Thanks so much to Tatsuhiko Watanabe for the interview! The Penelopes have many albums and singles under their belt,  and many compilation appearances. They are definitely one of the most important Japanese indiepop bands but I noticed very little is being written about them in English for some reason. So I wanted to set things right and got in touch with Tatsuhiko who has been kind enough to answer all my questions! Hope you enjoy this great interview!

++ Hi Tatsuhiko! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! We’ve been friends on Facebook for a long time, but first time I’m going to ask you some questions about your music, so I’m pretty excited. How are you? Are you still making music?

Thank you very much for remembering me! I’m fine.
We are planning to release the new album next year, which have been finished 3/4. But actually, as caring for my parents in their mid 80s is now at more difficult stage than before, I have almost no time to concentrate on finishing some tracks these days. But I don’t give up its release. And when I have a little free time, I record bits and pieces of melodies and take notes for lyrical ideas or song titles.

++ Let’s start from the beginning. Are you originally from Tokyo? What are your first music memories? Do you remember what was your first instrument? How did you learn to play it? What sort of music did you listen at home while growing up?

Well, I’m not from Tokyo. I’m from Takarazuka, Hyogo and still live there. It is located in the west part of Japan, 45 minutes by train from Osaka. A very quiet and comfortable place to live in, which I’m sure has had a huge influence on my making music. The town is also famous for Takarazuka Revue,  whose long history has  I think made this town very beautiful and sophisticated, which also gives me some inspirations.

I was born in 1965, so my first musical memories are from a lot of Japanese tokusatsu/anime TV shows in the 60s, such as Ultraman, Ultraseven, Mighty Jack, Kaiki Daisakusen (Operation Mystery), W3 (Wonder Three), and Sasuke etc… I believe they have become my flesh and blood.

I started playing the guitar ( by sneaking into my brother’s room ) when I became aware of rock music, but my first instrument was not the guitar but the “electone”, which I met in Yamaha kids electronic organ class when I was six, which didn’t last long though.

As for the guitar, I started touching as mentioned above when I was sixteen or something. My brother also had a huge cassette tape collection in the late 70s to early 80s. Naturally I had so many accesses to 60s – 80s that I got exposed to “rock music”: from Motown classics, the famous big names like The Beatles,  The Kinks, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, , Steely Dan, Bruce Springsteen, Bill Joel to the New Wave greats at that time such as Elvis Costello, XTC, Squeeze, The Jam, The Clash, The Boomtown Rats, Joe Jackson, Graham Parker, Ian Dury, Nick Lowe, The Police,  The Knack, Cheap Trick, Cars, PIL, Pop Group, The Pretenders, U2, Echo and the Bunnymen, Madness, Culture Club …and many more. And then I got fascinated with more sophisticated New Wave pop of the era – Synth Pop (OMD, China Crisis, Depeche Mode etc) and Guitar Pop so-called Neo Aco (Aztec Camera, The Pale Fountains, The Bluebells etc). That is the way I was growing up and they made the core of The Penelopes.

++ Were you involved in other bands before the The Penelopes? 

Except for joining one studio session for my brother’s band The Sound Mirrors, I had never been involved in anybody’s bands before The Penelopes.

++ How was Tokyo back when you started the band? Were there any like-minded bands that you were friends with? What were the good record stores? Or what about the places or venues to go check out up and coming bands?

As I mentioned above,  I was not in Tokyo when indie pop was starting to catch on in the late 80’s, so I didn’t know how ‘the scene’ was, even didn’t know it existed!  In the early 90’s, I came to know there was a “neo aco scene” in the big city with the rise of Flipper’s Guitar. But for my part I only went to buy many UK New Wave/indie pop records in Osaka or Kobe, and sometimes happened to find Japanese guitar pop’s tapes too, so I couldn’t find any ‘scene’ and didn’t come to become friends. It was not until contacting Boshi Label in Nara that I found many indie pop artists in Kansai area too by listening to their compilation tape. It was 1990.

++When and how did the band start?

As you know, The Penelopes is originally a solo unit that I started. I had started to engage in music seriously since around 1986, making some demos by 1989 when I used pseudonyms such as The Love Parade (after The Undertones song) and Sunnyside (for my love of the Sara Label’s image). With these imaginary band images, I started to send the demos to both Japanese and overseas labels. Of course I had no reaction at all, except for Boshi Label in Nara, writing me back, which really encouraged me. So I became more serious, and I thought I should make more decent demos. And then more and more helping people were coming together. This is the way The Penelopes hoisted a sail.

