I Don't Accept What I Can't Acknowledge in Myself

Our guest for this second installment is Mioh Matsuura, the founder of the hair salon "Twiggy" and a popular hairstylist who consistently offers cutting-edge styles. In the first part, she shared her experiences of self-discovery through conversations about her life in London and travels. In this second part, we delve into concrete ways to find your authentic self.

ChicoTwiggy is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, isn't it?

MatsuuraThat's right. Surprising, isn't it?

ChicoI imagine it's difficult to sustain a business for 20 years, and you must have gone through a lot. I wanted to ask what has been your biggest driving force.

MatsuuraI dislike studying. It's been like this since I was a student. I can study something if I find it interesting, but I hate it when it becomes about forced preparation for exams. In short, I can only do things I'm interested in. My grades were good until around junior high school, and then they dropped. I think people like me are right-brain dominant (laughs). Conversely, those whose grades improved from that point on are left-brain dominant, or rather, they can diligently build upon logic.

ChicoI had good grades until the first year of junior high school (laughs).

MatsuuraExactly! People like us need to trust our intuition. In photoshoots, if things are too structured, I lose my sense of purpose. I get intimidated. I can collaborate by reading the mood, but I can't function within a rigid framework. That's why a salon suits me. It's live. I feel like I have to create based solely on my intuition, on what strikes me. I wanted to create shampoo, and if I didn't act on that impulse immediately, it wouldn't happen. That's why it's now. If I were alone, I probably would have given up halfway. But at that time, a few people close to me asked, "Can you do it next year if you stop now?" and I realized I couldn't, so I had to do it now.

ChicoIt has to be completed while the iron is hot, right?

MatsuuraUltimately, it's the same as the internal hurdles I mentioned earlier; I can't accept what I can't acknowledge in myself.

ChicoYes, it feels like betraying myself. The joy of creating something is that it feels like my products grow legs and spread my message beyond me.

MatsuuraSeeing you do that made me think I had to do it too, really. Each item has so much thought put into it. I also thought that if I were to create products, that would be the only way. Through your products, your feelings reached me. It made me believe that I could do it by adopting that approach.

ChicoTwiggy's shampoo has a fantastic reputation, doesn't it?

MatsuuraBecause I poured my heart into it.

ChicoThe unseen is powerful, isn't it? Like music or scents. Because it's not confined to a form, imagination can take flight, lifting our spirits.

A Proposal for Living Authentically and Truly
Mioh Matsuura of Twiggy × Chico SHIGETA: An Exciting Conversation (Part 2)

What Does "Being Yourself" Mean? (2)

As Long as There's No Deception, You Can Live Authentically

ChicoBy the way, Mioh, do you ever feel down?

MatsuuraOh, yes. But God gives happiness equally to everyone, so whether you perceive it as happiness is up to you. If you think you lack something, you do; if you feel grateful, you are. For me, when it comes to truly falling into despair, I sometimes feel a sense of fear, or danger.

ChicoWhen you feel down, how do you pick yourself back up?

MatsuuraRather than picking myself up, I try not to fall too far. I want to be able to feel disgusted with myself when I'm feeling down. For example, when I realize I'm feeling low, I watch sad movies to sink deeper. I put myself down even further. But then I leave a little room, thinking that my situation is still better than the world in the movie. I'm a terrible person, aren't I?

ChicoThat's interesting (laughs).

MatsuuraYou feel refreshed after a haircut. In terms of energy (気), hair is related to the "kidney" energy. In that sense, the kidneys are detoxification areas, so it makes sense from a beauty perspective. Just as there's tonsure, a lot accumulates in the hair. So, if three bad things happen in a row, I just cut it (laughs). Sometimes, a haircut can change the flow of things. I realized this not from my own experience, but from cutting others' hair. People who change jobs or move often cut their hair, and they report back to me about what happened afterward. Those who changed significantly have moved in a positive direction. Conversely, the French, for example, don't change their hairstyles for decades. That signifies they have no doubts about their way of life, which isn't bad.

ChicoI think it's a significant cultural difference: Japan has a culture of empathy, so we avoid conflict, right? But in France, it's more about how to make others understand (laughs).

MatsuuraThey have an image of not holding back, don't they?

ChicoIn France, "not expressing yourself" is the same as "feeling nothing." That's why they don't hold back. If you say nothing, it implies you're okay with it.

MatsuuraIt can be confusing at first, but once you get used to it, it's very clear, straightforward, and fun.

ChicoYes, clumsy people show their clumsiness openly, and you really feel their humanity.

A Proposal for Living Authentically and Truly

Mioh Matsuura of Twiggy × Chico SHIGETA: An Exciting Conversation (Part 2)

What Does "Being Yourself" Mean? (3)

Engage Genuinely and Consider What Suits You

MatsuuraI sometimes think that I'm still not there yet, and I don't want to admit it; everything is unfinished. But I have to do things that allow me to say thank you to myself. That's the only way to move forward, I think.

ChicoCompared to clumsy French people, Japanese people seem to put so much effort into their nails and hairstyles, looking perfect from head to toe. Yet, they all seem to think, "I'm not good enough..." Isn't that because they're too focused on superficial things? I wish they would ask themselves, "Why am I doing this?" If you leave your cold, unacknowledged self as it is, you lose your authenticity. Whether you feel comfortable with yourself is a matter of sensibility, isn't it? That grows by acknowledging yourself and being kind to yourself.

MatsuuraYou can't wait for societal approval, nor should you be swayed by it. The moment you use societal approval as a benchmark, you lose your way.

ChicoWhether it's salon work or photoshoots, it's a live, one-shot, serious engagement, so perhaps you seek the essence. Is your strength in continuously facing these challenges?

MatsuuraBecause I can't calculate everything, I focus on doing what needs to be done right now (laughs).

ChicoI think many people are lost right now. Because they lack confidence, they try hard to conform to others or do what everyone else says is good, and they end up running in circles. Ultimately, it's about giving your all to anything you do, isn't it? It's about confronting things head-on.

MatsuuraAfter all, lifestyles come alive through culture, and if culture doesn't develop with lifestyle, it won't feel like Tokyo. I want the conservative mindset and Japan's avant-garde spirit to align properly.
ChicoI received so much energy from you today, Mioh!