Yudai Toyoda look.1

After a cold winter comes the season of new beginnings. Mr. Toyoda remarks with a smile on his face, “I was born on April 10th and my dog’s name is “Haru” (Spring.) It is my favorite season!” In 2019, he was a contestant in the 34th Men’s Non-No Model Audition in which he was awarded the Lab Series Prize and became an exclusive model. He also began working as an actor and has been garnering acclaim for his numerous roles in TV dramas and film.

For Look 1, Mr. Toyoda wears a Springtime light and airy blue-colored big t-shirt over which is layered a long sleeve shirt, matched and mixed with a flower pattern half-pants. This ensemble is just right for this soft breeze season. CALIFORNIA 78 VIN runners which retain a retro taste but have been updated for a modern design lights up his feet. Toyoda talks about Onitsuka Tiger in reference to his university student days.

“For Look 1, I thought these are my impression of Onitsuka Tiger – yellow shoes! (‘these are my shoes!’) Throwing them on, their comfort was unlike any other. They are thin soled but with cushioning. They feel like your feet are one with the ground, you can feel the flexibility of the soles, and you really feel like you are walking about around town, so I like!

What I recall about Onitsuka Tiger is that when I was about a freshman at university I went to the Omotesando Shop and remember thinking ‘I’m still too young…I can’t get anything yet’ (laughing.) So it is inspiring for me that I now have the chance to do this photo shoot with Onitsuka Tiger.”

There was an event during his university student days that changed his life dramatically. This was when he went to a hairdresser in Harajuku that he was intrigued about. This became the opportunity for him to enter the world of show business.

“My family has naturally curly hair. My siblings have their hair permed straight and I had always wanted to try doing this once in my life. So when I entered university, I went to a hairdresser in Harajuku that was featured in the fashion mag ‘Men’s Non-No.’ The hairdresser who did my perm that day told me ‘let’s take a few shots!’ Those shots led to getting me work in Men’s Non-No hair catalogue, then that led to my auditioning for the model show. I was originally a fan of Men’s Non-No fashion magazine but I never imagined that I would ever become a model. So now Men’s Non-No is like home for me and it allows me to pursue a career in modeling.”

For this photo shoot, Mr. Toyoda chatted with the staff in a friendly manner, threw on the new garb in a manner that he felt was right, and expressed the garb with his whole body.

“I have recently started losing a passive demeanor and for today’s photo shoot I was strongly aware to push myself toward expression. My lifestyle is one of putting on inputs and translating it into outputs.”

On his days off, Mr. Toyoda will go out with fellow actors to see a film. He enjoys the plotline and finds himself thinking about how the actors feel and act. His unsophisticated look sparkles with his yellow Onitsuka Tiger runners!

→ For Look 2, I ask Yudai Toyoda about being an actor and about his private life.

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Direction : Shinsuke Nozaka
Photo,Movie : Nobuko Baba(SIGNO)
Stylist: midori(W)
Hair & Make up: Azusa Matsumori
Text : Saki Shibata