February 23, 2010   2 notes
Mutsuo Takahashi, Poet, 1970. Photo by Eikoh Hosoe. Interview with Takahashi Mutsuo, June 9, 2005: …. Angles: And you were also good friends with the photographer Hosoe Eikoh, weren’t you? Takahashi: Oh yes, we still are. The other day, I gave a speech on Mishima, and Hosoe was sitting on the very first row. Afterward, he said, ‘Mutsuo-san! That’s was great, really great!’ [Laugh] He has got such a kind personality. He’s so easily moved. He hasn’t changed a bit since the old days. Angles: That photograph that he took of you was really something. Takahashi: Oh yes. In that photo, he told me to sing. Angles: You were singing? Takahashi: And he was splashing water on top of me… Angles: Really? I see. So you’d look like you were covered in sweat… Takahashi: That’s right. He took that photo of me like that while I was singing. But people seem to interpret that picture differently. Angles: I thought maybe you were in the heat of passion or something… [Laugh] Takahashi: Sure! Some people seem to think there’s something right in front of me and I’m really turned on, but that’s not how it really was. Angles: I see. Takahashi: Hosoe isn’t that way at all … I mean he’s not the least bit gay. But he doesn’t act the least bit funny when dealing with things having to go with gay sexuality. He is a really nice and straightforward fellow; nothing bad about his personality at all. So that day he was taking that picture, he just said, ‘Mutsuo-san, I want to take a photo of you. You mind if I spray your face a bit to cover you with mist?’ I told him to go ahead. Then after he wet my face, he said, ‘Mutsuo-san, you always are singing, right? Sing me the song Egoika.’ And that’s how we got the photo. Angles: I see. Takahashi: A lot of cameramen took my picture over the years. In addition to Hosoe Eikoh, there was a fellow named Sawatari Hajime who also took photos of me. When I was much younger, he took nude shots of me….

Mutsuo Takahashi, Poet, 1970. Photo by Eikoh Hosoe.


Interview with Takahashi Mutsuo, June 9, 2005:

….

Angles: And you were also good friends with the photographer Hosoe Eikoh, weren’t you?

Takahashi: Oh yes, we still are. The other day, I gave a speech on Mishima, and Hosoe was sitting on the very first row. Afterward, he said, ‘Mutsuo-san! That’s was great, really great!’ [Laugh] He has got such a kind personality. He’s so easily moved. He hasn’t changed a bit since the old days.

Angles: That photograph that he took of you was really something.

Takahashi: Oh yes. In that photo, he told me to sing.

Angles: You were singing?

Takahashi: And he was splashing water on top of me…

Angles: Really? I see. So you’d look like you were covered in sweat…

Takahashi: That’s right. He took that photo of me like that while I was singing. But people seem to interpret that picture differently.

Angles: I thought maybe you were in the heat of passion or something… [Laugh]

Takahashi: Sure! Some people seem to think there’s something right in front of me and I’m really turned on, but that’s not how it really was.

Angles: I see.

Takahashi: Hosoe isn’t that way at all … I mean he’s not the least bit gay. But he doesn’t act the least bit funny when dealing with things having to go with gay sexuality. He is a really nice and straightforward fellow; nothing bad about his personality at all. So that day he was taking that picture, he just said, ‘Mutsuo-san, I want to take a photo of you. You mind if I spray your face a bit to cover you with mist?’ I told him to go ahead. Then after he wet my face, he said, ‘Mutsuo-san, you always are singing, right? Sing me the song Egoika.’ And that’s how we got the photo.

Angles: I see.

Takahashi: A lot of cameramen took my picture over the years. In addition to Hosoe Eikoh, there was a fellow named Sawatari Hajime who also took photos of me. When I was much younger, he took nude shots of me….

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