HOUYHNHNM

It all started at Jingu Stadium. The story behind the formation of TEAM '47.

-How did you come across FortySeven ('47)?

DKJThe reason for this is that "Forty Seven" was to come to Japan, and although it is a historical brand, they wanted to promote it in the fashion field, so they asked me to help. MLB wanted to give licenses to other brands in Japan to spread awareness of the brand, and that's how "Forty Seven" came to Japan.

-What kind of involvement do you have with DKJ?

DKJI am positioned as both a director and a consultant. Originally, New Era was successful in the Japanese market, so I thought I could use that as a benchmark. Originally, FortySeven was doing business in the serious baseball market, so when it came to expanding its recognition in the fashion market, we had to look at the unique Japanese fashion market, such as the street market. In order to raise awareness in the Japanese fashion scene, I thought it was important to create a buzz through special orders, etc., so I decided to have the two of them cooperate with me in various ways while working on the direction of the project.

rough woodI am consulting with Mr. Nakamuro, who has the ability to communicate in PR, in order to create an interesting direction. However, it takes a lot of time to launch a product unless it is developed in a comprehensive manner, including PR, and it does not diffuse well.

NakamuroI was contacted by Mr. Araki and asked if I would like to go to an exhibition for a brand called "Forty Seven. I went to the exhibition. That was my first encounter with "forty-seven. I knew I needed to see the products in person to get an idea of how to promote them. We talked about how we could develop "forty-seven" in Japan in terms of flash ideas. We decided to hold a launch event. It was the first time the three of us had a meeting.

DKJSo we decided to hold the first launch event at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo!

NakamuroThe classic ballpark in Japan was either Koshien or Jingu Stadium. So we thought that if we were going to play in Tokyo, we had to play at Jingu.

rough woodI had never heard of an event at Jingu Stadium, and the people who came were running around the grounds like little boys.

NakamuroWe all sat the catcher down and threw from the mound. We also had the Forty-Seven logo on the back screen all the time. We also played the organ music that is often played at MLB games.

DKJI invited Mr. Nichirou, a comedian who impersonates Ichiro, who is also active in the MLB, as a guest and had him warm up in the distance for a long time (laughs).

rough woodI don't want them to make a special appearance, but when are they going to be there... "What? That was interesting. That was interesting.

DKJ: The event was a good one in terms of expanding awareness, as it generated a lot of buzz and excitement on social networking sites such as Instagram.

rough woodWe had a lot of parties and events going on that day, but we had quite a lot of visitors. It is not often that we get a chance to be on the grounds of Jingu Stadium, so everyone seemed very happy.

NakamuroI think we made a very good team, because in the end, if the people doing the work are not having fun, they will not get the message. That was the beginning of everything.

Talk session with Mr. Ogi . Talk about the charm of Forty Seven and the special order.

What do you think of the items from "forty-seven" when you actually see them?

rough wood: The quality of the items is usually decent, so I felt it was genuinely nice. The brims are square and a little wide, which gave it a modern look.

NakamuroThe brand has a long history, so it is an easy brand to promote because it has a story to tell. It is also easy to create a "buzz" among customers, where they tell each other about the items and the brand. It is also easy to communicate that the brand is not just a pop-up brand.

DKJBaseball caps have a history, official licenses, and so on, which is even more important. Since there is a motif, the range of design is limited to some extent, so I think such background is one of the reasons to buy a cap.

NakamuroI think the person who holds the item in his or her hand and wears it does not want a counterfeit. I think it would be a bit disappointing if the item has this Yankees logo on it, but it is not official.

rough woodThe key word in recent fashion is "sports mix," and this item is also an exquisite addition to dressy outfits.

NakamuroI'm not sure if it's stylistically correct, but I'd like to know how it looks on the cap.

rough woodI think a shallow crown fits the current mood of the outfit. Hats with wide brims are also in fashion, and wide brims are also trendy.

Forty-seven" is a trend-setting brand, but in order to further expand awareness of the brand, we decided to create a special order. The collaborator was "UNITED ARROWS & SONS," which you direct. How did you go about creating these items?

DKJI first brought up the subject with Mr. Ogi.

small treeI'm embarrassed to say that I had never heard of the Forty-Seven brand until DKJ approached me about it. I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard of the "Forty-Seven" brand until DKJ approached me about it, and my first impression was that it had a good balance between retro and modern design. I also learned about the brand's deep relationship with baseball and its history. When I was allowed to visit Citi Field in New York City for a photo shoot, I found that there was a "forty-seven" store inside the stadium. I thought it was nice to know that they are supporting local sports. In your home country of the U.S., you are not a fanatic brand, are you?

