Interview with Mogamigawa Tsukasa

Shortly before the release of his first major single, MATSUPOIYO, JaME had the opportunity to ask THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S drummer-turned-enka singer Mogamigawa Tsukasa a few questions about himself, the enka genre and his upcoming release.

Please introduce yourself to our readers who might not heard of you yet.

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: I'm Mogamigawa Tsukasa from Yamagata, a new kind of visual kei enka singer! The first in the world!

For sixteen years, you've gone by the name TSUKASA. What’s the reason for switching to Mogamigawa Tsukasa now? What meaning does this name have for you?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: I wanted to separate my feelings into "TSUKASA" when I perform as a member of THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S, the rock band, and "Mogamigawa Tsukasa" when I perform as an enka singer. The reason I changed my name to Mogamigawa Tsukasa was, firstly, as a Japanese, I wanted to have my name in kanji. Also, the Mogamigawa is an actual river in my hometown Yamagata. It flows past my parents' place, so I know it well, and it was counted as one of the three rapids in Japan. It sounds powerful, and it also holds the literal meaning of aiming for the top, so the name is charged with those meanings.

Due to your father’s enthusiasm and a concert you attended as a three-year-old, you discovered your love of enka. How does it feel to finally follow such a long cherished dream?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: I feel very happy. I feel only gratitude for all the people who are assisting and supporting me.

What is enka to you?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: It's my origin, and also a spirit of Japan.

Do you have an idol in enka music? Which enka musicians have influenced you especially?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: Kitajima Saburou, Hosokawa Takashi, Yoshi Ikuzou and Toba Ichirou.

You wrote your very first song while still at school. How does your present writing process differ from that of the past?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: The writing process hasn't changed so much, but various aspects have become easier than before, because a lot of the equipment I used to compose with is now on my PC.

You'd like to express your gratitude your own way and with your own words. Would you please reveal to us what kind of gratitude this is exactly?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: It's good for me to tell them directly, but I want to be grateful to those who’ve assisted and supported me until now in writing music. It's a way of expression that only I myself can do; because I couldn't have made it here without them.

You’ve been called "Japan’s first visual enka singer.” What does this title mean to you?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: They gave me this title as I’m the first enka singer in Japan and also the world to style my hair and wear heavy make-up in typical visual kei fashion.

Can you explain to us what “visual enka” music is about, and how you got the idea?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: I'm proud of visual kei because I was in the scene for a long time. So I thought that I could create something original by merging visual kei and my favourite music, enka.

MATSUPOIYO was also featured on your indies single Matsupoi yo / Hitohira no sakura. Could you explain to us why you chose this song for your major debut as well?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: This song MATSUPOIYO was what I wanted to express now, and my support staff also agreed about including the song.

You like to draw in your free time. Can you see yourself designing the jacket artwork for one of your own releases someday?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: I've already designed a character called "Tsukataro" on the indie version. I’ve designed merchandise also. I hope to design something by myself in future.

You covered some well-known enka songs at a show in Chelsea Hotel on April 15th. In the enka scene, it’s common for singers to cover well-known enka songs. Can we expect to hear you covering some of them too?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: I'd love to if I get the chance.

You are actually more famous for being a rock musician and are consequently very used to that kind of audience. Do enka music fans behave differently compared to rock fans? What do you think?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: It's difficult to answer because I've only sung in front of enka fans a few times, but I got the impression that rock music fans seemed to be entertained and excited. I think it's fresh for them both musically and visually. I'll do my best to excite enka music fans afterwards.

You were hitting the stage in a flamboyant red kimono but one time in a stylish black suit as well. How important is the visual aspect for you?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: The red kimono is a visual kei enka style that I really want to express now, and the black suit was considered with a situation or expression in that place. Both are important for me.

For your previous shows, you were accompanied by SHUN., kazuya and ZERO as backing musicians. How important is their support for you?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: They're previous members who drive me forward and support my dream. kazuya in particular, who is the bandleader and management office president, backed my move into enka. In general, the other members don't usually support a kind of music that is so different. They also taught me how enjoyable rock versions of enka music can be. I'm full of gratitude.

As part of D'espairsRay and THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S, you’ve toured throughout Europe. You also played in the USA with D'espairsRay. Can you imagine performing your enka songs on stage in foreign countries as well?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: I really want to perform in foreign countries. Although it's far away from rock music, the spirit of Japan is common to Japanese rock music. I think it naturally expresses what only the Japanese people have, so I want you to feel and catch them in your senses. In addition to standard enka and kayoukyoku songs, I can sing rock music versions. I want you to listen to both versions. And for fans who like D'espairsRay and THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S, I want you to see Mogamigawa Tsukasa as an artist too; not just TSUKASA.

You performed Hanagasa Ondo, a kind of Japanese folk song called “min'you” overseas. How did you feel about the audiences’ reactions?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: They looked like they enjoyed it and I was happy. Before I sang it, I was surprised that many of them already knew I was an enka lover. When someone in the audience held up a piece of paper that said "ENKA PLEASE!!" – I laughed in surprise. That was real pressure. Min'you usually keeps on-beat, but they kept off-beat in overseas countries. That was interesting for me.

The music video of MATSUPOIYO feature cherries, a speciality of your hometown Yamagata as well as Imoni soup, a kind of potato soup, eaten in autumn in Northeast Japan; and sketching. Why did you choose to include these?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: As the song title MATSUPOIYO suggests, this is the song with which I think of my hometown, so I wanted to feature a lot of specialities of Yamagata to express my love for the town. And the director of the music video suggested I take up my picture. He wanted to film a scene that I, in a white robe and uncolored, imagine and draw "Mogamigawa Tsukasa. The day before we filmed, I spent four hours drawing my picture. (laughs)

In one of your latest blog entries, you revealed that you’ve quit smoking. Could you please tell us the motive behind this decision?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: Because I'm conscious of being a singer afterwards, and to avoid damaging my throat.

What do your plans for the future look like?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: I don't know for the near future, but in the distant future, my dream is to go on writing and singing the songs I wish to sing. I also want to go around the world to sing.

Could you please leave a message to our readers?

Mogamigawa Tsukasa: In the past, I've done a lot of concerts overseas as a member of rock bands, but for my new dream, I'll once again do my best to travel overseas to hold concerts as Mogamigawa Tsukasa. So, please continue to support me, just as you have in days gone by. Also, for those to you hearing about me for the first time, please lend me your support so I’ll be able to achieve the same dream with you.

-With lots of love and gratitude, Mogamigawa Tsukasa.

JaME would like to thank Mogamigawa Tsukasa and Mr. Hoshino of Prime Music, a division of Universal Music Japan for making this interview possible.

You can watch a preview of the music video for MATSUPOIYO below: