You may have come across TsuShiMaMiRe someway down the bill at a rancid Tokyo live house. It’s possible you remember their crackpot concoction of punk and avant garde, or left wondering why a nice bunch of girls like that were singing about manholes with such unhinged vigor. Whatever it was that lingered, it doesn’t seem to be something their fellow countrymen understand. Despite being signed to the respectable indie label, Benten, the talented ‘MaMiRe are hardly household names – a sad fact when the likes of Ken Hirai are allowed to run amok. Thankfully, the rest of the world has more than enough taste to keep the happy threesome buoyant. Midway through a highly successful 40-date US tour – their fifth in as many years – Japanzine caught up with singer Mari to discuss what’s at the bottom of a manhole, and how best to follow up a pregnant fantasy.

Japanzine: TsuShiMaMiRe are currently one of the best-known Japanese bands in the USA. You have toured the US repeatedly, yet I know for a fact you still haven’t played in Fukuoka. What’s that all about?!

Mari: As far as Fukuoka goes, we’d have to fly down ‘cause it’s so far…

JZ: Further than Good Ol’ Uncle U.S. of Stateside? Mari, get a grip!

M: Well, it’s that or by car, and since there’s only three of us, that’d be a tough haul. Once we’re a little more famous, we’ll be there! We’ve got Fukuoka fans we wanna come and play for.

JZ: It must be odd to be so well known abroad, but relatively small in your home country – like Utada Hikaru in reverse.

M: I don’t think we’re that well known abroad.

JZ: Well, a sell-out tour’s nothing to be sniffed at!

M: Both in Japan and the States I think we’re still in the middle of becoming known, so to say that we’re the opposite of Utada Hikaru is going a little overboard. But if we outdid Hiki-chan in America, I’d be damn well pleased.

JZ: Haven’t you ever been tempted to sign with a major label?

M: We’re actually considering signing with a major label at the moment. But it doesn’t really matter whether it’s indie or major. We just want to make the world listen – and doing that’s not a part time job, y’know!

JZ: The story goes that ‘Ebihara Shinji’, one of your better-known songs, is named after a homeless man who saw you performing many years ago. Has he made contact with you since? Doesn’t he want some kind of payment?

M: I don’t know if he’s asked for money – I only met him once.

JZ: I think you owe him money, girls!

M: It’d be distressing if he asked us for money at the moment! If the song became a big hit, then we’d seek him out, buy him a fresh set of clothes and a delicious lunch, I suppose. No rotten sandwiches!

JZ: You have a song called ‘Manhole’. Explain yourself!!

M: Originally Yayoi brought the intro riff… but, the question is why ‘Manhole’, right? Perhaps Yayoi’s riff suggested something dark and underworldy. So we started tossing around ideas about manholes that we are familiar with…

JZ: ‘Scuse me?

M: You know – “What goes on inside a manhole?” “Now that you mention it, I’ve never been in one!” – that kind of thing. Over a heavy riff, we started ad libbing, and for some reason some very erotic images came out. Manhole – inside a hole – the darkness no one knows – the image of men and women – the manhole you have inside yourself – to spill out of a manhole…

JZ: Quite a session!

M: In and around the time we were making this track, we remembered a ski trip that we took a long time ago to Shikotsuko in Hokkaido. That was the final piece of the jigsaw. The characters of Shikotsuko are sometimes written as Death Bones Lake. According to legend, many people died in the lake and their bones never surfaced. That suggested another ‘manhole’ possibility. Anyway, it’s an image we want you to all ponder on – what is inside a manhole? Think on, people.

JZ: Obviously you are an all-girl Japanese band. Haven’t you been tempted to recruit many more members, mostly from the 12 to 18 age group?

M: Definitely not! What are you saying!?

JZ: Well, let me put it this way: In planetary terms, if you are the Earth, just how far away from Morning Musume are you?

M: There’s absolutely no connection between us! Why are you asking me this? I think I wanna ask you some questions!

JZ: Swiftly moving on, then! Three Japanese girls on tour in the US. The words “fratboy” and “party” come to mind. As a respectable member of Japan’s gaijin community, I am deeply concerned about your safety.

M: A fratboy party would be a good idea, I think. We’ll get them moving! Hahaha.

JZ: Don’t you have bodyguards?

M: TsuShiMaMiRe are kickass! We don’t need bodyguards! On top of that, the fans that surround us are fuckin’ awesome, so it’s not really a problem.

JZ: Since a lot of our readers are Japan-based fratboys, please advise…

M: Wow! Japanzine readers are pretty hardcore! Since we have no bodyguards, don’t worry about approaching us. But be careful – if you’re naughty, we’ll eat you alive.

JZ: Any plans for the New Year? When are we going to hear a follow up to Pregnant Fantasy?

M: Well, we’re going to record the new album soon. After that we’ll be doing some promotional videos. The new album should be out in the spring, and we’re going to surprise everyone by making an album 100 times more kakkoii than the last one.

JZ: Can’t wait! Last question, then… When are you coming to Fukuoka?

M: We don’t have any plans at the moment, but If you come and meet us, Jon, we’ll come anytime.

JZ: (Swoon)

Pregnant Fantasy is out now on Benten Label.

Thanks to Yuri and Nathan for translation assistance.

© Carter Witt Media 2006