[ JAPANESE / ENGLISH ]

Photos courtesy of Red Bull Skateboarding
Special thanks_Red Bull Skateboarding

VHSMAG (V)：　You're currently based in Zushi, right?

Kento Yoshioka (K)：　I'm in Ikejiri now. I rent places with friends in both Zushi and Ikejiri.

V：　So you live in two locations?

K：　Yeah. It's totally awesome.

V：　Why did you choose Zushi?

K：　The real reason is this. When I was living in Kichijoji, my girlfriend at the time was being stalked. We were living together, and they would do things like ring the doorbell and run away. Even worse, right when she'd come home and close the door, they'd immediately ring the doorbell and run. It was really messed up. Our mail would be stolen and torn up. We consulted the police and installed security cameras, but they said we should probably move far away. That's how I ended up in Zushi.

V：　That's awful... How's Zushi?

K：　There's Umikaze Park, and the Hongo Brothers are there, Morishige too, lots of friends, so it's going well. If I go toward Chigasaki, there's Shin Sanbongi and Ryuhei Kitazume too. The level is really high and it's stimulating. Plus Zushi has both ocean and mountains, and it's quite similar to the feeling of my hometown Ehime. I like the vibe.

V：　Did moving to Zushi bring any changes to your skating or other activities?

K：　It's changed a lot. In Tokyo there are lots of parties and tons of friends, so I was playing around too much, but in Zushi I can concentrate pretty well. It's quiet. Everyone lives at a relaxed pace. Less noise. Most stores close by midnight at the latest. So I don't play around too much and can concentrate in a good way.

 

V：　So what did you end up appearing in Red Bull's global series Skate Tales?

K：　First, Madars (Apse) sent me a DM asking "Would you appear in Skate Tales?" So I checked out Skate Tales and it was pretty interesting. Then around May he said "Let's work together for four days." That's how I took the offer. It was around Golden Week I think.

V：　Was that schedule pretty tight?

K：　Yeah, by the end my body was completely broken. I couldn't do anything (laughs).

V：　What was memorable about the filming?

K：　Madars brought various instruments. Like guitars and that thing you go "boing boing" with your mouth like trance music, he brought tons of stuff. It was memorable doing a session in the studio, and also when he played guitar matching our band's vibe, but the sound was too fast and his fingers started bleeding. It was memorable seeing him play guitar while it was covered in blood (laughs).

 

 

V：　The Skate Tales episode starts with the studio scene. So that's what happened (laughs). Through the show, how did you want to convey your skating and life philosophy to the world?

K：　Just as I am, like showing my asshole to the world (laughs). Like not trying too hard, just as usual. I thought I had to keep it real. So I was drunk as much as possible (laughs). When you're sober you try to look cool, you know.

V：　Even when performing?

K：　I was totally wasted then too. I tried to be in that state as much as possible (laughs).

V：　How did you feel when you checked the completed show?

K：　Well, I felt a bit awkward. It's embarrassing, but that's probably what makes it real.

V：　It was dense content conveying your journey and current activities, but what's the highlight of this episode?

K：　Let's see... probably the Kichijoji part. I lived there for about seven years. And recently I've been staying in Zushi and Ikejiri and haven't been able to go to Kichijoji, so I got emotional (laughs).

V：　Speaking of the Kichijoji scene, tell us about Shinnosuke Hidaka. I got the impression he's been quite an important presence in your life.

K：　He was the first person to let me stay at his place in Tokyo. I might have been influenced by him the most. During my most impressionable teenage years, I was always hanging out with him. I'd go to his place and we'd watch my new videos together. He showed me tons of stuff that influenced him back in the day. He has amazing taste and I really trust him. Shinnosuke and his circle were what made me come to Tokyo in the first place. Also, he's brother plays in a metal band called MEANING, and we've done events with K.N.T.H.W. too. Shinnosuke is the one who got me into punk.

V：　An indispensable person in forming who you are now. He didn't say much but he was sharp.

K：　With projects like this, it often becomes like, "I want to hear Shinnosuke's story," but he always declines. He's not someone who wants to be on camera. But this time I really wanted him to appear so I pushed hard. At first he said "Can't I just do voice without appearing on camera?" but I forced him to come and was like "Well, we're filming now" (laughs). He ended up appearing.

V：　I'd like to ask about your unique skate style. Are there things you won't compromise on, like an aesthetic?

K：　I'm really contrarian. So what I value is like, when someone is doing something super cool, I want to do the opposite in a cool way (laughs). So I'm always watching how everyone else approaches things.

V：　You mentioned in this episode that fellow Ehime native Shingo Yumiyama had a big influence, but are there other cultural or musical influences?

