Tokyo Daydreams

Culture

24 Jul

There are over 14 million people living in Tokyo and like any other major metropolis, every day, residents of this city pass one another in silence, lost in thought on trains, in convenience stores, under neon lights: wrapped in their private worlds and distant dreams. It’s easy to forget that everyone around us is living just as vividly, carrying hopes and quiet ambitions of their own.

Tokyo Daydreams is a new series from Phantasy, a tribute to the straight-ups of i-D and pages of Fruits magazine that once defined a generation. Captured by photographer Tenkou Ma, the series invites six women working in Tokyo’s creative world: illustrators, graphic designers, painters, photographers and models to share not just their style but also their voices. It’s a glimpse of intimacy nestled within the concrete jungle we call Tokyo, a snapshot of the dreams we too often carry alone.

Chii

What’s your hobby? I enjoy playing with my dog and watching dramas. What’s your favourite book? Tokage by Banana Yoshimoto. What have you learned about yourself recently? I make an effort to learn all of the time. What’s your dream? It’s my dream to go to Africa one day. What do you value most in your life? Kindness.

“I want to live fully and age gracefully.”

— Chii

Minky

What's your hobby? This year's hobby is tasting different brands of peanut butter in the supermarket. What do you value most in your life? Living each day in an ordinary way. How do you feel about the future? I can already imagine that when I get old, my body will shrink by half, my knees will hurt, and I won't be able to see anything clearly. I accept any possible future. What do you want to change in the world? Nothing. In fact, it has always been the world that has changed me.

“Stepping out of my comfort zone doesn’t make me feel any better, but it does indeed help to exercise my mind.”

— Minky

Mia

What’s the theme of your outfit? Post-American punk. What’s your hobby? Being outside, psychoanalysing people, and shopping. What do you value most in your life? Genuine connections. When do you feel most liberated? When I’m single. What’s your dream? Making art without needing to commodify myself.

“What I learned about myself recently is that I’m often misunderstood, but only when the wrong people are listening. ”

— Mia

Chou

What’s your favourite song right now? Orere-Elejigbo by The Lijadu Sisters. What’s your favourite shop in Japan? I would say convenience stores lol! Shoutout to the conbini; absolute lifesavers! What have you learned about yourself recently? There was a time I wasn’t sure if I fit the label, but this year, I’ve come to fully embrace it: I am a feminist. When do you feel most liberated? On a motorbike, winding through the forest roads in Thailand. That’s when I feel truly free, like no place is out of reach.

“My dream is to live in full acceptance of who I am, to grow in self-love, to be of service to others, and to explore the planet we call home.”

— Chou

Ema

What do you do? I’m an illustrator, artist and recently a teacher. What’s your favourite song right now? Elegant Spiral by Yumiko Morioka and Takashi Kokubo. What’s the theme of your outfit? Sleeping through the sunlight. How do you feel about the future? I really don’t know. I think it is more important to take action during the present. When do you feel most liberated? When I draw my inner world.

“I just want to be a bridge that helps people walk their own path.”

— Ema

Serra

What’s your favourite book? Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. Who is your idol? David Bowie. What’s the theme of our outfit? Romantic and rebellious. What have you learned about yourself recently? To stay humble. When do you feel most liberated? When I’m dancing and listening to music.