This article originally appeared on VICE Australia.
Japan is one of the few countries on the planet that was never colonised by a Western power. This, combined with it being an island nation and its reluctance to open up to the rest of the world until very recently, has created a unique homogeneous culture – the perfect conditions for a country to really solidify its own cultural and artistic identity.
This is why classic Japanese art is so distinct, so encompassing of its culture. Today, the Japanese aesthetic is coveted across the planet. There’s just something special about Japanese art, and in turn, the artists who create it.
Art never stops. Not war, not famine; natural disaster, nor plague can squash the human need to create. But where does this drive come from?
We sat down with Japanese artist Kentaro Yoshida and Australian-Japanese artist Taka Perry to discuss life, art, and how they fuel their creativity while the world around them teeters on an unstable foundation.
Taka Perry
Taka Perry is a multi-platinum Australian-Japanese artist who has worked with the likes of Ruel, Max Frost, Denzel Curry, Wifisfuneral, GoldLink, Sycco, Elle Teresa, Thomston, and A.GIRL. His creative contributions have amassed over 150 million plays on Spotify, with his single “Kuruna” featuring Japanese rapper JP The Wavy landed him on the cover of Spotify Japan’s New Era: J-Hip Hop playlist.
PTV: Hey Taka, your father is American and your mother is Japanese, but you grew up in Canberra and spent a lot of time in Japan too, right? That’s a pretty interesting upbringing — how has that affected you and your art?
Taka: Growing up, I spent two months of every year living with my grandparents in Sendai, Japan. As a result, my childhood was surrounded by both Australian and Japanese culture, language, art, and society. Now, I feel that I have two cultural lenses to view everything from, and it’s so prevalent in my identity that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how it has affected me. I’m always trying to approach my life and art from both perspectives to find that middle ground unique to me, where I feel like I’m my most authentic self.
What do you miss most about Japan when you’re in Australia for long stretches? I used to live in Osaka and Tokyo and can’t wait to go back and annihilate some konbini fried chicken and canned iced coffee.
My favourite thing to do in Tokyo is to head to an Izakaya with my mates and catch up on life over bar snacks and beers. Most times the night will finish at some sweaty karaoke booth, singing cheesy Japanese classics. There are vending machines everywhere in Japan, so luckily when I wake up the next morning a bit hungover it’s pretty easy to locate a Suntory BOSS Coffee within minutes.
How do you like your coffee?
Black and no sugar all the way!