++ The band has always been mostly you, right? But was there a classic lineup for the band? How many people have played in the Penelopes and how did you knew them?

It was basically my solo unit, but in the very early recording and playing live, I was pursuing “the sound of The Penelopes” with the help of other members. I had a session with my younger brother Satoshi (a huge fan of The Smiths and REM)on guitar and another guitarist named Yoshiji Awatani (also a fan of The Smiths), who I came to know through the ad he put out on a music magazine called Rockin’ On  in early 1990, and after that I started to use the name The Penelopes. I made some demo tapes with Satoshi between 1990 and 1991, which brought us the offer from Por Supuesto Records. So I recruited two more members – Tadashi Naoyama (guitar) and Satoshi Nishide (keyboard) for gigs and recordings. They contacted me through a tiny ad on a magazine called Player. So the lineup for “Evergreen” recording in late 1991was me, Satoshi, Tadashi N, and Satoshi N.

And after Satoshi and Tadahi leaving, Yoshiji, Satoshi N and I went into Studio 8 in Ashiya, recording the debut album “In A Big Golden Cage” in 1992. Shortly after the release in 1993, Chigusa Miyata (bass) joined us and recorded the 2nd “Touch the Ground” in Studio YOU during that summer, Osaka. She has supported The Penelopes sound since then.

So, many people have come and gone for more than 25 years, but as those who played both 1st and 2nd helped to build the “fundamentals” of The Penelopes, they are definitely the classic lineup I think. In addition, Kazuki Nashimoto , the drummer for “Eternal Spring”, was also a great player who grasped my music well. Though I couldn’t record his drumming well on the album, he should be also one of the lineup.

++ There were a few lineup changes too, right? 

Almost all the players on the songs since the 3rd album “Kiss Of Life” were guests except for Chigusa and Kazuki (on “Eternal Spring”), so there have been almost no lineup changes since “Kiss Of life”. That’s because I have come to understand what The Penelopes sound is.

++ Why the name the The Penelopes? 

“The Penelopes” were named after the 60’s TV show The Thunderbirds, where appears a female London agent named Lady Penelope. I felt a great yearning for the 60’s atmosphere that the show symbolized. I would often be asked if it came from Felt’s “Penelope Tree”, but it didn’t.

++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?

The process is numerous. Sometimes melodies come to my mind first. Sometimes I think of a nice song title first. Sometimes they come altogether. And sometimes nothing comes but chord progression etc … the ways for rough ideas to become a song are countless. For my part I usually make a song demo with a basic format (guitars/ bass/organ/drums) by myself, and then other members hear the demo and add their own seasonings.

As for the “Cage”(1st) and “Touch”(2nd) era, we usually practiced in the studios we recorded the albums. Between “Kiss”(3rd) and “Light”(5th), we didn’t practiced in studios at all. In the “Eternal”(6th) and”Summerdew”(7th) era, We would often practiced in the studio in Nishinomiya (next to my hometown Takarazuka).

++ Most of your output happened in the 90s and I feel it was a pretty good time for Japanese indiepop, with many labels and even more bands. Did you feel part of a scene during that decade? If you were to make a top-five of the best bands in Japan during the 90s, who would that be?

The 90’s flew too fast for me, and were also hard years. Of course there were enjoyable moments as well… But as I started my own label and had to find distributors, to promote my new album by myself, which meant I had to see the business side more seriously. Shibuyakei was colourful but in a sense pretty biased and difficult time to sell the music I wanted to play actually.

So I still can’t regard and recollect the 90’s as ‘good old days’ nostalgically. I still can’t afford to feel like “oh, I was part of Japanese indie pop scene!”. I just remember I tried best to make good music heart and soul, and failed in vain.

And many bands seemed like rivals to me, not like friends in those days. I wanted the labels to promote my music more and wanted to sell mine myself.
But looking back now, I know we all felt the same, and I really regret that I couldn’t afford at all then.

So this is the ‘if you are out there, please listen. I loved your music…’ list. They are all Japanese indie bands in the 90’s that played near us, some of who still remain active.

1. The Roof
2. B-flower
3. Christopher Robin
4. Chelsea Terrace
5. Blueberry, Very Blue

++ And who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?

To cut a long list short, these are the tree main masts of The Penelopes:  (1) XTC, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, The Jam etc., so called early new wave , power pop and neo mod in the late 70’s (2) The Pale Fountains, Aztec Camera etc., jangly guitar pop in the 80’s (3) The Beatles, The Kinks, The Who etc., 60’s greats.

