OWN INTERVIEW CONTENTS Vol.20 横瀬裕貴（SUNDAYS BEST）

OWN INTERVIEW CONTENTS Vol.20 Yokose Yuki (SUNDAYS BEST)

February 3, 2023

Junpei Ichikawa (hereafter referred to as I) : First, please introduce yourself. Could you tell us a bit about your profile?

Yokose Yuki (hereafter referred to as Y): My name is Yokose Yuki. I run a restaurant called SUNDAYS BEST in Kamimachi.

OWN (hereinafter, O) : ...Hey, aren't you two being a little stiff? (laughs)

I feel a little embarrassed about the interview (laughs). It's still morning.

Maybe it would have been better to do it at night while drinking beer (laughs).

O (laughs) By the way, what kind of relationship do you two have?

Ever since Y Ichikawa was at Warp magazine, he's featured SUNDAYS BEST in his magazine many times. He even featured us in sneaker specials and in really large print... It was so big I was like, "Are you sure you want me?" (laughs). I'm really grateful.

The first time we had a proper conversation was when I interviewed him for Warp magazine. We'd never spoken before, but I'd known of YOK's existence since I ran a skateboard shop in Shindaita. Also, Nagashima, who was in the editorial department at the time, had apparently been visiting the shop since the Shindaita days.

Y: That was when he was a rapper (laughs). Thinking about it now, we have a lot of mutual acquaintances, and I think we were hanging out at similar places even before we had a proper conversation.

That 's right. That's how it is. So, what kind of restaurant is SUNDAYS BEST?

It's a shop that sells Y 's original clothing, as well as miscellaneous goods and clothing purchased in the US. They also carry items from friends' brands. The number of original items has been gradually increasing.

There are also skate brand items.

Before the Y store moved to Nakameguro, we had decks and other items, but since we moved here (to Kamimachi), we don't have many of them. I like deluxe items, so we do have a few caps and accessories.

I have the impression that YOK likes the "shop" format.

Y : That's right. I've been working in shops since I was young. I guess I do like shops. I worked part-time at a second-hand clothing store since I was in high school. I started SUNDAYS BEST when I was 34, but I think most men have that feeling of wanting to have their own shop (laughs).

I YOK, there are many people around you who run businesses other than fashion, such as restaurants and barber shops.

Before I opened my own shop, I worked at a shoe store called Sports Mario in Shimokitazawa. I had been working there part-time since I was about 20 years old, and I even had the opportunity to go to America to buy goods.

So you had experience purchasing goods overseas before.

Y : That's right. It was around that time that internet shopping had just started. It was around the time that Rakuten and Yahoo! were starting up. The president of Sports Mario was a visionary, and was one of the first to start selling online, so I also worked in online sales. I didn't know anything about it, so I researched it myself, did web design, and created the homepage.

Wow ! I have the impression that YOK is capable of many different things, so that's how it started back then.

Y : Well, I really learned by watching and imitating (laughs). But it was a great learning experience. At the time, I was skateboarding, so when I said I wanted to buy skate shoes, they wouldn't let me do it at all. But somehow I managed to learn how to buy and sell, and I thought I could do it myself, so I started an online store selling the things I like.

IHow old were you ?

Y : I was about 24 years old. I rented a cheap place, bought a computer, and started my business. After that, I got an office and have been running the shop ever since.

One of the things I find interesting about I YOK is that although he runs the shop by himself, I get the impression that it's a shop where you can see the connections between colleagues and friends around him. He runs the shop by himself, but there's a sense of community, you know? It sounds a bit childish to put it into words, but... Simply put, it's a shop with a really fun atmosphere (laughs).

Y (laughs). That's right. Not only my seniors, but also my old friends and younger friends are all doing something individually. They might be brands, restaurants, or other shops. It's not like we're a crew, but more like we're just good friends. We've even had our products placed at SUNDAYS BEST. That's the kind of connection we have.

I feel that old-fashioned "cool Tokyo" vibe around SUNDAYS BEST. The people who come and go are relaxed and have a sense of connection with each other. It's interesting that ZOMBIE-CHANG used to work part-time at SUNDAYS BEST.

Y: I used to call her Yama-chan, but now she's a popular artist. We met at a skateboard shop in Shindaita, and she walked into the shop with her roller skates. Then, by chance, she came into the shop. That's how we got to know each other, and I told her she could come and work in the shop on my days off, saying, "You're welcome to make music in the shop."

I personally think it's great that things naturally connect when you're playing like that. I know it's a normal thing to do, but the whole flow just feels natural.

Y: I'm glad to hear you say that. But, as I said earlier, I try to keep it as individuals and not like a crew.

Is that something you do consciously?

Y : Yes, especially recently. When I was running the skate shop I mentioned earlier, it was just me and a friend. But as we continued, I started to get tired of having half the ideas. We ended up having to give in to each other more and more, and it was hard to give 100% of ourselves. Of course, I'm sure there are times when new ideas and synergistic effects can emerge. But that hasn't happened much for me. So I'm wondering if running a shop alone suits my personality.

I see. If you decide everything yourself, you can't make excuses.

Y: That's a pretty important point.

So , I'd like to know if there is anything that you value at SUNDAYS BEST.

