February 13

When I think about it now, I never really learned all the things required from an editor, such as writing, proofreading, organizing, and knowledge related to printing and the entire process of putting together a magazine. "Studying by observing, investigating when in doubt, asking people if available, and otherwise just going ahead" - that’s been my style, and I suppose such trial-and-error kind of experience is what other editors base their careers on as well. In short, I have no teachers or instructors, however there does exist someone who introduced me to the fascination of the editing business. It’s a person without whom I wouldn't be where I'm now, and today I have the opportunity to meet this person for the first time in two years. He quit the magazine business to work in other media, where he still seems to be standing out with his dazzlingly genuine sensitivity and power.

 

February 18

With my trip to London for the next issue approaching, I finally manage to go and get my new passport. Looking at the two red passports - the old one and the new one - I'm holding in my hands now, I realize that the last time I got a new passport was ten years ago, when I was just about to graduate from university. Back then I surely had no idea where I was going to be ten years later, just like I have no idea what’s going be ten years from now. That’s kind of scary, but also quite exciting.

 

February 27

The last couple of days before my London trip I'm so busy with various preparations that I work night and day, so once I'm on the plane I spend most of the time sleeping and eating. After checking in at my hotel, Tatsuo from Dazed invites me to the "Printspace" charity exhibition hosted by Dazed and Nudie Jeans. Even though it’s a weekday, the place is crammed with people, which is probably because they're serving free drinks. I meet Aya-san, our photographer for this issue, and together we tour around the city’s restaurants and clubs. The last place my friends take me to is the "Karaoke Night" organized by Richard Mortimer, whose popular Boombox event terminated at the end of last year. The "Lucky Voice" kaoraoke box (see also "+81" Vol. 32), designed by MadeThought, seems to be crowded every night, and witnessing how deep karaoke culture is obviously rooted in London’s nightlife, I suffer a bit of a culture shock.

February 28

After visiting the design studio Spin, I check out Tate Modern. The huge crack in the floor of the ground floor exhibition hall is a work by Doris Salcedo, titled "Shibboleth". I keep walking up and down along the crack wondering how the artist made that, but I'm still clueless when leaving the venue.

March 1

Today I'm interviewing illustrator Will Sweeney and graphic designer/musician Trevor Jackson. Talking to the delicate Will and the full-hearted Trevor - two very contrasting characters - I finally begin to feel a sense of fulfillment doing this job in London.

Trevor, who designed several record covers for the likes of Soulwax, says that "the days of the record cover are probably counted if the trend of distributing music online continues," and this comment still reverberates deep in my mind. For me, a life without record covers would be a sad one.

March 3

The office designers Jody & Luke Hudson Powell share with illustrator Jethro Haynes is characterized by the innocent atmosphere of a child’s room, including the trio’s three cutely colored trackbikes. The trackbike trend has yet to reach London, and I learn that the three models here were made by the artists' Japanese friends. "I broke my elbows a couple of times already!" reports Jody. I wonder how a designer can work with broken elbows…

March 4

Another set of interviews today. The first is with former Dazed art director Peter Stitson, followed by a conversation with designer/illustrator Kate Moross, who is still a student but already the talk of the town these days. After the respective photo shootings I visit the talk event "This happened…", hosted by "United Visual Artists" member Joel Gethin Lewis and Andreas Muller from Nanika. The core theme is interactive design, around which each of the varied participating creators uses his or her timeframe for a free talk style presentation. Like it’s the case also with Tokyo’s own equivalent, the popular "Pecha-kucha Night", people are queuing up to participate in this event that is staged for the third time today.

March 5

This is the last day of my stay in London. Although the city is famous for its grey and misty sky, this time I was blessed with wonderfully sunny weather. However, with four years to go until the Olympic Games, London is in the middle of a construction rush, which is why cranes are now all over the place and destroy the otherwise fantastic scenery. I guess the city will look different next time I come here. To sum up my days in London, I must say that I had a great time meeting all those people, but also that going out and drinking a lot kept me from taking photos, which I deply regret now…

March 6

I board the plane back to Japan with a hangover, and don't wake up until arriving at Narita Airport. In case this unspectacular travel report made you curious, you can read more in the upcoming vol. 40 of "+81", which will hit the shops on May 11th.