++ Your first release actually happened on one of these very fine labels, ¡Por Supuesto! Records. It was the “In a Big Golden Cage” album. How did you end up signing with this label? How was your relationship with them?

I think Boshi Label ( I mentioned above) had a compilation plan, and then it drew attention to a bigger label, ¡Por Supuesto!. Actually it
was established under a Japanese major label, Toshiba EMI. After the success of Flipper’s Guitar, many major labels were trying to find young new sounds. One day the label producer called me and told The Penelopes to take part in the label’s sampler, which became “The Birth Of the True” in 1992. When we were recording “Evergreen” in the studio in Osaka, I asked him if we would have a possibility to release an album. And he allowed us a small budget for it. Maybe that was the finest moment in the ¡Por Supuesto! years.

The relationship between them and us was literally minimum. While I was in Kansai, the label was in Tokyo,very far off place. As the early 90’s were the era of no Internet, the mutual communication tended to be deficient.

Though a famous music critic who was familiar with this kind of music got engaged in the recording as a producer, he was also not in Kansai and so busy he couldn’t come all the way so often to see us recording. I remember I alone, or in some cases two or three of the band attended the recording doing trial and error in the studio in Ashiya. While we had such a good time there, I was always feeling disappointed with the lack of　the heat from the label. I didn’t know how to get along with the label , and had an impression that they were puzzled how to sell our music. When I visited their office in Tokyo, they had almost no promotional staff about The Penelopes, which really made me want to cry. So, I wrote to them that we would provide various kit for promotional use, would attend the meeting if possible, but had no reply. After all, I think “guitar pop” wasn’t mature enough to become a big movement at the stage of 1993.

Therefore, every time I call up the relationship then, I’m really caught in the mixed feelings. It is true that I was so lucky in terms
of the way we got known, but I always had dissatisfaction that we didn’t get enough promotional support from the label.

++ Was this your very first record? Or had there been other recordings previously?

Apart from the vinyl recorded at our junior high school’s choral competition in 1980, “Evergreen” was my first recording, which was contained on the 1992 compilation “Th Birth Of the True”.

++ Two of the songs that appear on this first album were to be released as a 7″ single by the Spanish label Elefant Records. How did your music, before the internet, crossed the continents and ended up in Luis Elefant’s ears? Was there any chance to continue releasing music with them?

Circa 1991, there was a grass-root indie pop community in Western Europe
consisting of the people who love the underground guitar pop bands sounding like those from C86 to Sarah records at that time. Through several cassette tapes I made, The Penelopes seemed to be heard by some of those people. Communicating with Red Roses For Me (UK) and some French labels developed into their compilation tapes, which I suppose reached to Elefant’s ears. To tell the truth we had an idea of making one more single from the 2nd album “Touch the Ground”. For my part, I wanted a song called “Good music” to be a new single, so I wrote to Elefant  to do so, with a design draft for the sleeve I drew. But it went up in smoke unnoticeably.

++ And just out of curiosity, did you ever meet with the Elefant people? Ever go to Spain?

No, I ‘ve never been to Spain unfortunately. I’m sure it’s Chigusa the bassist that has been there, because She also plays for a mod garage band and they were invited to a music festival there some years ago.

++ Both of the songs on the 7″ are beautiful. It was actually how I discovered your music, through them. So was curious if in a few lines you could tell me what inspired them?

I think “It’s Not You” aimed at the world  the 80’s guitar pop bands such as The Pale Fountains and The Railway Children have expressed, while “Please Listen To Me” was strongly influenced by Shoes ( power pop fame in America) and early Elvis Costello. “A Place Called Home” (early version) was, with deep reverbs,  mixed more atmospheric than later one, because I would often listen to The Smiths and McCarthy in those days.

++ Your second album came out in 1993 and it was called “Touch the Ground”. Something that caught my attention was the art on the back cover, where a diagram explains how to “touch the ground”. What was the idea behind that?

Our 2nd album “Touch the Ground” came out in 1994 ( “In A Big Golden Cage” In 1993). The whole sleeve idea was come up with and created by Mitsunori Saski, who was the singer for the band The Roof (above mentioned), and he passed away many years ago, so I don’t know what he tried to imply.　At that time, I was just happy and excited to see someone make mysterious sleeve designs based on my music. More than that, I was worried about the front sleeve, because I thought it resembled “Frank” by Squeeze.

++ Then Discogs lists a 1994 tape album called “Power of Music”. Was this a proper release? I’m not familiar with that one at all. Care telling me a bit about it?

