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This article is a joint project with the radio program "Jeep® CREATIVE GARAGE" on J-WAVE (81.3 FM). AKO and HOUYHNHNM's editor-in-chief Ryo Komuta will be the program navigators, and will delve into the roots and staples of the guests on the theme of "standards" for about an hour on the last Sunday of each month at 10:00 p.m. In addition, using "radiko," a service that allows you to listen to the radio on your computer or smartphone, you can listen to the show in real time or at your own leisure with the time-free function. We hope you will enjoy this new approach to radio and HOUYHNHNM's together!

• Jeep® CREATIVE GARAGE
• Last Sunday of every month 22:00-22:54
• Navigator: AKO, Ryo Komuta (Editor-in-Chief, HOUYHNHNM)
• J-WAVE 81.3FM "Jeep® CREATIVE GARAGE
• www.j-wave.co.jp/original/creativegarage/

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It is important to have a heart to heart exchange.

Jun Murakami is a multi-talented person. While facing the camera in various media as a model and actor, he sometimes wows the floor as a DJ, and at other times he puts his heart into his products as a designer. Murakami's talent is not limited to any one field, but is displayed in all kinds of scenes. Where does this originate? When we first asked him about his roots, he responded with some surprising words.

I don't have roots. I don't have roots, and I feel inferior because I don't have them. Things that stimulated me when I was young don't seem to have much of an impact on me now that I look back on them. I feel like I am getting more and more updated as I get older. However, if I had to say something, I would say that I learned a lot from skate culture. I look at the cityscape with a skateboard in my hand and think about where I want to skate today. By doing so, the city turns into a playground. You can apply this way of thinking to various situations, and it is no exaggeration to say that the habit of looking at things from various angles was cultivated through skating.

In the late 80s and 90s, Murakami immersed himself in skating on the streets, where various events intersected and a new culture was born. He would take the train to skate parks in Tokyo and share the same hobby with his friends. It was during this time that Murakami met someone. At the time, no one would have thought that this encounter would turn out to be a major turning point in his life.

I met Hiroshi Fujiwara. He was visiting the park with someone who edits magazines, and he said, 'Murajun, do you want to be in a magazine? He said, 'Murajun, do you want to be in a magazine? At the time, skate culture was at its peak and fashion was thriving. I was approached for the simple reason that it would be more realistic and would look better on me than on a model. That's how I ended up in the magazine.

Thus, the model Jun Murakami was born and became very active. As an extension of his career, he also began to work as an actor. He says that the world of acting "was a place where his career to date has been completely ineffective.

I think I did my first acting job when I was still young. I entered the world of acting as a model, but in the theater, everyone there is a craftsman. Everyone is a craftsman, whether they are on the front stage or behind the scenes. I realized that it is a very demanding world. I had the feeling that my career, fashion, and culture had all been reduced to nothing, and that I was being looked at as just another man. That is why I decided to stay in this world for the rest of my life and test my strength.

More than 20 years have passed since he made his debut as an actor, and he says that his desire to "live in this world for the rest of my life" has not changed.

I really love acting. I want to be active in it forever."

Mr. Murakami says he loves acting and would like to continue it forever. What does he value most when he is in front of the camera?

I am in a period of searching for that. However, what I have been thinking recently is that we need to have a heart-to-heart communication. I think it is important not to forget to be sincere about the play. No matter how uncomfortable it is or how bad the conditions are, if you love it, you have no choice but to do it. And because you love what you do, you must challenge the field with your own ideas. It is no good if you become defensive. I think you have to acquire more skills and experience as you get older. Because life is a continuation of the ground."

What Jun Murakami values now.

Mr. Murakami says, "Life is a continuation of the earth. This is also his view of life. He is well aware that he exists today because of the accumulation of his past. His way of life is to live in the "present" as hard as he can, while respecting the past.

I've been thinking lately that I want to value inspiration. I want to look at things without any previous information, relying only on my own sensitivity. The same goes for the Leica camera I brought with me today. I asked a workshop called Kanto Camera to paint it Tiffany blue, including the precious lens that was given to me by someone else. I received some criticism from people who have always loved cameras, but there were also people who said, "That's nice. One of the kids I know was interested in the camera the moment he saw it, and he said, "Let me try it! Let me touch it! I think that is inspiration, and I want to continue to cherish that kind of feeling.

The story goes on to say that he also values inspiration in his acting.

