Today Taiji would have turned 60...
You're still in our hearts, rebel!
On this occasion — a short translation from Nakajima's memories in April 1992 issue Arena 37, the column named "Friend about Friend"
Kazuyuki Nakajima (stylist, artist) was born August 11, 1966, in Tokyo. Worked at a hair salon in the Meguro area. He was a fan of X, with a particular love for Taiji, and also worked as a stylist and hairdresser for X.
This friend is the very person Taiji mentions in his autobiography. Nakajima's parents helped care for Taiji while he was hospitalized. It was the Nakajima couple who helped arrange the transfer of royalties for the songs. In his autobiography, Taiji also wrote that he considered the Nakajimas his adoptive parents, and that he greatly resembled Nakajima's father—so much so that they were often mistaken for blood-related father and son.
"So, on December 31, it was officially announced on the TV program Music Station that Taiji was leaving X. I think many people noticed that Taiji did not appear in the prestigious special program that preceded this announcement. Taiji had already known he'd leave the band during the concert at Tokyo Dome. At the banquet after the Dome show, he was very cheerful, as if he were already racing toward a new life. And indeed, Taiji left X and joined another band. He really did dash forward. Currently, Taiji is in the band "Loudness." This time, I want to talk about Taiji, whom I love very much.
I was 20 when I first met Taiji. This was before I started doing hair and makeup for X. At the time, I was working at a hair salon in Chiba. I was often seen at the local public bath (sento). And there, I kept noticing one rock guy who stood out even in the bathhouse. That guy turned out to be Taiji. He had his own bath at home, but he still went to the sento. Apparently, he really loved public baths.
And without saying a word, we always recognized each other's presence. At the bathhouse. At the tobacco shop next door. And sometimes at a popular local café... We ran into each other often. At the time, I never imagined that two years later, I'd be working with X on their hair and makeup. Thinking that we were already spending time in the same neighborhood back then, I feel a strange sense of fate.
And so, two years later, when I was 22 (and Taiji was also 22), I participated in my first job with X—it was the promotional video shoot for the song "ENDLESS RAIN." When I was introduced to the band members, I never thought that the rock guy from the bathhouse was Taiji. Apparently, Taiji didn't recognize me either.
It was only later that we realized we had been hanging out in the same place at the same time. After talking about our hometowns, we quickly became close and became friends who shared our innermost thoughts. From then on, we started spending a lot of time together.
Soon, I visited Taiji's home for the first time. The moment I entered his room, something caught my eye. It was several holes punched through the wall. They silently spoke of Taiji's inner struggles. We spent quiet hours in that room, listening to music and playing guitar. I remember that the only heater—an electric one—was bent and twisted out of shape, but still kept us warm. And even though we both preferred to hang out somewhere outside, we somehow ended up together within those four walls." - (c) Nakajima Kazuyuki, Arena37, April 1992
Note: After seeing this article, Taiji was very moved and, on his own initiative, sent Nakajima a fax to get in touch. As a result, in the June 1992 issue of Arena37 magazine, their conversation and their joint photo were published.
Photo above is from that June issue of Arena37.