K：　For fashion, there was UNDERCOVER's first Paris Collection show in 2003 called 'SCAB'. Back then the Paris Collection was all super clean clothes, but Japanese UNDERCOVER did this super punk show with all patched-up, raggedy stuff. Shinnosuke showed me that too, like "going the complete opposite." I was influenced by that kind of thing. Also the artist Chim↑Pom drew "Pika!" in the Hiroshima sky, and caught a super rat and turned it into Pikachu. I was influenced by that and used the name "Super Rat." And what else... Chim↑Pom did this incomprehensible wedding demo in Kabukicho. That kind of stuff, and of course punk. THE BLUE HEARTS, INU and so on.

V：　So it's about deviating from the mainstream?

K：　Right. Deviating from the mainstream but with humor too.

V：　But you can do mainstream stuff properly too. You have good balance.

K：　I'm quite conscious of that. So the people who "do things properly" don't look down on me (laughs).

 

 

V：　The music session scene was impressive in Skate Tales. Is music an extension of skating, or a completely separate expression?

K：　Skating and music are really close. The music I do, I think of it as skateboarding. So it's like a musical vibe with skateboarding as the axis. It's like releasing all the stress I accumulate from skateboarding. Skaters really love music. Everyone remembers the songs from their favorite video parts. Lots of skaters become DJs too. I was thinking it would be cool to have a band but there was no sign of that happening. But when I kept talking about "I would have liked to try being in a band" in various places, an older friend said to me, "Let's form a band. You just scream, that's all you have to do." So I was made to do vocals. That was the trigger. We played at small events without even deciding on a band name. Then drums and bass gathered and we officially started as a band. So we just added an "S" to make it JAPANESE SUPER RATS (laughs).

V：　Of course you write all the lyrics yourself?

K：　Yeah. I intend to talk about skateboarding in everything. Like screaming about skate sickness (laughs).

V：　You're also busy running the hardware brand K.N.T.H.W. I didn't know this, but in Skate Tales you also mentioned a brand called OFFICIAL GARBAGE.

K：　We're launching next month. There's this really interesting friend who lives near my house in Zushi. He has this really weird hobby... after typhoons he goes to the ocean and collects garbage that's washed up. It's all really cool. He collects interesting garbage.

V：　So that's where GARBAGE comes from.

K：　Right. So we're launching OFFICIAL GARBAGE as a brand together with that person. The ring I'm wearing now is made from washers, wrenches, springs. Right now we're making silver molds of industrial waste, but in the future I'm thinking of making stuff with crushed cans. It's like an accessory brand inspired by garbage. The image is, "rats selling garbage."

V：　You're working on various projects. Where is the "axis of expression" for these creative projects?

K：　It's definitely skateboarding. The axis of everything is skateboarding, and I want to express the sensations I get from that through different approaches.

V：　At the end of Skate Tales you also called skateboarding your "wife."

K：　Yeah yeah. I'm married to skateboarding for life (laughs).

V：　So what projects do you want to try in the future?

K：　For now, OFFICIAL GARBAGE. I want to make the rings like crew proof, so people who have them can get into parties for free. I recently got a ramp, so I want to put that out at parties and invite DJs who influence me. I want to do parties with a garbage gang image. Also the band is on hiatus now, but around 2027 the bassist will return from studying abroad, so we're planning to release an album then and are working on it now. I'm thinking of releasing another video for K.N.T.H.W. too. And I'm thinking of making a web select shop called "Nezumi Shoten" (Rat Shop). I want to sell rat products and garbage goods I make with friends there. Right now I'm making baggy shorts in one size only, about 42 inches. And socks. I'm wearing them now, it says "Nihon Cho Nezumi" (Japan Super Rat). And I'm planning to make socks with four-character idioms like "Jiga Jisan" (self-praise) and "Gishin Anki" (suspicion and distrust). "Nihon Cho Nezumi" isn't a four-character idiom or anything, but oh well (laughs).

V：　Lots to look forward to.

K：　And I'm going to Europe next month. I'm going for an adidas event, but I might stay for about two months. From France to Barcelona, then Rome. Berlin too, then back to France and Paris. Leo Valls is doing an event in Bordeaux so I want to see that too. Then Belgium, London. Finally I'll party hard in Amsterdam before coming back (laughs).

V：　You're living the ultimate skate life. Finally, what kind of response are you expecting after this Skate Tales is released?

K：　It's embarrassing to see myself on screen, but... The reason I can maintain this weird motivation is because when I go overseas and see truly free skaters, I always think "skaters really should be like this." Like CPH Open and stuff. Since I've been able to go to various places, I'm confident I've seen more of that authentic skate vibe than people who only skate in Japan. Like the world is bigger, you can be way more messed up. How should I put it, I want them to be themselves, to be more selfish. Because too many people are being too proper. Everyone should mess around more, and we should have the kindness to accept that. No matter how crazy someone is, we all love skateboarding. I hope Japanese skaters' capacity expands (laughs).

V：　Any final words?

K：　I'm aiming to be the urban Mutsugoro!

 

@japanese_super_rat

Born in 1999, from Ehime. He's one of the faces at Evisen and adidas Skateboarding, and known as a punk skater who attracts attention with his unique approach and free-flowing board control.