Style Resume. Nobuhiko Kitamura #3

2025.2.7

Text： Kenichi Aono

Edit： Suzuki Yusuke

Be it fashion, music or sports, there is a style that only each person can bring out in any genre. “Style is Everything.” That’s right, someone once said that style is everything. “Style Resume” is a series of interviews with adults who literally have style. Updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the sixth installment is the story of Nobuhiko Kitamura, designer of HYSTERIC GLAMOUR, who always lives with music.

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03. I became obsessed with rock music in my early teens.

When I moved to Kasukabe, I joined a little league baseball team called "Takesato Rainbows". The team would go on trips to Shiozawa in Yamanashi during summer vacation. When we went on trips, we would stay overnight there, play baseball during the day, have campfires at night, and socialize with the opposing team. One day, a member of the opposing team's older brother was visiting, and when I went to his room after dinner, Deep Purple was playing at full volume. I think it was "Black Night = 24 Carats" (1975). I was surprised and thought, "What kind of music is this?"

At the time, my cousin, who was about four years older than me, was crazy about the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and when I was in sixth grade or first year of junior high, he invited me to a Suzi Quatro concert, saying, "Nobuhiko, are you free on this day? If you are, come join us." I was shocked and thought, "I just saw something amazing," and, coupled with the fact that I had previously listened to "24 Carat," I became addicted to rock music.

At that time, my sources of information were music magazines such as "Music Life" and "Ongaku Senka," as well as records and the radio. One day, there was a rumor going around that the song "Piss Factory," the B-side of Patti Smith's first single "Hey Joe," was amazing, and I was listening to Noriaki Onuki's radio when the song came on. "What, this is rock too...?" I was taken to a completely different place by that experience.

I first discovered Western music when I was in the upper grades of elementary school. Unlike today, there was less information available, and radio, magazines, record jackets and credits were my precious sources of information.
As he said, "This was all I had at the time (laughs)," records were very expensive for junior high and high school students.
He plays the guitar in his room. He thought about playing an instrument, but said, "There are people around me who are better than me, so I just enjoy listening to others."
The EP containing "Piss Factory." At the time, no one could have imagined that Kitamura and Patti Smith would have a fateful encounter several decades later.

Profile

Nobuhiko Kitamura (Hysteric Glamour designer)

Born in Sangenjaya, Tokyo in 1962. Joined apparel manufacturer Ozone Community in 1984, and launched HYSTERIC GLAMOUR at the age of 21. Having been involved with music for over 40 years, he has many fans not only in Japan but all over the world, and is known for having close friendships with many musicians and artists.

Instagram @nobuhikokitamura , @hystericglamour_tokyo