Maybe someone who made our discography on Discogs was wrong… “Power Of Music” was a cassette album released in 1995, and also “Magic Circles” in 1996. The only release in 1994 was a two track cassette “Chocolate Train (Part 1)”. They were all sold (except for “Chocolate Train”) through nationwide record shops then such as Tower Records and Wave, so “Power” was a proper release. I remember we took part in my friend’s cassette compilation as well , but this “cassette fad” in the late 90s is unknown, because the major labels imitated our ways at a lower price (sometimes for free), and it went outdated immediately. And then around the year 2000 the shops above mentioned started to stop selling the music from the labels with true indie /DIY attitudes. We were driven out.

The aim of these tape releases were all my self complacency. As I wasn’t sure when we would have our next CD out, I couldn’t wait. The sound quality of them was so low, but that was OK for me. I was really really starving to put out my works in those days.

++ The next, and following releases by The Penelopes were all on Vaudeville Park Records. Who were Vaudeville Park Records? Was it yourself?

Vaudeville Park Records is a micro indie label run by me alone. It started in 1996, when I had finished the 3rd album “Kiss Of Life” but the release was delayed. I got mad. So, I opened an extempore tiny shop to sell the next album, but It’s become my final abode. The name derives from the album by The Jet Set, an outfit led by Paul Bevoir, a great British songwriter I do respect.

++ I notice on one of the songs, “Today”, there is a another Watanabe doing backing vocals. Who is he? 

The lead singer on “Today” is not “Satoshi”, my brother (early member of The Penelopes). But who is doing backing vocals… isn’t it me??

++ I start to notice that the band was more of an album band rather than an EP or singles band. Do you agree? Was it intentional? Why do you prefer this format? 

I guess maybe you think so because The Penelopes has come out only few singles, compared with many albums released. The reason why our singles are only few and we have many albums is that simply I have written many songs and financially the format we can release many songs on at one time is album. Not for my preference but for convenience. Personally I love 7 inch singles, so if we have a chance to come out 7 inch, I’m really interested…

++ The “Inner Light” was your next album, released by the end of 1999. This was a very long album too, 19 songs! It was perhaps your most prolific moment?

The reason why I made a 19 song album was that I was obsessed with the idea that every band that started releasing albums is supposed to make a big album at some stage – at the fourth release or something – like double album or concept album. At least the artists I respected did so… The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, XTC, The Clash…Elvis Costello who even put 20 songs on one LP! I think I followed the general principle.

So, I don’t think that period was my most prolific moment. I have more ideas about song writing than that period, but I take such long time to finish songs and I’m too busy these days.

++ And what about Lemonade Factory studios? That’s where you used to record a lot, right? Where was it? Does it still exist? Any anecdotes you could share from your recordings there?

Lemonade Factory is a room I used for recording, not really a ‘studio’. This is just a joke. The name came from a lemonade maker called “Wilkinson Tansan”, which our family had been involved in since my great grand father. The factory was sited by Muko River, which runs near my house, but the brand name was sold and the company was closed down in the early 90s, so when I started The Penelopes, the factory had been gone already. I wanted to remain the memory forever.

++ After 3 years of silence, you returned with another top album “Eternal Spring”. Here you got él Graphics to do the artwork. And that is super cool! Were you a big fan of the él Records designs? What about the music? What would be your favourite él Records?

I feel so flattered to hear you listen to “Eternal Spring” because I seldom see it praised (especially in Japan).”Eternal” and “Summerdew Avenue” were really unfortunate works that were completely ignored by
the world. Despite those wonderful artworks (and some songs I thought to be my best works), they met with adversity and went to the bottom, which I felt really disappointed with. Great sadness still prevents me from listening soberly.

When great Mike Alway contacted me, I thought I was dreaming. This is someone different with the same name, or someone impersonating him! As for él Records, though I was not such a huge fan as to collect the whole catalogue of the label, I always paid attention to the stylish artworks and music full of technicoloured images of swinging 60’s London, and first of all, he was the “father of Shibuya-kei”. I really liked many of
their works, of which my personal favourites were the “London Pavilion Volume One” compilation and several well crafted pop singles such as “You Mary You”, “Guess I’m Dumb” by Louis Philippe and “Reach For Your Gun” by Bid.

Along with “25 O’clock” by The Dukes of Stratosphear, their enthusiasm over the 60’s culture shown in the 80’s provided a spark for me to break free from New Wave things in a sense. It was a blast for a youth of 20
or so.

