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Kami Personal Feature "Sweat!"
Translated by Kurai

Here is part 3 of our Malice Mizer individual interview feature, "What Makes you Sweat," with drummer Kami. A sportsman who plays tennis every other day, we had him go to the training gym for us and let the sweat flow. Ponder over his beautiful muscles as you read....

--Let's start with your feelings on the photos we took.

Kami: Aaa, I am tired! (laughs) Actually, I've been dieting for the last two months trying to keep my weight under control. Before, I used to eat almost nothing in order to lose weight. I lost about 6 kilograms that way, but nowadays I eat normally. However, for this photo shoot I skipped my meals yesterday.. to tighten my stomach!

--You had that much enthusiasm for this?

Kami: Yes, yes. But I had this feeling, like I wonder if I even could work up a sweat for the photos.. then suddenly the cameraman turned to me and said "do a hundred push-ups!" (laughs)

--Ahhh!

Kami: So, a hundred was impossible for me but I did about forty. After that I worked out with silver dumbbells, sit-ups, and a bunch of other stuff.

--Was that possibly the first time in a while that you had sweated so much from exercise?

Kami: No, before my diets consisted of not eating to lose weight, but recently I quit doing that. Now do 50 sit-ups before sleep, and 30 times of this exercise to strengthen my side stomach muscles called a V-sit. If you do those types of things, even if you eat you won't get fat. I always thought exercise was necessary. After the yokohama arena live was over, I let myself relax a bit backstage and my stomach was showing in a potbelly.. that was the first time I thought "this is disgusting" and from then on I started to work on my body.

--Do you go the gym too?

Kami: I don't go to the gym, but I play tennis about once every two days. I started that about 2 months ago too. I play by myself using a machine against the wall. I play for about 30-40 minutes and work up a huge sweat.

--Aaaa. That's good for your health isn't it.

Kami: Yeah. There were many things for me to consider, in that not just playing drums on stage, but also dancing and such.. I had to use a lot of different muscle. In that regard, I thought I would need some basic strength and fitness. At one time I had gained so much weight my clothes wouldn't fit, but now everything is too baggy!

--Well, It sounds like you've been playing tennis since school, and picked it up again just now.

Kami: That's right. The first two days I started playing again I felt so good, but you know, with just playing against a wall, you gradually get lonely. By the time I'm finished I feel a sort of longing. (laughs)

--There's no one who will play with you?

Kami: Ah, there's no one in my immediate area who can play tennis. Also, I'm just saying this myself, but I'm really good at tennis. In the future I'm thinking of doing some kind of tennis special with Viscious.

--With that kind of healthy lifestyle, doesn't your mental attitude also change?

Kami: It does. I've become more cheerful, and more positive. Exercise sure is great. So much energy to do so many different things has awoken in me. Until recently, I approached things with a lethargic, apathetic attitude, but that has changed. Even now I am busy, but I am working hard to compose songs, and even when I get tired I have this power bursting inside me to stand and face things. Also, I don't know if this is caused by exercise or not, but however late at night I go to sleep, I always wake up now at 8:45 in the morning! For these last three weeks its been that way everyday. Once, on a really tiring day I felt like I could sleep for like 18 hours. But after sleeping only 12 hours I woke up precisely at 8:45! (laughs)

--That's wonderful. For me, when its cold, even if you set an alarm I won't get up. And then even if I am woken its really hard for me to get out of bed.

Kami: I wake up in a flash. Then I think "ok! time to work!" and first drink my oronamin C.

--(laughs) How manly!!!!

Kami: Then I clean my room next.

--(!) I can't believe it.

Kami: I clean it perfectly every single day. Mopping, sweeping. On a sunny day I air out my futon too.

--Do you drum on your futon when you're airing it out?

Kami: With my drum sticks. (laughs) When I wasn't doing exercise, on days when there'd be a photo shoot early in the morning I would of course wake up and get out of bed, but I'd feel horribly sleepy, and for the whole day I'd be drowsy. Now that never happens. I naturally wake up feeling like "today is another day, lets do it!!".

