--About your latest collection. It says that under the theme of "Basara," you incorporated traditional Japanese techniques into your work.

Among the many creators here, I may be the one who is most conscious of Japanese influences. Others may be more internationally minded.

As for why I haven't been to the world, it's because I travel extensively and interact with many different people, and each time I do, I'm reminded of my pride in being Japanese. I believe there are qualities that people overseas simply can't have, so I naturally incorporate Japanese elements, and when I'm competing, I try to bring those qualities to the forefront.

--You can sense that sentiment in all of your work.

Another thing I thought about when presenting my latest collection was what my strengths and weaknesses are. Designers of my generation who are active around the world have been in the fashion world for about 40 years. On the other hand, I've been focusing on large events for about 20 years. So, in my case, fashion is one of my skills, and the other is event direction. I thought it would be better to unsheathe both swords and work in both fields.

In other words, even though I've been designing costumes for events and other events for 40 years, I haven't always been in the fashion business and provided products. So, in simple comparison with them, if someone were to ask me, "Where can I buy KANSAI clothes now?" I'd be able to say, "Isetan." So, I plan to frequent the store (at the pop-up store opening on January 2nd) and meet with customers. Recently, Lady Gaga contacted me and appeared on TV shows wearing my clothes, so I have a feeling that this will show young people what kind of person Kansai is, and that this will spark interest in me and lead to more young people visiting Isetan.

--Are there any items in particular that you're interested in?

This time, Isetan is collaborating with young designers, including Misha Janette. I recently saw her work and felt a common thread. That is, she basically designs for herself. Her designs are clothes that she thinks look best on herself.

This varies from designer to designer, but for example, when formulating a marketing strategy, they might say, "Kansai's style is too bold, so dilute it a bit..." I think that would be a failure. Rather, it's better to have a variety of styles, even though everyone has different values. I would like to continue experimenting with what I can do in the Isetan space.

--Public awareness of Japan is on the rise, but Kansai said that Cool Japan as seen from Japan is different from Cool Japan as seen overseas.

At the dentist I go to, there's a display next to the treatment table where we can watch various videos. The other day, I saw Sarah Brightman there and I thought, "Ah, this woman thinks she's the most beautiful person in the world, and that's why she sings and acts." The lighting and composition were designed to make her look her best. I couldn't believe there was a creator who praised herself so highly. Meanwhile, when I watched Japanese channels, I saw artists who would have been eliminated if they had entered the same contest as her, singing confidently, let alone directed. In that sense, I feel there's a huge gap between Japan and overseas.

I often see articles about how a highly acclaimed Japanese singer performed in Paris, but I wonder how many people actually make a rational judgment based on information like the size of the audience or how many French people know the singer, rather than just the praise from fans.

I support the movement to export Japan's great products overseas, but I think it's important to carefully consider what we're doing, not just because it's popular with young people.

--Can you tell us about your future plans?

I'd like to focus on activities that will help create fans overseas who know what a great country Japan is, and promote the country's excellence. Every year, I've held events in a different country, but now my attitude has changed a bit. I've declared that starting next year, I'll be spending the next three years in "hell."

--What do you mean by "hell"?

There are times when you feel miserable. It's not like you're being hit by someone, but rather mental anguish. If you can control those feelings of misery, you can take on more challenges and take action. I think that the misery is caused by your own mind binding you. These three years of hell are a time to improve my mental state; I feel that if I don't, I won't be able to adapt to the modern world.

As for English, I've been praised for my significant improvement after attending Berlitz, but I'm terrible with computers. Even when I want to see a movie, I still look up theater information in the newspaper and call to find out. I have excellent support from the staff, but when I'm alone, I'm completely helpless. However, I can't rely on them forever, so I'm trying to learn how to do it myself. It's not a big deal, but I think I'll be doing a lot of training from next year. In a year, I might be doing interviews using a tablet or something (laughs). I might look at the staff's equipment and say, "That's an old model, isn't it?" (laughs).

--So you're improving your physical condition (laughs). What kind of activities will you be doing while training like this?

I thought there were few people with a basara mentality among modern Japanese people, but someone gave me this advice: "That's a misunderstanding. Although people may be wearing suits these days, there are still many basara-like people in Japan today. Why don't you think about building horizontal connections and collaborations?"

So, whether they're famous or not, I'm planning to go out into the city and meet people like that.

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