++ Your last album was the 2006 “Summerdew Avenue”, which I hope is not the last one. This might be a difficult question, but comparing this album to the first one you released, do you see an evolution of the band? Do you think your music changed much during these years? 

Of course “Summerdew” is not the last album. Actually we have continued the constant releases such as mini albums “Sweet Amazer” and “Spellbound” for the last decade. I promise you I will keep on writing songs and putting out works , as long as I live. In terms of songwriting, my music has made progress and got sophisticated to some extent I suppose… because I have written for 30 years! As I was forced to do home recording financially, the sound quality had a sharp drop in “Kiss Of Life” and then hasn’t changed so much since then, but I tried to improve the song quality with the ideas to overcome it, We couldn’t chase something like perfect band ensemble, but I knew those who run after two hares will catch neither… so I focused on songwriting anyway.

But well, that is something listeners judge though…

++ But then, I’m not sure about it, but I found on Youtube that there was a mini-album called “Spellbound” released in 2015? I couldn’t find much information about it, is it available somewhere? Or is it only digital? What songs are in it?

Yes that is the latest release by us The Penelopes. The 8 song mini album was released online only on Nov. 20th 2015. Unlike the previous releases, of the eight songs penned by me, the four tracks feature three
female lead vocalists this time. Of course it is still available at iTunes Music Store, AmazonMP3, Mora and Recochoku. The songs are as follows:-

01 The Penelopes – Here Comes the Light
02 Nana Ishii and The Penelopes – Shangri-La Green
03 Splendidville – Eye Of A Needle
04 Marilyn Lo and The Penelopes – Fundamental Thing
05 The Penelopes – All That Glitters
06 The Penelopes – Hello New World
07 Splendidville – Back In Time
08 The Penelopes – Carry On

I arranged different types of singers and songs crafted according to each style and taste – 60’s Motown / girl groups (Nana Ishii), 70’s mainstream pop (Marilyn Lo) and 80’s New Wave/Powerpop (Splendidville,
a collaboration with Marsh Branch). The other four songs are sung by me. This is truly a collection of the songs full of The Penelopes’ essence I think.

++ Aside from all the albums you appeared on many compilations, on so many labels. But one that I thought was odd and interesting one was the one “The First Triangle” was included. It was for an Auto Guide? 

Auto Guide was an indie label in Tokyo established in the early 90’s and I’m not sure what happened after that, but anyway that compilation was their first work I think. I remember three bands bringing two songs and The Penelopes offering “Except Her Eyes” and “Tiny Tree House”.　It was the era when something exciting was about to happen.

++ Also you contributed to two very fine Japanese magazines like Beikoku Ongaku or Cookie Scene. How important do you think these two magazines are for the Japanese scene? Are there any other Japanese magazines you would have loved to collaborate with?

They were two greats that tried their best in the lead at the grassroots level, because no other musical magazines had comparable quality to them. Not in the sense they achieved a great success or made their own tall building, but they played a sort of thankless role – like amateurs doing supercool. But I believe they built the foundation in certain fields of Japanese music culture.

++ And just wrapping up all these “songs and records” question, if you were to choose your favourite song from the whole Penelopes’ catalog, what would that be and why?

In general, songwriters are likely to be satisfied with and care for their latest tunes, because the songs reflect what they do want to express these days. For my part, I really like “All That Glitters” and “Carry On” from the latest “Spellbound” album in 2015. Though “Sweet Amazer” (from the 2013 mini album with the same title) and “Honeymoon Is Over” (from the single in 2012) are also my favourite but the way they were mixed is unsatisfactory to me, so I will put them together on next album. Before that, “Love Is” (from “Eternal Spring” in 2003) and “1983” (from “Summerdew Avenue” in 2006) are the songs that I have a special fondness for. As for the first five albums, I have so much to reflect on… In time they may sound nostalgic, they may be fond memories though.

++ Was there any interest in your music by any other labels that for a reason or another it didn’t work out? Perhaps big labels?

I have several tiny episodes: – someone from a major label came to see us play once, a well known music writer who also was a radio DJ picked up our song, or someone famous in the music business praised one song from “Eternal Spring”etc…but it didn’t necessarily lead to a wider acceptance, maybe because of my appearance, performance, or my poor responses to their praises.

++ What about gigs? Did you play many? What was the farthest you played from your town?

Not many at all. The farthest place we have played is Tokyo. Played twice. The rest are all in Kyoto and Osaka. As a guitarist of Rhythm Fantasy (a female duo whose two mini albums I recorded and produced), I have played in Shiga too.

