Nobuyoshi Araki

I come to Rouge a few times a week. I gave the place its name and designed the logo and the coasters, so I want to make it famous worldwide!

Tonight I called my favorite girl to be here with me. It's a great idea, isn't it? My book Araki by Araki shows my entire life. You can see how I have lived and how I have changed, so it's a very embarrassing book for me, actually. Because this book shows my world, people think Araki equals Kabuki Cho. It's not true. My favorite place is anywhere my favorite girl is with me.

Tokyo is the only place where I can do what I do. The human being's weapon is language. Animals use sounds, but humans use only language; it's their way to communicate with one another. I speak only Japanese. People say you don't need words in art or visuals, but this isn't true. You speak and communicate, and that's why you are able to make something. For example, I love the Tokyo accent. It comes from the old neighborhoods of this town. Let's say I am walking in an old neighborhood in Tokyo, and I accidentally fall into a well; when I see the sky from the bottom of the well, I see the world framed by the mouth of the well. This mouth of the well is the frame for all of the pictures that I take.