PROFILE
Born in 1976 in Nara Prefecture. After dropping out of Musashino Art University, he worked at several stores before joining "Non-Native" as a designer in 2001. In 2021, he established "Halften Canterbury" in collaboration with "GOLDWIN," pursuing further functional beauty.
PROFILE
Born in 1988 in Osaka, he started playing rugby at the age of 14 and rose to prominence, winning the national championship in his senior year of high school. He was selected for the Japan national rugby team when he was a student at Waseda University, and began playing professional rugby in 2011 after graduation. Since then, he has been one of the best players representing Japan and has contributed greatly to the popularity of rugby today.
I think everyone has the image that rugby = Canterbury. (Yamanaka)
Mr. Fujii asked me to meet Yamanaka for this interview.
Takayuki Fujii (Fujii):My brother played rugby all his life, and when I was little, I hated rugby because of it. He would always come home with a swollen, battered face.
Ryohei Yamanaka (hereinafter Yamanaka):(Laughter).
Fujii:I was from the "School Wars" generation, so I had a strong impression at the time that it was a sport that delinquents were forced to play for rehabilitation.
In the mountains:No, but I think you are right (laughs). I started playing rugby in junior high school, and there were a lot of yankees among my seniors.
Fujii:People with too much power tend to go that way.
In the mountains:So I was scared. I had always had that image....
Fujii:That was all cleaned up in the World Cup.
In the mountains:That's right. After the World Cup, we felt that we were the center of attention. There was a match of the Japanese national team the other day.
Fujii:I went to see the game too. I had also watched the Top League a few times before. There was a guy from New Zealand who was good friends with (former New Zealand national team member) Dan Carter, so I used to go to the games with him.
Why did you mention Yamanaka's name this time?
Fujii:originallyInstagramI had been watching the magazine "KARAKUSAI" and was interested in the fact that you must be a fashion lover. I had also seen you in a series of articles by (stylist) Koichiro (Yamamoto) in a magazine.
In the mountains:Thank you (laughs).
Do you know the brand "non-native" from the beginning?
In the mountains:Of course. But because of my size, I had the image of "clothes I would like to wear but can't wear myself" (laughs).
Fujii:I see, your physique limits what you can wear.
In the mountains:Yes, I do. There are many brands that I would like to wear, but I feel that I have shut them down on my own because of size issues and so on. I think this is typical of rugby players.
Can I ask again about Yamanaka's size specifications so that readers can get a better idea?
In the mountains:I'm 188 centimeters tall and weigh something like 96 or 97 kilos.
Fujii:When I saw him at the stadium, I thought Yamanaka was slimmer than other professionals, but when I saw him in person, I thought he was really big (laughs).
In the mountains:There are so many things I really want to wear....
Fujii:I had a feeling that it was difficult to imagine professional rugby players in their casual wear. But I thought Yamanaka-san's casual wear was fashionable as well.
When I look at Yamanaka's Instagram, I see a lot of street brands such as "Supreme" and "Palace".
In the mountains:Yes, that's right. I like clothes that are easy to move around in, which is also the reason why I wear a size that I can wear. If it is too tight around the shoulders, I feel uncomfortable.
Fujii:The only thing that is tight-fitting is the uniform (laughs).
In the mountains:(laughs). (Laughs.) In fact, many of the players around me wear street-style clothes. Inagaki (Keita) likes that kind of thing, too.
Mr. Fujii is here this time not as a designer for "Non-Native" but as a designer for "Halften Canterbury.
In the mountains:Last year, I saw Matsu (Koutaro Shima) doing some modeling. Half Ten" comes from "flyhalf," right?
Fujii:Yes, it is. I put it on with the image of "looking down on the world. There is a certain type of rugby uniform that you can only choose "Canterbury," isn't there? It's that well established in rugby, but I honestly can't imagine wearing it with my own clothes (laughs). (Laughs) I want HALF TEN CANTERBERRY to be a brand that people would say, "I would wear this for everyday wear, too.
In the mountains:I've been wearing Canterbury since junior high school. I think everyone has the image that rugby = Canterbury.
![FOCUS IT.] Rugby is a connection that connects us through rugby. Half Ten Canterbury's third year, where they are now and where they are going.](https://www.houyhnhnm.jp/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/7.19-FOCUS-IT-0066-700x467.jpg)
