Isetan Men's Net's Christmas project, " 2018 ISETAN MEN'S Presents 'Our X'mas Stories' ," aims to liven up the Christmas season in 2018. It will introduce the individual "Christmas stories" of six women active in various fields.

Born in Osaka Prefecture (currently residing in Tokyo), she is a singer-songwriter. She lived in Maryland, USA during her childhood and graduated from an international school after returning to Japan. She began playing piano at age 5 and guitar and songwriting at age 15. She made her digital debut on March 14, 2007, with "Ayamachi no Sunny". After celebrating her 10th anniversary, she released her first best-of album, "Love rises...2007-2018," in March 2018. Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, she organized the music event "LOVE no Kyou Koko ni Iru to Iu Koto" (The Meaning of Being Here Today, Love), which donated stationery to children in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, and continued to hold it for six years. This event was relaunched in spring 2018 as a large-scale event with a goal of continuing for three years, and is currently being held in Soma City.
She is also active as a personality on the daytime radio program "LOVE CONNECTION" on TOKYO FM (broadcast on two stations: TOKYO FM and FM OH!).

Singer-songwriter LOVE says, "Many of my songs about family and friends are based on real-life experiences, but I can write love songs even if I haven't experienced them." When asked why she can write love songs, she smiles and replies, "There's a big theme at the very core of my work: 'love for humanity.'" LOVE, who believes that music is "useful to people, a bridge between people," chose a gift for someone who has helped her.

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Wa1

What does Christmas mean to you?

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The first thing that comes to mind when I think of "Christmas" is that it's a day when we can wish happiness for people all over the world, whether we have a personal connection to them or not. In Japan, it's not at all strange to see hot pot and Christmas cake together on the Christmas table, and I think it's very peaceful how Japan tolerantly incorporates Eastern and Western cultures.

The song "Let's Decorate the Tree ~Pf.poliphonia~," which is also included on the best-of album "Love rises…2007-2018," reminds me of when I was a child and saw images of nighttime bombing during the Gulf War on TV while my family and I were eating hot pot. It's a song about how the conflict will never end, but we should still decorate the tree as a prayer of tolerance, and I sing it at my Christmas concerts every year.

I actually wanted to work for the United Nations or something similar, and I liked music that was useful to society. I'm influenced by the music of artists like Joni Mitchell and Joe Cocker, from an era when "society, youth, and music" were truly connected. At the very core of my work is the theme of "love for humanity," so I'm very happy that I was able to connect with Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and that I'm now able to organize music events created together with the people of the town.

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Question 2

What are some memorable Christmas episodes and presents you've received?

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One unforgettable gift was a small diamond necklace my boyfriend gave me for Christmas during my senior year of high school. Actually, I was thinking of breaking up with him. I didn't think I deserved the gift, and I struggled with whether to accept it or not, but I was surprised that he had chosen it with me in mind, told me it suited me, and that he still loved me. Of course, I accepted it, and even after we broke up, I cherished and wore it. That experience made me realize the importance of "the ability to receive." Receiving a gift, through the feelings behind it, becomes a process of "acknowledging your own worth because you were loved." I wrote about these feelings in the song "Proving Your Love" (included in the album "FORTUNE LADY").

I really enjoy looking for presents, and I had a great time browsing around Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building . I agonized over what to give to the recipient, but I realized it's best to consult with the sales staff, even about something as simple as the packaging. When you tell them "I want to give this to this kind of person," they give you answers that exceed your expectations, and they're all professionals who are "pleasant, stylish, and decisive." At Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , you can choose from a selection of "all nice" items, so I decided on something that "I want for myself!"

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Test3

Please tell me about the gift you chose at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building .

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The first person is Mr. Haneda, who lives in Soma City. After the earthquake, a 14-year-old girl who was in Tokyo for fundraising activities at TOKYO FM asked me, "Are you a celebrity?" When I replied, "I'm a musician," she asked, "Would you come to Soma?" That's how we became acquainted, and it turns out her father is Mr. Haneda, a health and physical education teacher at a junior high school. Mr. Haneda warmly welcomed us when we visited, and we've been like family ever since.

The other person is the manager of THE ALFEE. THE ALFEE is a band whose member is Kounosuke Sakazaki, whom I call the "god of acoustic guitar," and the manager is also a skilled guitarist and very knowledgeable about guitars. I had been using an acoustic guitar with a boyish sound for a long time, and I was looking for a guitar with a tone that would suit a more mature woman, when suddenly the manager sent me a guitar and said, "I think this guitar's sound would suit LOVE's voice." That was the Martin I'm holding in the cover photo of the best-of album 'Love rises…2007-2018'. I was very surprised, but it's the one I use the most in live performances now, so I consider it a return gift.

What message does NEXTLOVE want to convey to the two of them?

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