot will end there (laughs). I've started wearing it normally since my hair turned gray, though.

Please tell me about the hat you are wearing today.

I brought two with me today. One is the bucket hat that's been my trademark for about 20 years, since around 2001. I bought it in Paris because I thought it would hide my face well, and I remember it being really cheap. The other is a flashy hat (worn with a full-body cut) that I bought at a folk art store in Paris, in anticipation of an interview like this coming up someday (?). I think it's probably a national costume from some country. I've always wanted to wear one, but I never got a chance to wear one because I thought people would react awkwardly if I wore a hat like that while DJing. But now it's finally time for it to see the light of day.

What does a hat mean to your life?

I've always found the relationship between hats and music fascinating. People who like reggae wear knit caps, people who like ska wear pork pie hats, hip-hop fans wear baseball cap, and when I go to a blues event in Osaka, there are a lot of people wearing casquette (laughs). In certain music communities, hats are like secret society codes. I also like ties, and even though hats and ties aren't that necessary these days, I think the reason people put so much effort into choosing them is because they're particular about them. Hats reflect a person's likes and preferences.