++ And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?

The best gigs I remember are the events hosted by those who loved the same kind of music. One was “Neo Aco / Guitar Pop Night” (though I don’t think it was the correct title), where we played The Pale Fountains’ song. And the other was a record shop’s 15th anniversary all night party. We played around twelve at midnight, but no one threw things at us because they were drunk, but really welcoming, warm atmosphere was there. Nothing makes you feel greater than playing in front of smiling faces.

++ And were there any bad gigs at all? 

I couldn’t enjoy some gigs in our early days where four or five bands that I don’t care for or have nothing to do with musically gathered and the audience had no interest in our music. I think I tend to take interest in various music, but it was quite painful to play with typical J-rock cadets with conventional attitude, or songs with no enchantment where players are eager to show off how skilled they are…　Why are you going to all the trouble of falling into a trap? The more I wondered why, the less I could concentrate in my performing.

++ So what is in store for The Penelopes, are there going to be any new recordings or releases soon?  

I’m planning to put out a 12 song album consisting of half new materials and half remixed versions of old songs (released during 2012-2015). And then all new song album will come out. I’m also thinking of an album by renewing my earliest songs before the 1st album (written and recorded as demos between 1987 and 1992). These three are my main plans.

++ What about the rest of the people who have collaborated with The Penelopes, had they been in other bands?

Each female singer who collaborated with The Penelopes on “Spellbound” had been working solo, or with her own unit. Marilyn Lo was from a female duo Rhythm Fantasy, which is going to reactivate live and recording after a long time. Marsh Branch, who worked with me under the name of Splendidville, is in itself a solo unit by a singer/songwriter in vigorous activity in Tokyo. Nana Ishii is also a solo singer, who sometimes sings in her local area, As for the past collaboration, Kaoru Masui who took part in “Inner Light” was a lead singer from Bluevery, Very Blue since 1990’s , which has revived in recent years, and Mark Richardson who participated on “Summerdew Avenue” still is working as a singer of Age Of Jets.

++ Did you get much attention from the radio or press?

As a whole, we got quite modest attention actually. The first two albums’ distribution was almost equal to the major label’s, which gave us a lot of opportunities to be published on many musical magazines, and even to be invited to a radio show. But since the late 90s, we had got downgraded extremely. Especially since we started releasing through our own label in 1997, my biggest issue has shifted to let people know our new release. The two decades of struggling! Those decades were also the time when the way Japanese media treat indie labels has drastically changed. I think that is one of the main reasons why The Penelopes are almost unknown to the thirties and under.

++ What about from fanzines?

As far as the 90s is concerned, various fanzines wrote about The Penelopes. And since around the year 2000, Intenet has become predominant , and many of the netzines have reviewed our albums. But as you know there were quite few who kept on treating indie pop music out of pure love and lasted so long.

++ Aside from music, what other hobbies do you have?

Well, I quite like music actually… but apart from that, I really like watching, researching and in some cases collecting the items related to the following things… Japanese professional baseball (NPB)staff – Hanshin Tigers in particular, wild birds, sea shells. space, picture books, Paul Klee’s artworks etc.

++ And what do you think of the Japanese team in this year’s World Cup? Do you follow any team in your country?

As for football. I had been digging the Japanese team seriously by 2002 World Cup, but now….I have no interest at all. I’m sorry. The World is too small to dream of … I know the players really made greater progress than two decades before, but they don’t have any taste…

++ Looking back in retrospective, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?

In fact I believe that the highlight as a musician has not come yet, that I’m still on the upgrade. But, reconsidering when we belonged to some sort of “scene”, the days of recording and playing live during 1993 and 1994 always cross my mind… I cannot be satisfied with the results at all, but probably those were the youngest and brightest moments in the whole Penelopes activities, I can clearly say it now. Such moments will never happen again.

++ Never been to Tokyo, or Japan.  So maybe I can ask for some suggestions? Like what are the sights I shouldn’t miss? Or the traditional food or drinks that you love that I should try?

Well I do not visit Tokyo so often I can’t recommend with confidence, but you should pop in the old buildings such as temples and shrines, and the spots where you can enjoy traditional cultures like food, clothes and music. Especially music lovers should go to Shinjyuku. Tokyo is an extremely changing city, while there are lots of places in some small towns and the suburbs that stay the same. I really recommend you to try such places. Please enjoy yourself!

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Listen
The Penelopes – A Place Called Home