I try to see the wavelength and breathing of the other performers, including those on the same stage and those behind the scenes. I try to see the wavelength and breathing with the other actors, including those who stand on the same stage and those who work behind the scenes. You don't know the wavelength of the other actor until the moment he or she stands in front of the camera. In that sense, inspiration is also important in acting. For myself, I am happy as long as we can both give good performances.

Time with your dog, time in the car.

After hearing about his acting, we asked Murakami about his current lifestyle, to which he replied, "When I'm not working, I spend time at home with my dog and take pictures. He does not lead a particularly fancy life, but stoically focuses on what he likes to do. In a sense, this is an uncharacteristic answer, but it also seems to be typical of Murakami.

She is named "Tsuki". Actually, I have another pet named Haiji. I am the kind of person who goes home as soon as I finish work, and that tendency has become even stronger since Tsuki and Haiji came to our house (laughs). I want to be with them. They are like family to me, beyond being comforting or anything like that.

They usually don't go very far and take walks together around the house.

'It's only been a little over a year since I started keeping him. I think this is the third time I've brought him to the beach. When I see him running around so innocently, I feel like crying (laughs). (Laughs.) They run around so happily that it makes me feel calm, too. They are cute, aren't they?

While he spends time with his dog, driving his car also seems to be an important time for him.

I usually drive a car a lot. I drive almost all the time. I don't consciously think about anything while driving. I just try to drive safely. What I do then is listen to music. It's a great environment, isn't it? Listening to music while driving is the best way to get into my head.

When traveling on a long road trip, he sometimes re-listens to the mixes he has created and looks at them objectively. This behavior may be utilized in some aspects of his DJ activities. In addition, he says that his car helps him maintain an appropriate distance from his acting.

Reading a script is an important part of being an actor, but I don't read the script as soon as I get it, I try to pause for a while. I don't read the script as soon as I get it, but I try to pause for a while. I just drive around Tokyo listening to music as usual, but in the corner of my mind, I somehow think about the work I am going to perform in. In this way, I gradually direct my attention to the script, and when the right time comes, I go home and read it.

It creates a blank space to go on to the next piece while organizing the mind. The drive has become a very effective activity for that operation.

For me, driving is like pulling the vine of a bow and arrow. First you pull slowly to tense the vine. Then the arrow will fly well, right? In the same way, I tighten the screws in my head as I drive.

The Jeep® Wrangler is a standard vehicle.

We asked Mr. Murakami, who says that driving is an essential part of his daily life, what kind of image he has of Jeeps.

I still have a strong image of four-wheel drive. I feel like I can go anywhere with it. Even if it gets muddy and dirty, I think Jeep is a brand that looks good in that way. Also, Jeep is a brand that values its accumulated history and makes vehicles that fit the times.

The vehicle we drove this time was the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, a rugged yet modern vehicle with a strong presence. It seems that Mr. Murakami liked this car.

The functional aspect of this car is just right. I feel that cars these days are too service-oriented or too convenient. There are more drink holders than necessary, and it's comfortable, but I think it's a little too much. But this car is equipped with only the necessary functions, isn't it? It has a navigation system, air conditioning, music, and a stable driving feel. That's about right. In a sense, I think this car is the standard.

If Mr. Murakami were to drive this car, how would he use it?

If I could drive this car, I would like to travel all over Japan. When I used to drive a station wagon with four hard cases of records and two hard cases of CDs, I used to drive myself to local clubs and DJ from open to close. I would love to do that again. The car has a lot of interior space and great storage capacity, so you can pack a lot of stuff in it, and it's very stable and easy to drive. At the time, I drove about 100,000 kilometers a year, so this sturdy car is even safer."

Mr. Murakami also has other things he would like to try.

It would also be nice to remove the hard top and enjoy driving in the open air. The weather is becoming more seasonable for that, and it would be a different way to enjoy driving than I normally do."

Let's not push ourselves daily and make today better than yesterday.

Is there a standard in life for Mr. Murakami?

I try to look at the person. I want to have a dialogue with people by looking at the essence of them, without considering their status, such as who they are or where they come from. I am attracted to sincere people. They are not defensive and live in the present. I like that way of life and think it is unique. I guess my standard is that life is a continuum. The present is important.

While paying respect to the past, we live in the "now" without being bound by it. To do so, it is essential to have the strength of a human being. Jun Murakami strives every day to sharpen his human power.

To be honest, I don't care about the past at all. My ideal is not 'He is cool because he is Murajun,' but rather, 'That old man is cool, even though I don't know who he is,' when people who don't know him see him. In order for people to think that, I need to update myself every day. I try not to push myself too hard every day, but to make today better than yesterday. That's how I spend my days.