Since launching FACTOTUM, Koji Udo has always traveled before creating a collection. The history he saw and experienced, along with the people who weave that history, gives his creations a sense of reality. During his 10 years of global travels, he says that three Asian countries most deeply shook his values. --I've heard that your recent trip to India, Tibet, and Nepal was also a memorable one. Before its completion, a country is full of energy. The cities and the people. What was overwhelming was the presence of religion. Jokhang, the "holy land of Tibetan Buddhism" where children as young as 18 years make pilgrimages over the years, and the Ganges River where cremated remains are dumped... These are things you'd never see in Japan, and seeing and hearing about them really is quite different. I managed to avoid any trouble thanks to the collaboration of Factotum's creative team, including a photographer and graphic designer, but had I been alone, I might have been caught up in that powerful magnetic force. In Nepal, I developed a high fever just before returning home, so I boarded the plane with an IV drip and headed straight to the hospital from Narita. --I heard you also had some interesting encounters in Nepal.

Yes. Our guide said his house was nearby and he'd invite me over for dinner. He has five children, and they're a large family, living with his siblings' families and grandparents. Not only was there no electricity, but there was no running water either. I'll never forget the curry I ate with my hands, surrounded by everyone.

--How do the things you learn from your travels influence your collections?

It depends on the case, but I try to incorporate the tribal patterns and colors I see and hear about while traveling. I had the Indian embroidery collection made locally. I then incorporate what I absorbed locally into real styles like sports and rock.

--Have you always loved traveling?

I first became interested in the city after my graduation trip to London. It was a hectic day trip on the Eurostar, mainly to Paris, but the moment I arrived, I knew I wanted to live there. Skateboarding, British pop...the origins of street culture, which had such a huge influence on me, were there. I initially joined BEAMS, but my love for London was hard to shake, so I quit after just one year. Once my wish came true and I started living there, I bought loads of second-hand clothes at flea markets in Camden and Portobello, and rummaged through records. I had intended to stay for at least a year, but I ended up running out of money in six months (laughs).

--I heard that Japan will be the theme for this fall/winter collection.

When I traveled to Finland, I learned that Alva Aalto, one of the most representative architects of the 20th century, was inspired by Japanese tenement houses and cupboards, and it made me realize once again how amazing the country where I was born and raised is. For my first project, I went to Bifuka Town in Hokkaido, the setting for Haruki Murakami's novel, A Wild Sheep Chase. I worked with wool in a straightforward way, and also incorporated Ainu patterns.

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