Who Do We Dress Up For?

— When we thought of a stylish woman who looks great in jeans, the image of you immediately came to our mind. We’re so delighted that you wore MOMOTARO JEANS for us.

Thank you. I’ve worn denim pretty much every single day for as long as I can remember. When I look back at old photos, I'm always in jeans. I even showed up to my child’s elementary school open class in jeans and a cropped top (laughs).

— You must have stood out quite a bit (laughs).

Yes, a kid sitting in the back said, “You’re weird!”. And I was like, mind your own business (laughs). Other mothers carried handbags and wore jackets. That kind of look. But is there a rule that says you have to dress like that? 

— True, there’s no such rule. Was this when your son, actor Tadanobu Asano, was in elementary school?”

Yes. My older son once told me, “All my friends’ moms wear aprons when they cook. I wish my mom did too…” I replied, “But denim is my apron.

— Well, in a way, both are workwear (laughs). When did you first realize that you loved denim?

I've loved denim since I was a child. My mother was born in the Meiji era, but my father was American. He was a cook in the occupation forces, and met my mother while stationed in Yokohama. There were jeans for children as young as one year old, and thrift shops in places like Honmoku. There, donated items were sold at low prices—strollers and, of course, jeans. When I had children of my own, I dressed Tadanobu in Lee kids' jeans from around the age of one. Authentic ones without an elastic band in the back. What’s more, I had him wear lace-up leather boots, since American brands made them in children’s sizes.

— I feel I’ve caught a glimpse of the origins of your chic style — and Tadanobu’s!

But since he was still a child back then, of course the jeans felt uncomfortable, and he tried to pull them up higher. I told him, “Wear them right on the hips — that’s how they look best.” He still brings up that story even now (laughs).

— An early fashion training!

If you always go for the easy option, or keep saying it’s a hassle or too much effort, you’ll never be stylish. Back then, Tadanobu was still a child, so I told him how to wear them. But fashion is something personal — it’s not something you do just because someone tells you to. Nowadays, people have examples to follow. They look at magazines and often think that if they wear the same clothes, they’ll look the same. But that’s a big mistake. There’s nothing wrong with following someone’s style, but if you don’t make it your own, the clothes can look borrowed. Denim, too — if the length or the color doesn’t suit you, it won’t work. That’s why I believe the first step is to find what suits you.

— That’s such an important point. Do you personally have a favorite shade of denim?

No. I wear all kinds of colors. I like dark blue like what I’m wearing today, but I also love jeans with heavily faded indigo. If I feel a certain cut looks better when the color is lighter, I’ll wash it repeatedly right after buying it. I also customize denim in my own way. Sometimes I cut it short in summer, and other times I extend the length by adding zippers.

To the Beloved Modern Girls of the Good Old Days

— Have you often customized clothes yourself?

Yes. Back in my forties, when I was running a vintage clothing shop for a while, I sold pieces I had remade myself. But actually, I think I was already remaking clothes when I was about nineteen or twenty. Around then there were parties at the international school in Yokohama, where the boys would come to escort the girls. The girls were expected to wear dresses and pin the flowers the boys brought to their chests. But I didn’t have money, so I couldn’t afford to buy a proper dress. It wasn’t like today, when stylish clothes are easily available at low prices. I had to make them myself. So I bought scraps of fabric, borrowed a sewing machine from a friend, and sewed my own dress. I bought cheap heels, too, to cover them with the same fabric to match my dress. I also remade bags my mother had given me—ones she used when wearing kimono—and carried them to the parties.

— Amazing! I guess being creative from such a young age has filled you with ideas.

Yes, I believe creativeness is absolutely essential in life. No matter how fulfilled you are physically or mentally, you shouldn't forget to be creative or imaginative. Otherwise, you can’t move forward.

— I’ve heard that you left high school. In Yokohama at that time, it couldn’t have been easy for a young woman to live independently—let alone to value her individuality and remain stylish.

But I was the type who could go anywhere on my own. Back then, I had a friend named Sally, and most girls hung out in pairs, just as I did with her. When we all got together, it turned into a group — and that became the Cleopatra Party.

— It was a girls’ group that gave rise to famous models like Sayoko Yamaguchi. So those people also influenced you.