--And your face has become completely sharp and cut. You've become handsome. (laughs)

Kami: Totally handsome. (laughs) You know, in my previous diets I did lose weight, but it'd always come right back. I thought to myself "this way can't be right". Also, when I began to exercise, I really began to taste the true deliciousness of food. Before I would only eat one meal a day, but now I eat 3 full meals and don't gain any weight. I even drink vegetable juice. (laughs) And awhile ago I had a unit bath, but I recently moved into a place with a big, wide bath. I take one everyday in it. That's probably another reason for my good health. Yuki understand why I've taken an interest in bubble baths and the like. Also, you know, if you go on a diet where you don't eat your sexual desire is lessened.

--Really? Your sexual desire decreases?

Kami: (laughs) Not just decrease, it goes away completely. If you were a man, it would be obvious to you, but it does go away. Its come back to me little by little, but.

--(laughs) You've been revived?

Kami: (laughs) "revived".. sounds like viagra or something. (laughs)

--Eh? Is that so.

Kami: I was very surprised too. To not eat sure is bad. Just apathy and lethargy come from it. That even if a girl was dancing right in front of you, you'd just hang your head in shame. (laughs)

--By the way, looking back at the past, do you have any memories of a time you really sweat a lot?

Kami: When I was in a car and we came this close to hitting someone, I felt the sweat thick on my back. Also, I am a bit of an empathetic person, and a long time ago I would often go to this spiritual spot and when I felt something there.. my palms would be sweaty.

--A "spiritual spot"? For example?

Kami: For example, a hospital which had been closed down or something. When I was 18 my friends and I had a lot of strange experiences. I think their sense of the spirit world started to affect me. You know, when you're always with someone, you tend to start imitating their gestures and way of speaking.. well, its the same with spirituality.. and I was always with my friends who had a strong spirituality to them, so I think I started to develop it myself. A photo shooting of course wouldn't reflect anything, but just one of my private photos would. It wouldn't have to be a picture of a person either.. it could be light, white smoke, anything.

--Wow. Then didn't you have a lot of frightening experiences with that spiritual world?

Kami: I wouldn't call them frightening. To give an example, before a live at the nippon budoukan my grandmother died. When I was really sick and had to go to the hospital, I heard her voice in my dreams "don't come here yet. its too early for you". I've had a lot of such experiences. Right when we got to the nippon budoukan I had a dream with my dog I have at home. At first he was happy to see me, running around and barking, but suddenly his face became sad as he walked around, and just like that he stopped moving... I woke up and couldn't stop crying. "Something may have happened", I thought, and called home. I found out my grandmother had just died.

--The dream was sent to tell you.

Kami: Yes, surely.

--But if you have experiences like that, have you started to think that the dead live near us in our world?

Kami: I think so. They watch over us. Even now, everyday I say thank you to my grandmother's photograph. A long time ago I rarely ever went to her grave, but now I have started to more often with feelings of gratefulness. Uh, somehow this talk about sweat became a really interesting discussion!

--Well, lastly would you tell us your goals for for next year?

Kami: Right. Well, this is true for Malice Mizer in general, but I want to express myself more.

--Like what you said earlier about composing songs?

Kami: Yes. Also, wherever possible, in many different ways I'd like to try adding my own personality. Of course Malice Mizer is still the focus.

--Well, would you say something about your private life?

Kami: Private? I want a girlfriend! (laughs) I also wanna go to an amusement park. That's all really.

--To Disneyland or toyojimaen?

Kami: Even Korakuen is fine.

--Some place where the flowers are just blooming?

Kami: (laughs) That'd be fine.

--What kind of girlfriend do you want?

Kami: Kindness is the number one factor. Someone who when we are together, thinks first about her partner before herself. If that aspect is there I don't have a problem with the rest.

--Typical Japanese kindness?

Kami: Yes, yes. Because I've become that way too. Also, I'm a spoiled brat, so when I'm depressed I need someone who will come rouse me from my hole. But I really don't like to show my private life. I hope the fans understand that I sacrifice little pleasures like having a girlfriend.

--Even on a blind date, you'd want to have it low-key and quiet right. (laughs) But private happiness is important for us all.

Kami: Yes. My ambition for next year is to be happy.