“I became interested in organic when, in the 80s, wonderful people I met in the UK and the US started their ‘organic lives.’ I began a vegetable-focused diet due to financial reasons while traveling, concerns about mad cow disease and salmonella in chicken at the time, and also because a friend working at Neal's Yard would often bring me products from the store.” Matsuura, who in the previous installment shared that ‘what’s needed to maintain a healthy diet isn’t asceticism in selecting food, but pleasure,’ explained the meaning behind this.

Q. You became a vegetarian after becoming pregnant while staying in the UK. What was a vegetable-only diet like at first?

Initially, while I gained intellectual pleasure from knowing I was eating healthy food, I didn't feel the ‘mental pleasure’ of satisfaction. Because it just didn't taste good. At the time, I thought, ‘Why are people drinking this awful-tasting soy milk?’ (laughs). However, because I was in a new situation with my pregnancy, it was certainly easier to adopt a new diet...

Q. When you returned to Japan, the health-conscious trend hadn't yet emerged.

Yes. When I returned to Japan after two years in London, the concept of ‘healthy’ was not yet widely recognized. So, I had no choice but to gather ingredients from the few organic supermarkets available and make an effort to cook at home as much as possible, including preparing baby food for my child. At that time in Japan, it was barely enough to call it ‘vegetarian’; there was no recognition of ‘organic.’ So, when eating out, I ate whatever was available.

Q. Despite that, were you eventually able to become a complete vegetarian?

No, not completely. But as I continued my organic lifestyle in my own way, at my own pace, one day I started to find that soy milk, which I used to find so unpleasant, tasted ‘delicious.’ Now I can drink soy milk by the gallon, but I can't drink cow's milk (laughs). You really can't ‘force’ yourself. You have to find those moments when you genuinely find organic food delicious, otherwise, you can never truly ‘enjoy’ it. After all, life isn't enjoyable without pleasure, is it? And when I thought, ‘So where does that pleasure come from?,’ I realized it's all about my own mindset. Letting go of preconceptions and attachments is important (laughs).

Q. In Japan, organic and vegetarianism are also a ‘trend.’

If you approach it as a trend, it eventually feels restrictive and becomes a hassle. Just because it's trendy, do you really enjoy going to organic restaurants every day, living in organic cotton, drinking herbal tea, and going to bed? Is it bringing you pleasure? I want to ask (laughs). Everyone probably wants to wear completely chemical-laden clothes sometimes, or let loose completely. However, I think it's important to maintain a stance that allows you to return to yourself the day after you've let loose. While you're incorporating it into your life as a trend and having fun, you might be satisfied with yourself fitting into that mold, but when the trend passes, the ‘satisfied self’ also ends. ‘Continuing’ is the most important thing!! ... Yes, the reason I wanted to create organic products for my own company is not because it's a trend, but fundamentally to gain my own pleasure.

Q. Pleasure as a hairstylist?

Yes. Simply put, it's because I want to cut hair the way I envision. When I cut the hair of people who use poor-quality hair care products, have irregular diets, or are under a lot of stress, I often find myself inwardly screaming, ‘Stop that habit!’ or noticing that ‘this part is stiff while this part is soft.’ The stylist's desire to cut in a certain way clashes with the hair's texture and how it wants to be cut. This results in frustration for the stylist, and also leads to frustration for the client, who might then switch salons. I believe ‘salon hopping’ often stems from this kind of frustration. That's why, just as a dentist cherishes the gums, we want to convey, in various ways, the message that we cherish the hair until the very end, driven by our desire to remain professionals in our work.