Why waste energy trying to be someone else!

Chico SHIGETA“Today, without much preamble, I started with a massage. Your body is interesting, Mika-san.”

Mika Ninagawa“Interesting!?”

Chico“I mean it in a fascinating way (laughs). A body tells a lot about a person. That’s why I really wanted to touch you today. As expected, it shows when someone is a creator. Their unique essence comes through so strongly.”

Ninagawa“Strongly!?”

Chico“Yes. It’s like a quiet magma, not intense, but with a strong, simmering energy. Like, ‘My energy is flowing straight through!’ (laughs).”

Ninagawa“I don’t know if it’s flowing straight, but (laughs), looking back at my life, I feel like I’ve lived life on a distinct slant. Not wavering left or right, just straight, diagonally (laughs).”

Chico“But it’s a good kind of slant (laughs).”

Ninagawa“Hahaha.”

Chico“Ultimately, that’s what makes your work so fascinating, Mika-san. I’ve actually loved your work for a long time, so when this interview was proposed, you were the first person I requested to meet. I’m truly happy that my wish has come true today. Thank you for coming.”

Ninagawa“Was that so? I thought I was invited because I’m a fan of SHIGETA (laughs).”

Chico“You use it? Thank you!”

Ninagawa“I’ve been using SHIGETA for about two years. After giving birth, I gained some weight and wasn’t feeling quite myself. I was talking about it during a photoshoot when an editor there told me, ‘SHIGETA’s oils are good.’ I was like, ‘What are those? Where can I buy them?’ (laughs). I think it was in Shirokanedai? Someone introduced me to a treatment salon, and when I went, they had so many SHIGETA oils. I bought about six bottles at once (laughs). Since then, I use them whenever something comes up. I often share them with people at the office too.”

Chico“Sharing them, that’s lovely.”

Ninagawa“Well, when I use them, people tend to gather around (laughs). Most people around me are generally tired or not quite in balance, so they work wonders. Just a little bit seems to refresh their mood.”

Chico“This might connect to what you just said, but the theme of this dialogue is about sending a message. Japanese women are always working so hard and making so much effort to be beautiful, yet they seem somehow tired. I wondered why that was, and I realized everyone is trying to be someone else. I feel that people are trying too hard to become someone different, ignoring that being true to oneself is the best way.”

Ninagawa“Why waste energy trying to be someone else? It’s such a shame.”

Chico“Exactly. Everyone has their own beauty, yet… So, I want to convey the message, ‘It’s okay to be just as you are!’ That led to this dialogue, exploring how to achieve that.”
After all, messages from people who create things or express themselves have persuasive power. Today, I hope that by having you, Mika-san, share your unique perspective on ‘what constitutes beauty,’ it will help others think, ‘That’s a valid way too!’ I’m looking forward to it.”

SHIGETA | A Proposal for Living Authentically and Authentically

Mika Ninagawa x Chico SHIGETA: An Exciting Dialogue (Part 1)

“Let’s aim to be the kind of person who thinks, ‘Those wrinkles are cool!’” (2)

To be true to yourself, sometimes strength is also necessary

Chico“As a fan of yours, Mika-san, I often read your interviews, and the more I learn, the more I resonate. You have a family motto at home, don’t you? SHIGETA family also has one, and it’s the same: ‘Live without relying on others’ (laughs).”

So, while I love your work, your way of life itself is fascinating. Your background, your history, it’s all so interesting, and I think everyone needs that kind of resilience.”

Ninagawa“Perhaps. I feel like everyone is instilled with an immense sense of fear, as you mentioned earlier. Things like, ‘You must do this,’ or ‘You must do that,’ or ‘Isn’t it too late?’ or ‘Doesn’t that look last year?’ There’s just too much detailed information. And because Japanese people are diligent, they think, ‘Oh, really? Then I must do it,’ and perhaps overthink things. It feels like a waste. Because when you go abroad sometimes, don’t the locals wear the most incredible outfits and just wander around? (laughs).”

Chico“Right? (laughs).”

Ninagawa“Japanese people are very stylish, but there’s a sense of constraint. I think they should be more different from others. It’s probably about the trigger. In reality, some friends can take a step forward with just a little nudge. So, I unconditionally resonate with Chico-san’s message, ‘It’s okay to be just as you are!’ I’ve always wanted to speak out if I had the chance, so I’m very happy today.”

