My most successful Snowboard friend - Hiroshi Fujiwara

DJ, Producer, Fashion Designer, Car Lover, culture creator and sideways stance celebrity, HF comes to Sapporo Kokusai.

First you need to know a little bit about my long time snowboard friend Hiroshi!

Hiroshi Fujiwara is a multifaceted Japanese artist, best known for his influential work in streetwear fashion and music. Often regarded as the "Godfather of Streetwear," Fujiwara has played a pivotal role in shaping modern fashion trends, particularly in the realm of street fashion. His impact extends beyond Japan, influencing global fashion and culture.

In addition to his work in fashion, Fujiwara is also a respected DJ, showcasing his diverse talents across various creative fields. His unique approach to blending music with fashion has cemented his status as a cultural icon.

Fujiwara's journey in the fashion industry began in the 1980s, where he was a prominent figure in the Ura-Harajuku scene in Tokyo. His early exposure to Western culture, especially music and fashion, played a significant role in shaping his creative vision. This led to the creation of his own brand, Fragment Design, which became a cornerstone in the streetwear world.

Fragment Design is known for its minimalist and sophisticated aesthetic, often collaborating with major brands like Nike, Levi's, and Stussy. These collaborations have resulted in iconic products that blend Fujiwara's unique sensibilities with the mainstream appeal of these brands.

In the realm of music, Fujiwara's influence is just as significant. His DJ career has seen him playing at various prestigious events and venues, further cementing his status as a cultural polymath.

Fujiwara's contributions to fashion and music have earned him numerous accolades and recognition in the creative industry. His ability to foresee trends and his keen eye for detail have made him a revered figure in both the fashion and music worlds.

Thanks Chat-GPT for that great overview of Hiroshi’s life and career!

I don’t remember the year, but it was a long time ago when I first met Hiroshi. He was already insanely famous and hugely successful, but to me, he was just someone who loved to ride powder. I think it was Sapporo Kokusai where we first met and took photos together. There was a big crew there for a magazine photo shoot and snowboarding trip—a bunch of Harajuku fashionistas led by Hiroshi.

He took a liking to me and my photos. After that almost every trip he made to Sapporo I was asked to be the photographer. We went to Niseko and even a trip to the Shiretoko peninsula in far eastern Hokkaido. Then about 15 years ago I was invited on a trip with him to Moscow Russia! That was a highlight among all my international photo travel trips!

he also gave me music to use in some of my Snowboard videos and he was always super supportive of my video projects. Basically, I see him as a snowboarder and originally a skater at heart. Someone who grew up fascinated by sub-culture, street culture, and fashion, and that spirit has never left him. He is insanely curious about all kinds of things and shows interest in an endeavor that comes from a street level.

These days he flies around the world to all the major events like Apple product releases, and Nike brand collabs, he recently produced a Hiroshi design car with Maserati. He has so many things going on I can’t keep track and I am not sure how he does it either.

His main brand and product now is named Fragment and he trip to Hokkaido this week related to that. A new collaboration goggles between Fragment and Anon eyewear is being produced and will hit the stores in February. I was asked to shoot the promotional video for the release. Everything came together on Wednesday the 13th. Hiroshi and crew flew in, I arranged permission to get on the ski hill a little early before the crowds, and three hours later we had called it a wrap!

Ok, I am shortening the story a bit. Basically, when you are at Hiroshi’s status level you don’t like to spend more time than needed to get things done. He likes to work very fast, capture the needed images, and move on to the next thing. For me, the key was to make sure we got a couple of really cool images of Hiroshi riding powder alone, plus some cool videos of the Anon/Fragment goggles in action.

The snow has been late arriving this season and until the night before the shoot, the resort was icy and hard-packed. Not what Hiroshi likes. We all met up on the 12th to say hi and plan out the shoot. We ate a delicious meal of Japanese eel on rice!

One of the best I have ever had. This is the kind of bonus that comes with hanging out with Hiroshi. Amazing food and magical experiences.

Well, Hiroshi brought the magic with him, because overnight the snow-gods came in and put down a layer of snow on the mountain that I am willing to call a real powder day!

In total we did three top to bottom runs, plus a product shoot in the forest at the top of the mountain. We also enjoyed a hot coffee and some snacks in our cafe at the top.

I can’t show you the video or the photos of the goggles as the official release will be in mid-January. I will announce it again when the timing comes.

The key takeaway from this story is this. There are all kinds of people, rich and poor, elite and common. We all have a different path and a different reason for being here on earth. What I love is the way snowboarding skating and surfing can bring together people who might have very little in common and create a bond between them. It’s like a hidden piece of velcro that we each hold. When in close contact the vibe is sticky and we carve and ride and make magic happen on the mountain. When the velcro separates we go our separate ways until the next chance meeting. To me, that is a beautiful thing and I love it when it happens.

Here is a quick follow-shot from our second run. Keep in mind that he has not ridden in more than six months, we filmed his very first turns of the season and he is riding a new board set up! Hiroshi is one of those naturally talented riders who doesn’t require preparation or a warm-up run. Another trait of very successful people?

So thanks to Hiroshi for always keeping that snow-lover velcro attached and never losing the passion for gliding on the snow.

Oh yeah, one more thing! While at the cafe we operate at the top of Sapporo Kokusai (SKS-International) @LOCALE-SKS Hiroshi crafted a new drink menu for us. A cup of Earl-Grey tea with a large marshmallow! He called it “Earl-Smore” and so it shall be called from here forth! You will probably see it on the menu if you visit us this winter! Here is his post about it from his Instagram account!

Well, that is my news from this week! The end of the year is approaching very fast along with a big winter hurricane-level storm! We are waiting patiently for the big snow to arrive along with strong winds and cold temps from Sunday! Have a great weekend and I will be back with more stories real soon!

Here is one of my most popular YouTube videos of all time, a musical performance by HF and friends at the Hokkaido music festival “Rising Sun Rock Festival”