Maki Yoshida x OPENERS

Q: What is your favorite place right now?

My own shop in Ebisu.
Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall, a highly talented individual, brought my every wish to life here. It's a space that feels truly comfortable to me.

Q: What do you do on your days off?

I relax at a cafe near Chofu Airport, watching the Cessnas.

Q: Which friends (or work colleagues) have you recently saved to your phone?

Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall.
We had a meeting about the shop's design.

Q: Can you recommend a delicious restaurant?

Quintessence, a French restaurant I recently discovered in Shirokanedai.
They are incredibly strict about ingredients and don't resort to any unnecessary flourishes. It's a restaurant that has genuinely impressed me after a long time.

Q: What car (or motorcycle) do you drive? What do you want to drive next?

An early model Range Rover.
I saw it 27 years ago when only two were running in Japan, and I vowed then that I would definitely own one someday. I intend to drive it until it can't go any further.

Q: Who is your "idol"?

The model Mirai. I feel like I'd be happy just being around her.

Q: Speaking of "health"...

Clear air.
I'm not interested in cholesterol or anything like that; I believe the best health comes from one's mental state. I feel healthiest when I'm breathing the clear air in the mountains.

Q: What is your motto in life?

To approach everything with sincerity. That's how I want to live.

Q: Who is the person you most want to meet right now?

He's deceased, so I can never meet him, but Heizo Hasegawa from Onihei Hankacho.

Q: What is the one thing you most want to buy right now?

A steak knife from the French company Laguiole.
It has an incredible sharpness and an elegant design.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

The Blues Brothers. I've seen it 20 or 30 times. It's simply exhilarating. The list of guest stars is amazing, and finding them is part of the fun. You should definitely watch it.

Q: What computer do you use?

I'm not interested in the specifics, so I don't know the model, but it's Windows.

Q: Do you take any regular medication or supplements?

I'll even buy Yunker if it's sold in a plastic bottle. It perks me up, even if just for a moment.

Q: What is your favorite season and why?

Winter or autumn. Winter because it's my favorite ski season. Autumn because winter is near.

Q: What do you mainly use to listen to music?

I was interested in music until I was 18, but after that, I stopped pursuing it. I just listen to old records and CDs on my stereo at home.

Q: What are your favorite fashion brands?

TOKITO.
It's my older brother's brand, and I learned about fashion from him. He's become a standard for me. I wear almost exclusively TOKITO.

Q: Please name one creator who interests you.

Mika Okuno, a glass engraver.
I own three of her pieces; I think she has a wonderful sense.

Q: What is your favorite brand of beer?

Yebisu, and Grolsch from the Netherlands.
I like beers with a robust flavor.

Q: Do you have any pets? (If so, their names and why)

I don't have any pets, but I feed rice and torn bread to the wild birds that visit my balcony and watch them.

Q: Who do you "respect"?

The ski racer Ingemar Stenmark.
He set numerous records and even changed the rules of the sport because of them; he was an overwhelming genius. More than his physical prowess, he was always calm and collected, with great self-control. I admire him.

Q: What "book" is in your bag right now?

I don't carry a bag, but if I were to put something in it, it would be Jiro Asada's "Amakiri Matsu: Yami-Gatari." Since it's a series, I buy each new installment.

Q: Favorite athlete?

Ingemar Stenmark

Q: What do you wear to sleep?

A T-shirt. It's easy to wash and convenient.

Q: What is your dream?

I want to ski down Mt. Fuji in winter. Skiing where no one else has skied feels like doing something forbidden, a bit like a sadist. Part of me feels it's a waste, but another part feels, "I did it!" I imagine skiing Mt. Fuji would feel incredible.