SHIGETA | A Proposal for Living Authentically and Authentically

Mika Ninagawa x Chico SHIGETA: An Exciting Dialogue (Part 1)

“Let’s aim to be the kind of person who thinks, ‘Those wrinkles are cool!’” (3)

Beauty arises from the mixture of good and bad

Ninagawa“Earlier, you said you can understand someone by touching their body. What is that sensation like?”

“The thing is, when I meet someone for the first time and decide to take a photo, a different sense opens up within me. I imagine what kind of person they might be, and while thinking about how I can blend with them and reach their core, I take the photo. Perhaps this is similar to your sensation, Chico-san.”

Chico“Mmm-hmm, it might be similar. I think I’m very curious. It starts with wanting to know about the person, being very interested. But when I touch them, just as you value the sensation in the moment you press the shutter, being sensitive to the touch of my fingertips, the sensation when I make contact, is my consistent theme.”
“Also, it’s about maintaining a good distance. Not injecting my own subjectivity. Then the body will tell me things.”

Ninagawa“Yes, I think I understand. My photos tend to be quite intense, or have a strong ‘Ninagawa-esque’ quality, so I’m often misunderstood. But actually, I don’t have specific requests like ‘do this’ or ‘do that.’ My stance is to draw out the person’s condition and mood on that particular day. Truly, the feeling of ‘being allowed to take the photo’ is definitely stronger.”

“Perhaps that’s why, during shoots, I’m often told, ‘You’re like a wonderful gynecologist’ (laughs). It’s true that after the shoot, the subjects seem more energetic than before they came, and I myself am regenerated by taking photos. In essence, it’s self-sufficiency (laughs). I get energized by shooting, and then I shoot again and get energized.”

Chico“Me too. Even on days when I feel a bit unwell in the morning, when I go to give a treatment to a client, I come back feeling incredibly energized (laughs).”

Ninagawa“It’s mysterious.”

Chico“I think I’m being recharged. By touching the body, I can be told things about what’s inside the skin. So, in my case, a treatment is, in a sense, a session with the client. Therefore, by giving treatments, I also recharge myself internally and become more beautiful.”

Ninagawa“I see, I really understand. Perhaps, Mika-san and I have similar ways of feeling and thinking. After hearing everything you’ve said, I feel that way.”

Chico“Then, isn’t your work incredibly enjoyable?”

Ninagawa“It is!”

Chico“That’s why your work, Mika-san, conveys a sense of being alive. There’s no good or evil in your photos. They are just as they are, aren’t they? The realism is wonderful. That’s why I like them.”

Ninagawa“Thank you. Because of my style, my work is often described as ‘cute’ or ‘beautiful,’ but my photographs are definitely not just that. I believe beauty arises precisely from the mixture of good and bad, beautiful and not-so-beautiful things. However, people often don’t understand when I try to explain that…”

Chico“Mika-san, your work and your life are both authentic. That’s truly wonderful. I believe that sense of ‘being as you are’ is important. As people get older, they become obsessed with anti-aging, but I want them to notice the beauty unique to each age more. Instead of lamenting wrinkles and spots, let’s aim to be the kind of person who thinks, ‘Those wrinkles are cool!’”

Mika Ninagawa
Photographer. Born in Tokyo. In 1996, she won the Grand Prix at the Shashin Hitotsubo Exhibition. Since then, she has received numerous awards, including the Canon New Cosmos of Photography Excellence Award, the Konica Photo Encouragement Prize, the Kimura Ihei Photography Award, and the Ohara Museum of Art Award. In 2007, she directed the film "Sakuran," which garnered significant attention. Her solo exhibition "Mika Ninagawa: Flowers on Earth, Colors of Heaven" held at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery in November 2008 broke attendance records, and a touring exhibition to museums nationwide from April 2009 attracted a total of 180,000 visitors.
http://ameblo.jp/ninamika (Official Blog)
http://ninamika.com (Official HP)

Chico SHIGETA
Established "SHIGETA" in Paris, France, in 2004. After years of exploring various well-being practices in France and Japan, she developed her unique self-care method, "Vitality Coaching®," with the keyword "extracting one's real beauty begins with nurturing inner beauty." She actively promotes the importance of self-care. Currently, she is highly regarded as a beauty expert not only by celebrities and artists in Paris but also by VIPs in Japan.
SHIGETA JAPAN
0120-945-995
www.shigeta.fr

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