NakamuroForty-seven is a major brand in the United States, and is so closely related to baseball that it started as a wagon sale around MLB stadiums (Note: Forty-seven started as a wagon sale around Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, said to be the oldest MLB stadium). It is closely related to baseball.

rough woodWhen I visited Dodger Stadium (Note: This is a baseball stadium in Los Angeles, California, home of the Dodgers), there are several "forty-seven" stores inside the stadium, making it a major brand.

DKJ: The cap means a lot to American MLB fans, doesn't it?

-That's where Mr. Ogi's process of making a special order came from, didn't it?

small treeI think so. This time, we were allowed to make caps and blazers. There are not many brands that allow us to do this officially. However, I think the fact that DKJ is directly connected to the brand is a big factor for "forty-seven. Also, I held an exhibition called "Poggy's Wprld" in Las Vegas, and people from "forty-seven" came to visit me at that time. It's not often that you get a chance to communicate directly with people in your home country, and American brands are big companies, so when you have a meeting for a special order or something, it's like hearing about something else and then hearing about it again, and what you proposed at first might fade away. So, in that sense, the ease of communication was appealing. My knowledge of baseball was limited to the NES "Burn! Professional Baseball" (ed. note: A game software for the Family Computer based on professional baseball, released by JALECO on June 26, 1987, also known as "Burn Pro"). It was released by Jaleco on June 26, 1987 for the Family Computer, and is known as "Burn Pro."), so it is very valuable to be able to get information from someone like DKJ who knows so much.

DKJThank you (laughs).

small treeI used to like the feeling of music and sports mixing and crossover perfectly, but now, in Japan, soccer and baseball are becoming like that. Now, in Japan, such an atmosphere is becoming more and more prevalent in soccer and baseball. I see young people wearing Tokyo Yomiuri Giants caps, and I feel that this is a good trend in the market. In my generation, there was nothing cool in Japan, so I envy the current era.

DKJI've certainly seen them in Shibuya and Harajuku recently.

rough woodI think it's important to have an atmosphere created by caps and uniforms.

NakamuroI think the Yankees' logo is cool and exceptional. I also have a pure admiration for America.

-By the way, do you have a favorite MLB team or motif?

NakamuroI think the Yankees are the best. The fact that Tiffany & Co. designed it is also appealing.

DKJI think I'm the San Francisco Giants.

Nakamuro: Even though you're wearing a Red Sox cap? No? (Laughs)

all of usLOL: LOL

rough woodI think I'm still with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

NakamuroIt is indeed Araki-san-like.

small treeI also like the Pittsburgh Pirates cap that Chuck D. of Public Enemy often wears, although the Yankees are easier to match with my outfits. The Pittsburgh Pirates cap that Chuck D. of Public Enemy often wears is a good one. I also think the Atlanta Braves cap that Outkast used to wear is cool.

Nakamuro: (Looking at Mr. Ogi) Tangentially, those Yankees are cool too.

small treeThank you (laughs).

NakamuroI think it is also cool for such artists to wear the caps of the teams that call their hometown home, as a kind of hometown consciousness.

small treeI remember that Mr. Shito Rei and rapper KOHH were also wearing Tokyo Yomiuri Giants caps, which was cool.

DKJTeam logos are very important!

small treeThe logo itself is used in this special order, but the colors of home and away are cohabited in the logo.

DKJThis was also quite a challenge. The American side would start by asking, "Why are you doing that? The American side was like, "Why are you doing that?

Nakamuro: It seems difficult to make a two-tone color scheme for the official logo, doesn't it? What did you say to the home country side?

DKJI expressed my enthusiasm, saying, "I want to make something that has never been done before. I told them that I would not only make caps, but also jackets and sell them together with "United Arrows," and finally they gave me the OK. I heard that the Yankees were the most difficult of all.

rough woodThe design of the baseball cap is also unique, as it is a very rare use of color, which is something that has never been seen in baseball caps before.

NakamuroI think this may be the Japanese way of doing things.

rough woodI have the image that you are opening new doors, challenging yourself with things you have never thought of before. The collaboration with Mr. Ogi was a great success, and we are expanding our range of activities, which I think is a good trend for "forty-seven.

DKJIt seems to fit the current era: it is not only a long-established company, but is also constantly evolving.

NakamuroLet's continue to make it happen together.