Ever since I first opened Y , I've been very conscious of things like "low barriers to entry." Skate shops and the like are generally quite intimidating. It's not a question of whether that's good or bad, but I thought that if I were to run a shop, I'd want it to be one that a variety of people would feel comfortable entering. Oh, and also, not to make it too niche. I think there are many different definitions of niche, but I think it's important to draw the line.

That 's right, SUNDAYS BEST also has a wide selection of everyday items, which is interesting. They also mix in clothing with these items.

Y : That's right. I would like to position my clothes as a store brand. I want to keep them as cheap as possible. So I try to keep the prices down while maintaining a certain level of quality, and make clothes that I would want to wear.

Is it true that the clothes you make are basically similar to the clothes you wear every day?

Y : That's right. Basically, my favorite vintage clothes are my samples. I create them by thinking about what I want to do with them. Even the denim that I offer as a standard is not vintage or Okayama denim, but rather I aim to create a finish that looks like it could be found in an American store brand.

The slightly fuzzy texture of this denim is reminiscent of the denim sold in import shops in the past.

Y : Yes, that's the vibe. Clothes are like everyday items.

I also really like wearing SUNDAYS BEST denim.

Thank you, Y ! I place more importance on the size than the graphics. The length, the shortness of the length, the width of the armholes, etc. I've been able to solidify my own style since I turned 30, so I hope to express that style.

When it comes to apparel , do you feel like you want to make it a staple rather than trying to do something new?

Y : That's true. But it's something I struggle with quite a bit. Everyone launches new projects and collections every year, right? It's great to see that, I think, and it's amazing. But I guess I'm not the type of person who's suited to following a set routine. With clothes, if I find something I like, I like it in different colors or materials.

There are fewer stores and brands that continue to stock the same items as standard items .

It's Y , isn't it? I know it's true that it hasn't changed much, but I think it's good to have a store like that. Well, at this age, the style I like doesn't change much either (laughs).

That 's certainly true (laughs). Also, as with SUNDAYS BEST's stance, I sense a background in music culture from YOK.

I like Y music. But like everyone else, I started listening to the Blue Hearts in about 8th grade. After that, I was into bands like GREEN DAY, so I was right on the money. I was living in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture at the time, and the hardcore band NUNCHAKU were older members of my generation. When I entered high school, I started going to hardcore shows at the invitation of friends. The first live house I went to was a show featuring a fastcore band called KARAMAWARI, a new school band, and NUNCHAKU. The floor was a complete mess, like a hellish scene, and it was shocking (laughs). Then, around my second year of high school, I started going to record stores in Shinjuku. But my musical horizons were pretty narrow back then. I was into punk and hardcore.

I think there's Dischord Records merchandise in the store too.

Y : That's true. But when it comes to punk and hardcore, I love them so much that I can't really stock them in the shop. How should I put it... I want to keep them as personal treasures, so I don't really put them out in the open. Also, in terms of music, my encounter with TRASMUNDO in Shimotakaido was a big thing for me.

When I interviewed Hamasaki from TRASMUNDO for O OWN, he said that Yokose was his longest-standing regular customer.

Y: That's right. It must have been about 20 years ago. At the time, I was living in front of Meiji University. I wasn't in a band anymore, but a friend of mine who was a musician lived in Shimotakaido. A long time ago, there was another record store in Shimotakaido, and I was walking towards it with a friend when I saw a store with Charles Bronson's "Youth Attack!" LP. I thought, "Wow!" and went up those stairs, and it was TRASMUUNDO, which was still preparing to open. I remember going there on the first day it opened, and Hama-san being really nice to me.

I was really the first customer to visit.

Y: That's right. Although there were times when I stopped going. When I go to TRASMUNDO , I get to experience new music and culture that I've never heard before. Hama-san recommended Chicano soul to me, and for the first time in a while, I got hooked on something other than punk or hardcore. I've always loved American culture, and I also like Mexicans living in America (laughs).

It matched I YOK's tastes and preferences.

Y : That's right. Also, the songs are simply great as music. Just listening to them makes me feel like it's great. After listening to Chicano soul, I started listening to reggae, and my tastes gradually expanded.

I see. By the way, did you know about OWN?

Y : I knew about it. I also knew it was available at a mobile spot in Saga.

I'm a glasses-wearing character myself, but YOK-san is also a glasses-wearing character. Do you like glasses in general?

Y: I simply don't have good eyesight, and I don't wear contact lenses, so I prefer to wear glasses. I'm still terrified of contact lenses. I absolutely can't stand touching my own eyeballs. I'd probably faint (laughs). Also, since I wear glasses myself, I'm curious about band members who wear glasses.

I know what you mean (laughs). Skaters too.

Y : That's right! I like how they're a little unfashionable (laughs). Personally, I've been wearing Oliver Peoples glasses for about eight years now, but they're a model that's no longer in production. I don't have a particular pair of glasses that I absolutely have to have, but I end up owning 13 or 14 pairs of glasses.

This time, you chose the OWN #07 clear frame model. What do you like about it?

Y: I don't really like dark frames to begin with. I like colors that are close to my skin tone. I thought this would look best. They're pilot glasses, but I changed them to make them a little more modern. The silhouette of the frame is also nice.

Thank you so much! I'm so happy.

I OWN's glasses are standard, but they have a little extra flair that gives them originality, which is what's great about them. They're not overly pretentious. Finally, is there anything else you would like to share, YOK?

We have only recently moved from Nakameguro to Kamimachi in Setagaya, so we would be delighted if you could come and visit us!