Yes. Most of my friends from that time have already passed away, and now it’s only me and a few others who remain. Sayoko was truly kind and wonderful. She had a strong sense of beauty, and I think she sensed that her time as someone admired by others was coming to an end. Maybe she knew when her own time would come.

— I’m at a loss for words… Wasn’t it easy for you to get along with her, since you both had style?

But I was always hanging out with Sally in Yokohama. Before I met her, I used to spend time with another girl friend. One time I was dancing at a place in Chinatown with her, and suddenly five or six girls we didn’t know walked in. They glared at us as if to say, "Why are you dancing in the center of the floor?" It didn’t bother me at all, so I ignored them and kept dancing. The atmosphere was pretty tense, though. Sparks were flying (laughs).

— (laughs)

Everyone was saying, "You’d better drop it,” so I decided to go home that night. The next day, my boyfriend at the time—he was a musician—said, "Tomorrow a friend of mine is bringing his girlfriend, so why don’t you come along too?" When we went to a restaurant in Motomachi, one of the girls from the night before was there. The girlfriend of a friend my boyfriend was talking about turned out to be her, and that was Sally. We looked at each other in surprise, like "What!" and laughed, saying, "We almost got into a fight yesterday, didn’t we?"

— That's like a scene from a movie!

From then on we really hit it off and spent almost every day together. I don’t think I went home for about a year after that.

— It sounds like an ensemble story about youth. You and Sally were working as go‑go girls back then, weren’t you? At places that were basically the predecessors of discos.

Yes. It was in the ’70s, and the club I worked at held proper auditions. You couldn’t get the job unless the owner liked you. On the other hand, the pay was good, and quite a few musicians who later became famous played there. We dancers performed to their music. But when I first started, costumes weren't provided and I couldn’t afford to buy nice ones, so I ended up making everything myself.

The Pain She Came to Know and the Strength She Gained

— You had many experiences at a young age.

I was always friendly with everyone, even though I changed schools often as a child. I grew up in Yokohama, but also lived in Kobe, and when I was in the second grade, I moved to Tsu in Mie. Back then, kids threw stones at me, calling me a "half-breed."

— In those days, I’m sure having foreign roots was rarer than today, and prejudice was harsher.

I picked up those stones and threw them back. They did it because they didn’t understand the pain. So I thought I’d make them understand.

— So you were powerful from the time you were in elementary school (laughs).

Yes. I think that if you really know how much bullying hurts, you wouldn’t do it. I suppose my mother, being a dignified woman, had an influence on me. She was born in the Meiji era, and had even worked as a geisha. I only spent time with my father when I was very small. He was a sergeant, and he had to return to America. Being more than ten years younger than her, he faced the possibility of going to war. So perhaps she wondered, "Would I be able to protect her if I went with him?" and decided not to go with him. But she never once spoke ill of my father. She would say, "He was truly a kind, good man. I made your life this way. I’m sorry," as if it were her fault. So I never resented my father, not even once.

— In the past, when a TV documentary featured Tadanobu and his family, many things about his grandfather - that is, your father - were revealed.

Yes. As it turned out, my father had passed away in 1992, and we discovered that he always kept a photo of me from when I was little close to him until the day he died. That made me realize he really was that kind of person. Of course, when you become an adult, you go through many things. But no matter how much parents fight, it really has nothing to do with the child. So you should never speak ill of your partner. Even if you end up separated, I hope you tell your child, "He was a wonderful person."

— Words that come from experience do carry weight. You had always seemed rather mysterious, including your upbringing, but I feel I’m beginning to understand you a little better.

You’ve got to keep a little mystery, right? (Laughs.) My ex-boyfriend often told me, "You talk too much about yourself. It’s better to keep some things mysterious.”

— Was that something your former boyfriend, the painter, said?

Yes, that’s right. I met him in my sixties, and we spent ten years together. When we argued, he would sit facing the wall with a stern expression, and at first I wondered what he was doing. Later he would say things like, "That one thing you said tormented me for a week." I thought, "My, are all artists like this?" (laughs). He was so different from me and that was fascinating—but he was certainly an unusual person.

— He sounds like an introspective person.

I loved the way he drank and smoked while gazing out the window. His gestures were really beautiful. I think I would have fallen for him just by seeing him sitting on a street corner like that. He would sit down to play the piano or the guitar, and he sang beautifully, too. Really, he could do anything. I had always painted myself, but it was through him that I felt I wanted to paint more. Since I never went to art school, my approach was completely free. I guess that was intriguing to him. I think we inspired each other that way. Love really does change you - and your life.

