Novala Takemoto
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese author and fashion designer. His real name is . His pen name is translatable as "The Wild Rose."
Known as the "Lolitas' Bard," he is a heterosexual man self-described as having the charisma of a young maiden. He has been one of the most active promoters of the Lolita
lifestyle. He once designed a line of clothing featuring his own logo for BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT
and is consistently featured in the magazine Gothic & Lolita Bible. A few of his favorite things are Alice and the Pirates, Vivienne Westwood
, MILK, rockinghorse shoes, Christian Dior
perfume, robot
s, science fiction
, taxidermy
, doll
s, and Philip Glass
. He also has quite a fascination with the Rococo
era, and sometimes claims to have been born in the year 1745.
. As a child, he was shy and preferred drawing
and reading
(two of his favorite authors were Osamu Dazai
and Yasunari Kawabata
) to spending time with others, and was a big fan of the anime
series Candy Candy
, in the discovery of which he was "happy to finally find what [he] liked". He was also sometimes beaten by his father, which he says persuaded him to follow his own path in life. After dropping out of Osaka University of Arts
in 1987, he participated in a variety of artistic, musical and theatrical activities. From 1992 to 1997 he made his literary debut contributing serial essays to Hanagata Bunka Tsūshin (花形文化通信), a Kansai
free arts newspaper. These essays were collected and published in book format in 1998 as Soleilnuit: For Becoming a Proper Young Lady, and received wide recognition. These essays also increased the popularity of the Japanese
term otome, referring to a young lady or young maiden
. Shogakukan
published his debut novel Missin in 2000. He was nominated for the Yukio Mishima Literary Award
twice, for his novels Emily (in 2003) and Lolita. (in 2004).
Takemoto is best known for Shimotsuma Monogatari, titled Kamikaze Girls
in English
. The series was adapted to a manga
and a film
which was directed by Tetsuya Nakashima
. Another of his novels, Twins --- A Variety Store Named "The End of the World", was also adapted for film in 2001 by Kiseki Hamada.
The following biography has been translated from Takemoto's official website, NOVALA BOX.
and violating the Cannabis Control Law. After spotting Takemoto walking alone on a street in the Kabukicho
district of Tokyo
's Shinjuku Ward that evening, a police officer stopped him for questioning and reportedly found .22 grams of cannabis in Takemoto's possession, and Takemoto admitted to having used the drug.
Takemoto's arrest has had serious repercussions for his career. BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT
has removed any mention of affiliation, such as his Pour Lolita and Hello Kitty
lines, from their website. Takemoto's website was also shut down for an extended period of time and replaced by an apologetic note for visitors, but it has since reopened.
Known as the "Lolitas' Bard," he is a heterosexual man self-described as having the charisma of a young maiden. He has been one of the most active promoters of the Lolita
Lolita fashion
is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian-era clothing as well as costumes from the Rococo period, but the style has expanded greatly beyond these two. The Lolita look began primarily as one of modesty with a focus on quality in both material and manufacture of garments...
lifestyle. He once designed a line of clothing featuring his own logo for BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT
Baby, The Stars Shine Bright
is the name of a Japanese clothing boutique chain created in 1988 by Akinori Isobe and his wife, Fumiyo. The original fashion house is located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright specializes in Lolita fashion, and like Manifesteange Metamorphose temps de fille, their main focus...
and is consistently featured in the magazine Gothic & Lolita Bible. A few of his favorite things are Alice and the Pirates, Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood
Dame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
, MILK, rockinghorse shoes, Christian Dior
Christian Dior
Christian Dior , was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.-Life:...
perfume, robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s, science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, taxidermy
Taxidermy
Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
, doll
Doll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
s, and Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
. He also has quite a fascination with the Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
era, and sometimes claims to have been born in the year 1745.
Biography
Takemoto was born in Uji, south of KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. As a child, he was shy and preferred drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
and reading
Reading (process)
Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols for the intention of constructing or deriving meaning . It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas...
(two of his favorite authors were Osamu Dazai
Osamu Dazai
was a Japanese author who is considered one of the foremost fiction writers of 20th-century Japan.-Biography:-Early life:Dazai was born , the eighth surviving child of a wealthy landowner in Kanagi, a remote corner of Japan at the northern tip of Tōhoku in Aomori Prefecture...
and Yasunari Kawabata
Yasunari Kawabata
was a Japanese short story writer and novelist whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award...
) to spending time with others, and was a big fan of the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Candy Candy
Candy Candy
is a Japanese novel, manga, and anime series. The main character, Candice "Candy" White Ardlay is a blonde American girl with freckles, large emerald green eyes and long, curly hair, worn in pigtails with bows. Candy Candy first appeared in a prose novel by famed Japanese writer Kyoko Mizuki in...
