About nonsense., the creative team behind WAPAN's graphics

There's an up-and-coming brand that creates original graphics, logos, and apparel with a skiing theme. Its name is nonsense.
The members are 25-year-old graphic designer Kanta Kojima and photographer Koya Tanabe, both based in Tokyo.
They digest the music and art they've been exposed to and combine them with skiing to create their own unique and innovative work. Their unconventional style is gaining popularity not only among skiers but also among young people, mainly in Tokyo.

Who exactly are nonsense? We interviewed them

What is nonsense?

The brand was founded four years ago, in 2017. At the time, two university students who were active alpine skiers launched the brand with the desire to engage in activities other than alpine skiing.
Starting with T-shirts, they have produced a wide range of items, including hats, tote bags, and zines that resemble photo books. They
don't necessarily make only items with a skiing concept, but their products have been well-received by skiers and others.
In addition to skiing, they are also conscious of Japanese culture. Because they were born in Japan, they are often drawn to things associated with Japan, such as Hanafuda (Japanese playing cards) and Daruma dolls.

Currently, they work as sales clerks at a major outdoor apparel store, while also energetically creating works based on the themes of what they want to wear and make

Their origins, their meeting, and their roots

Surprisingly, both Kojima and Tanabe were born and raised in western Japan, areas not exactly blessed with snow: Kojima is from Kyoto and Tanabe is from Hiroshima.
Tanabe, however, was born and raised in a relatively snowy region of Hiroshima and would go skiing with his family. Kojima, on the other hand, was taken by his ski-loving father to ski expeditions to places like Hachikita.
Both had been taught alpine skiing since childhood, and with each passing day of practice they improved rapidly, eventually becoming designated強化選手 (enhanced training athletes) for their prefecture. And it was at the West Japan Elementary School Championships that they met.

Afterward, Tanabe went to a high school in Gifu on a skiing scholarship, and Kojima went to a high school in Akita.
The two grew up to be skilled alpine racers, winning awards at the Inter-High School Championships and national competitions during their student years, and they spent more time together at training camps and competitions.
At night, they would enjoy talking about music and their shared hobbies. It was around this time that they began to talk about doing something other than skiing together, which would become the beginnings of nonsense.

What made them decide to do something on their own? Tanabe mentioned the name of that person

"Akira Sasaki had a huge influence on us. There's no one in our generation who hasn't been influenced by him. The alpine skiing world is known for its athletic, sports-oriented culture, but Akira skateboarded, listened to reggae, and was completely different from the typical image of an alpine skier.

He was a world-class athlete who even started his own brand, which was unconventional for an alpine skier and really cool. Our generation had smartphones once we got to high school, so we were always following Akira's Twitter account."

The two were greatly influenced not only by Akira Sasaki's skating but also by his lifestyle, and they shared similar values ​​and hit it off. After that, they moved to Tokyo to attend university, and made the dream they had talked about in high school a reality

What is the origin of the name "nonsense."?
Kojima answered the question.

"The word 'nonsense' can be loosely translated as 'meaningless.' When I was a university student, there were a lot of indie brands around me that made their own T-shirts, but they all just kept coming and going and never lasted

So, with the antithesis of "What's the point of creating a brand that's going to disappear anyway?" in mind, we came up with the idea of ​​"nonsense."
...It was a bit edgy, wasn't it? (laughs) But, since we're doing the same thing in terms of creating a brand, we put a strikethrough over the font in the logo as a kind of warning or underlying theme: "There's no point in claiming that something is meaningless."

With such roots, nonsense. was presented with a big opportunity last year

I was offered the opportunity to create graphics for "WAPAN," a Japanese ski brand that was launched in 2018.
WAPAN is a portmanteau of "Wa" (Japanese style) and "Japan," and its concept is to create skis that represent the best of Japan, made by Japanese people. The graphic designs are based on Japanese patterns such as Hanafuda (Japanese playing cards) and Ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), and the skis are designed to allow skiers to enjoy Japanese snow with skis that are tailored to the Japanese physique, which has attracted attention from core skiers.

For more information on Waupun's 21-22 lineup, click here

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How did you come to create the graphics for WAPAN?