Her Artistic View and Philosophy of Life

— That’s a wonderful way of thinking. Is the painting hanging on the wall your recent work?

Yes. I haven’t shown it publicly yet. I mainly paint with acrylics, and I run out of red, white, and black quickly—and blue as well. For my next exhibition, I’m planning six works of this size. Currently, I’m enjoying working on a size-100 canvas I got for my birthday. I may also present about two pieces of that size at the exhibition. I also draw with my finger on my phone and post about three of those on Instagram every day.

— Your paintings often seem to feature human figures as motifs. Is that intentional?

Yes, there’s always a figure somewhere. I suppose I like people. It's just that my personality makes my mood shift daily. In just fifteen minutes, I could feel completely different. After a week, I might look at a painting and think, "This isn’t what I want to paint," and paint over it. I don’t really get attached to my work. I keep changing it.

— Perhaps exhibitions also serve as a milestone for you.

Honestly, I don’t really need to show my work to anyone. But if I didn’t, there would be no ending. So once a piece is finished, I have to deliver it right away (laughs). If I kept painting at home, I could go on endlessly.

— Although the word ‘art’ often sounds highbrow, you engage with it in a more natural, unpretentious way.

I wonder what it means to be an artist. Is art about studying the fundamentals, finishing art school, and being flawless? To me, art is about individuality. It’s not something others can dictate because each person feels something and expresses it in their own way. Of course, when I look at paintings, there are times I think, "What is this?" And I’m sure there are people who look at my work and make a fuss, saying, "That’s wrong," or criticizing one thing after another That’s just how they feel when they see it, and there’s nothing you can do about it. But I don’t think anyone has the right to say, "That’s not right," or "This isn’t art." It’s simply a matter of whether you like it or not.

— I think expressions without a clear right answer are difficult to grasp, since there can be so many different views and opinions. But that’s exactly what makes them interesting.

My boyfriend, who was a painter, told me, "There’s no such thing as failure in painting. You can always paint over it and start again." And I realized how true that is. Now, when I paint, my mind is completely free of thoughts. I really think being an artist is wonderful. They live so freely, and I think that’s wonderful, although such freedom inevitably comes with challenges. My paintings don’t have fixed titles. I want viewers to imagine freely, guided by their own sensibilities. If viewers leave feeling happy, that would be great.

— Looking back on your life together like this, I can’t help but feel that with each passing year you’ve had truly wonderful encounters.

It all comes down to fate. Out of so many people, you came to me today for the shoot and we got to know each other. That is indeed fate, and I will treasure it. Because I want our time together to be fun, while we’re at it. That’s how I’ve lived for many years. I've had so much help from the people around me. It's probably because I'm cheerful by nature. I feel that it is important to always look forward.

— I can really relate to that. There may be tough times, too, though.

You really need to be determined. But since it’s your own life, once you make that decision, I think most things will work out. As long as you don’t hurt anyone, you should live freely, however you like. I feel the same way about fashion, too. It becomes difficult to take risks as you become older and have more to protect. I certainly understand the feeling of getting cold feet about trying new things. But if you keep saying things like that, you’ll never get anything done. If you're taking good care of yourself and enjoying yourself, people around you will definitely find themselves having fun, too.

— I suppose that mindset is probably one of the reasons why you come across as someone with a style.

I’ve always had my own way of thinking, and I've lived for as long as 75 years. I don't get swayed by others anymore. Let me live how I want — that's my mentality (laughs). I feel lucky to have been able to live this way until now. I caused my mother a lot of trouble, but I was able to care for her in the end, so in that sense I have no regrets.

— I really think it’s wonderful that you can say so with certainty.

In the end, you should celebrate your own life. That’s why I think I love denim. It lets me be free, active, and show my true self the most. This denim will probably change its look as I continue to wear and wash it. It’ll get covered with paint, too, but I'm looking forward to that as well. Please come visit again when these jeans have taken on a nice look.

PROFILE

Junko Asano

Born in 1950 in Yokohama to a Japanese mother and a Scandinavian-American father. She is in her seventies and still an active model appearing in campaigns. In her sixties, she became deeply engaged in drawing, and has since been active as a painter. She is also known as the mother of actor Tadanobu Asano.

@junkowillma