On March 16, 2025, TNC News aired a captivating talk show featuring contemporary artist Tomokazu Matsuyama alongside Yujin Kitagawa and Koji Iwasawa of the famous Japanese folk music duo Yuzu. This engaging dialogue not only offered insights about their individual artistic journeys but also showcased the deep connections and shared experiences between the three creative minds.
During the conversation, Matsuyama reflected on his artistic beginnings, detailing how New York City became his muse. "New York inspired me to start painting on the streets because I had no place to exhibit my art," he explained. His need to find expression led him to transform city landscapes and urban scenes as his canvas, paving the way for his unique artistic style.
For Kitagawa and Iwasawa of Yuzu, their foray onto the streets was born from boredom and necessity. "Our first street performance began because we were getting bored of practicing at home," Kitagawa stated. Their early experiences were marked by late-night performances where they sang until the early hours, often performing to no one at all, which they found to be incredibly freeing. Iwasawa reminisced, saying, "Street performances were enjoyable for me," emphasizing the joy they found in creating music without the constraints of traditional venues.
The talk show provided a platform for the trio to explore more than just their artistic endeavors. With camaraderie evident throughout their exchanges, they discussed how their respective paths intersected. Matsuyama has collaborated with Yuzu, even designing album jackets, which highlights their mutual respect for each other's work.
It was during these formative years when Yuzu experienced feelings of disconnection from society. "We felt isolated, as everyone else was entering university or starting traditional careers," Kitagawa shared. This sentiment underscored their motivations to perform, turning solitude and detachment from societal expectations on its head and transforming it instead to community engagement through music.
A significant turning point for Yuzu came when they met the president of their current agency, who affirmed their artistic choices, stating, "Everything was affirmed after meeting the president of our agency." This encounter uplifted their spirits and encouraged them to evolve. They began to be more strategic about their craft, regularly changing their performance styles, creating flyers, recording demo tapes, and incorporating live MCs between songs, all of which marked their growth from street performances to more structured artistic expressions.
The conversation seamlessly blended stories of personal growth and creative exploration. The trio's manageable talk structure allowed for dynamic exchanges, with Matsuyama and Yuzu finding common ground not just as artists, but as individuals who have navigated challenges through their respective crafts. They highlighted the process of leaning on one another's strengths, illustrating how collaborations can be incredibly fruitful.
Reflecting on their journeys, Kitagawa noted, "We had to regularly adapt our lives, and each experience, even the tough ones, shaped who we are today." The talk show offered viewers not just laughter and entertainment but also important lessons about resilience and creativity. Each story shared served to inspire those who may find themselves at similar crossroads, unsure of their next steps.
The enriched exchange concluded on a hopeful note, emphasizing the importance of pursuing passions and reclaiming one's voice, even when feeling adrift. Matsuyama, Kitagawa, and Iwasawa's narratives serve as reminders of the power of art and music to build connections and create meaning, regardless of the parameters set by society.