In June 2020, Ono, the producer of WAPAN, was looking for a designer to commission for the next season's graphics. He checked a wide range of options online and on social media, from professionals to amateurs and even tattoo artists. Among the candidates he found was nonsense

Around that time, a ski brand held an event on Facebook where they solicited graphic designs for their skis for the next season from their users. The entry method was simple: just post the graphic you drew on your timeline.
Kojima entered this event. Ono, who was following Kojima, saw the post and was convinced that "Kojima could draw the image for WAPAN." He immediately offered Kojima the job.

"When I heard about the project from WAPAN, I immediately accepted. I immediately thought, 'I want to draw.'

The truth is, two years ago at a custom fair, I happened to stop by the WAPAN booth and fell in love with the graphics on their boards at first sight. I thought, "I want to ride this board!" (laughs) I
hadn't met Mr. Ono personally, but I knew the brand. I thought it would be amazing if my artwork became the graphics for a brand I admired! Plus, I felt that doing it as a job would open up more possibilities for me in the future."

The boards come incamellia, daruma doll, and white tiger.threedesigns

Upon receiving the offer, they immediately began production. Having fallen in love with WAPAN at first sight, there was no need to explain its worldview or concept. Producer Ono conveyed only one thing: "As a benchmark, create a board like J SKIS."
J SKIS is a handmade brand recently founded by Jason, the founder of LINE. While boards are often judged solely on their specifications and riding feel, Ono resonated with J SKIS's commitment to not only creating excellent boards but also paying attention to details like graphics.

Kojima explained the three designs he had drawn.
"First, the one I absolutely wanted to draw was the camellia. Like WAPAN, nonsense. also uses 'Japanese' as its theme.
For us, the camellia is a symbol of that. For some reason, we are both drawn to camellia flowers."

The daruma design is an adaptation of a long-sleeved T-shirt released by nonsense. a few years ago

The white tiger was the third design I drew. I was searching online for a Japanese pattern that was typical of nonsense. and would match WAPAN, and I came across the white tiger and thought, "This is perfect."

Changes brought about by drawing WAPAN graphics

As alpine skiers, they had achieved numerous successes, and their skiing careers seemed to be going smoothly.
Or so I thought, until Kojima suddenly told me,
"I had to quit skiing in the middle of university because of a doctor's order. It seems I had a congenital problem with my hip joint. I went to the hospital because of the pain, and the doctor told me to stop, so I stopped skiing from that day on."

If he wanted to do it but couldn't, did he end up hating skiing?

"I've always hated skiing. My father kind of forced me to do it... it's no fun to do something while being scolded

So, this season I went skiing for the first time in a while, with a board I had drawn on it."

Tanabe also commented:
"It had been a while since I skied with Kanta, so I was surprised. I was like, 'Wait, you can ski?' (laughs) Watching him from behind, it reminded me of our student days. There aren't many people who can ski with their body leaning so far down that their bottom touches the snow.

Actually, I've only ever seen Kanta at competitions, and we've hardly ever skied together, so it was a very strange feeling."

Kojima continues,
"It was really fun skiing again after a long time. It was great to ski with my friends on the skis I designed, and chat on the lift.
I've only ever done alpine skiing, so I still don't know what kind of skiing suits me best. This year, my goal was to do a 360 in the jump, and I achieved that goal. I'm looking forward to
trying different kinds of skiing from now on. My doctor has told me to stay away from it for now, so I'll be feeling my way around. I used to
hate skiing, but when I think about everyone riding the skis I designed, I feel like I've gotten my revenge somehow (laughs). Now I can confidently say that I love skiing."

Tanabe said,
"Let's compete in an alpine skiing competition again next time. Or, we could even start a nonsense. ski club. I think we could definitely win."

We ended our interview by listening to their optimistic outlook for skiing

What is WAPAN, a brand originating from Japan?

The lineup of boards consists of four models. Developed in Japan for ease of riding, they are maneuverable and perfect for powder and park riding. One of the features of the first order is that you can choose your favorite graphic from camellia, daruma, or white tiger

Instagram:wapanskis
Facebook:Wapan Skis
web:http://wapanskis.com/

nonsense.

Instagram:nonsense.nnsns

Additionally, a limited edition collaboration T-shirt between WAPAN and nonsense. will be available for sale for two weeks, from June 1st to June 15th. It
will be made to order, and reservations are being accepted through the online shop. [
Reservation link here]

Interview/Written by: Daigo Onozuka, Editorial Department, STEEP