Hohomi Nasu look.2

While social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, Nasu Hohomi’s popularity exploded onto the scene when she posted her Hakata dialect “#A word before going to bed” series on TiTok. She is referred to as the “Angel of the Reiwa Period” and has been drawing attention especially among Generation Z-ers. I asked her about her style book, fashion sense, and what she is into these days.

While she wants to challenge herself by taking on different kinds of work, she likes fashion shoots most of all. I asked her about how a photo shoot done on her own differs from a fashion shoot involving many staff members.

“It is so different. I was at first a little stressed out about fashion shoot. But I gradually got used to it and enjoyed it (laughs). I also enjoyed the process of shooting photos with many staff members. It was fun to strike poses to express the mood of the garb, whether girly or dark. It is also fun to discover a new me by trying out different make-up and get-ups. Shooting the music video was also a lot of fun. When you are shooting separate scenes you can’t imagine how the end result will turn out, but it becomes a single story when everything is strung together. It is always a lot of fun to see how it all turned out. It was an honor to play a part in this work. Performing on TikTok prepared me for this fashion shoot as it gave me the practice I needed.”

She has recently published her own style book “Hohomi Book” which was like a dream come true. For someone who has continued to make great strides on a digital platform, this was something new.

“I feel this book is an expression of who I really am. I dress up in various garb, as well as what I normally wear. We even took shots after I got up in the morning, so in some ways it literally is expressive of how I normally am (laughs)! I was most happy that we shot it in my hometown of Fukuoka. We shot photos of the beautiful townscapes of Fukuoka City, and we also shot at locations which are considered to be a hole in the wall. If you look at the book I think you will appreciate the beautiful city that Fukuoka is. Of course, my family was ecstatic about it too!”

As she appreciates the quiet life of Fukuoka City, spending some tender loving care on herself is indispensable to life in Tokyo. She has recently taken up three activities for her mental health.

“First, I go to the sauna. My body warms up and I feel relaxed. I enjoy some time just relaxing by myself. Second, I take walks in the park and look up at the sky. I enjoy walking to the park to watch the stars and clouds to relax. It is difficult to go out in Tokyo when there are many people about, so I try to go out when it is less busy. I feel at ease when I completely turn off and commune with the great outdoors. Thirdly, I like to cook. My older sister who also lives in Tokyo enjoys my cooking whenever I get the chance to meet her. I can cook anything, but am particularly adept at cooking pasta, hamburger steak, and pot au feu.”

I asked her about her impressions on the two looks that she put on. First, there was Look 1 which was all black but also had a soft mood.

“I thought it was a style that suited me – a warm knit layered on top. What I most liked were these boots. They had white stitching and white laces! The black leather and white for accent is nice. Being particular down to the stitching is a higher dimension of stylish. My hair was coiled atop and the make-up made for a supple mood and was to my liking.”

In a complete reversal from before, Look 2 has her in a black style with a cool mood. All smiles before, Hohomi Nasu is now dressed smartly wearing a resolute expression.

“I switched mood as the garb changed dramatically. I also liked the boots the most with this get-up. The brown outers were very chic. Even with a cool ambience like this, incorporating a shoe which is a little irrational works well. A one-piece get-up can be trussed up or adjusted just as well. Conversely, you can let it be puffy by not trussing it up. It is an ensemble that would look good on a wide array of folks. The puffy dress makes for a female element inside a cool exterior. It would match well with what I normally wear. For the hair and make-up, the accent is on the lips. Eyeliner is painted on thick and the hair is wet. This is not how I would normally put it on, so I enjoyed the unpredictability of it all.”

She quickly made her own of these differently biased get-ups. It is because she understands her own preferences well that she can strike poses that are right.

In between, she told me she wants to travel to various countries. She is interested in Bhutan which is said to be one of the more happier countries in the world. She laughs saying how she prefers countries which are not hectic but tranquil. Hohomi Nasu spares no effort to work on herself to make people around her happy. I look forward to her uploads from overseas!

In Look 1, I asked her about her video uploads to TikTok.

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Direction : Shinsuke Nozaka
Photo, Movie: Daisuke Sasaki (SIGNO)
Stylist : Kosei Matsuda（SIGNO）
Hair & Make up : Miyuki Yoshida（bside）
Text : Aika Kawada