It's Meaningless Without Being Unsettling

—Has your way of thinking changed through your travels?

In 'Katte ni Kanko Kyokai,' we often visit suspension bridges. I'm not good with them, so I've never managed to cross one completely. But the distance I can walk little by little is increasing. Being bad at something means there's potential to like it, and sometimes, being bad at it is what makes it interesting.
As you get older, don't you tend to only go to places you're good at? I think that's where the boredom lies. If you go to places you're not good at and gain experience, you develop a point of comparison, and I feel it becomes more interesting. 'This place is better than that place.' Likes and dislikes are just self-judgments made in our youth, so lately, I've been questioning the idea of overcoming dislikes.
A few years ago, I stopped making judgments based on likes and dislikes, and now I've lost interest in most things. I've done too much of what I'm good at, leaving a huge gap in areas I'm not. Currently, I'm interested in going to places where there are no obvious topics.

—What is travel to you?

In high school, it was about 'how to get away from my mom,' and now, it's 'how to get away from my wife,' right? Travel is about distance.
Travel has this premise that it's interesting just because you go to a place, doesn't it? That's a constraint. But it's common to be disappointed after actually going. Still, when traveling with women, you have to lead them so they don't say 'it's boring,' perhaps distracted by the 'reward' of sex at night, and I've had some tough experiences.

But with good male friends, since there's no reward, even boring things become interesting. Finding the right partner is difficult, but very important. That's why if I'm with Anzai-san, or Seiho Ito, or Tomorowo Taguchi, I think I could endure a little pain and even have sex with them (laughs). But it's truly fortunate to be able to travel with people you feel that way about. Because I'm with Anzai-san, I can continue, and I want to continue.

—Indeed, a large part of 'Katte ni Kanko Kyokai's' appeal is that it's about two middle-aged men, Miura-san and Anzai-san.

—After working together for 12 years, have you come to understand Anzai-san's character?

In a way, we're like a married couple; we know each other's flaws and weaknesses. Anzai-san's charm is that you don't feel like you're working, so I enjoy traveling with him. I think everyone feels that way about Anzai-san. 'What's up with making me feel like I have to be the more responsible one?' (laughs). Even the accompanying cameramen for location shoots love Anzai-san so much that they'll cut into the frame just to talk to him, even while filming.

When I'm with Anzai-san, I lose my self-consciousness. But we had a huge, bloody fight in Okinawa because he said, 'You still have self-consciousness, Miura-kun.' The sight of us both looking sullen while canoeing the next day would be funny to anyone. It's a proposal for a new travel show, you know: depicting a relationship that deteriorates. It's something you don't see in conventional shows.

Disbanding is for Those Who Break Through

—Your latest work seems to have taken you to Kyoto?

We went to Maizuru and stayed at the Amanohashidate Youth Hostel. It's a place used for filming 'Shiki Soku Zen Reishonzu,' which opens on August 15th (Saturday), so it was also a pilgrimage to that location.

—As you travel across the country, do you feel anything from the desolate landscapes in rural areas?

—What is the goal of 'Katte ni Kanko Kyokai'?

I want to become like an old married couple with Anzai-san. I thought, 'Yes!' when we had that fight in Okinawa. Nagisa Oshima and Shoyu Nosaka wouldn't have had that impact without the 'mic incident,' would they? (laughs). It's about deepening our bond as best friends and aiming for the next step.
That's why I dislike my best friend's wife—because she interferes with that kind of relationship and takes away my best friend. —The more we talk, the more unsettling this becomes, I'm sure (laughs), but we're spiritually homosexual. That's non-negotiable (laughs).

Being asked 'Are you a couple?' during a location shoot the other day was a kind of milestone. Even without a physical relationship, the fact that it comes across as unsettling is the theme of 'Katte ni Kanko Kyokai.'

—Thank you.



Youth x Travel x Music: My World Begins to Change Little by Little
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'Wanna go to an island with free sex?' My world began to change little by little from my friend's words. With my guitar case and travel bag, I took night trains and ferries to Oki Island. What awaited us there was...