, in the discovery of which he was "happy to finally find what [he] liked". He was also sometimes beaten by his father, which he says persuaded him to follow his own path in life. After dropping out of Osaka University of Arts
Osaka University of Arts
is a private arts university located in Kanan, Minamikawachi District, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The university was founded in 1945 as , changing its name to in 1957, and then to in 1964...
in 1987, he participated in a variety of artistic, musical and theatrical activities. From 1992 to 1997 he made his literary debut contributing serial essays to Hanagata Bunka Tsūshin (花形文化通信), a Kansai
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
free arts newspaper. These essays were collected and published in book format in 1998 as Soleilnuit: For Becoming a Proper Young Lady, and received wide recognition. These essays also increased the popularity of the Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
term otome, referring to a young lady or young maiden
Maiden
Maiden or Maidens may refer to:* A female virgin; see virginity* Maiden name, the family name carried by a woman before marriage; see married and maiden names* Maiden, the first of the three aspects of the Triple Goddess...
. Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
published his debut novel Missin in 2000. He was nominated for the Yukio Mishima Literary Award
Yukio Mishima Prize
The is a Japanese literary award presented annually. It was established in 1988 in memory of author Yukio Mishima.- Winners :* 1 1988 Genichiro Takahashi for 優雅で感傷的な日本野球 Yūga de Kanshōtekina Nippon Yakyū* 4 1999 Kazumi Saeki for ア・ルース・ボーイ...
twice, for his novels Emily (in 2003) and Lolita. (in 2004).
Takemoto is best known for Shimotsuma Monogatari, titled Kamikaze Girls
Kamikaze Girls
is a 2002 light novel written by Novala Takemoto that has been adapted into a manga and film.Kamikaze Girls centers around two students, Momoko Ryugasaki and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri , who are from completely different backgrounds: one is a Lolita girl, the other, her gyaru antithesis, a Yankī...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The series was adapted to a manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and a film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
which was directed by Tetsuya Nakashima
Tetsuya Nakashima
Tetsuya Nakashima is a Japanese film director. He was born in Fukuoka, attending high school in Chikushino. Nakashima was given the Best Director award at the 2005 Yokohama Film Festival for his film Kamikaze Girls....
. Another of his novels, Twins --- A Variety Store Named "The End of the World", was also adapted for film in 2001 by Kiseki Hamada.
The following biography has been translated from Takemoto's official website, NOVALA BOX.
"I'm a writer.
I was born on January 26th, in 1745, during the RococoRococoRococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
period.
I was born in Ujishi in the KyotoKyotois a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
area.
I attended Osaka Art College.
In 1990 I worked at a "novice shop" in the heart of KansaiKansaiThe or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
, which dealt with artistic, musical and theatrical events. During that time I was a writer and editor for a free paper called the "Cultural Flourish News," which was the start of my career as an essayist. From 1992 to 1997, the "Cultural Flourish News" serialized my essays "Soleilnuit - For Becoming a Proper Young Lady," which received an unprecedented amount of popularity and support in 1998. This allowed the essays to be published in a separate volume. They invoke what I would call "a young lady's charisma."
In 1999 and 2000, I switched my base of operations to TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and wrote my debut novel Missin' for the publisher ShogakukanShogakukanis a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
.
Besides writing, I collaborated with BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHTBaby, The Stars Shine Brightis the name of a Japanese clothing boutique chain created in 1988 by Akinori Isobe and his wife, Fumiyo. The original fashion house is located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright specializes in Lolita fashion, and like Manifesteange Metamorphose temps de fille, their main focus...
to create Novala Takemoto POUR LOLITA apparel, MATERIALLOLITA Bearbrick and Hello KittyHello Kittyis a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
items, and I also go out of my way to diversify the quite multi-faceted Lolita culture."
Arrest
On September 2, 2007, Novala Takemoto was arrested for possession of cannabisCannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
and violating the Cannabis Control Law. After spotting Takemoto walking alone on a street in the Kabukicho
Kabukicho
is an entertainment and red-light district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Kabukichō is the location of many hostess bars, host bars, love hotels, shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, and is often called the "Sleepless Town"...
district of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's Shinjuku Ward that evening, a police officer stopped him for questioning and reportedly found .22 grams of cannabis in Takemoto's possession, and Takemoto admitted to having used the drug.
Takemoto's arrest has had serious repercussions for his career. BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT
Baby, The Stars Shine Bright
is the name of a Japanese clothing boutique chain created in 1988 by Akinori Isobe and his wife, Fumiyo. The original fashion house is located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright specializes in Lolita fashion, and like Manifesteange Metamorphose temps de fille, their main focus...
has removed any mention of affiliation, such as his Pour Lolita and Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
lines, from their website. Takemoto's website was also shut down for an extended period of time and replaced by an apologetic note for visitors, but it has since reopened.
Novels and short stories
- 2000 Missin (ミシン)
- 2001 Twins: A Variety Store Named "The End of the World" (Twins---Zoku-Sekai no Owari to Iu Na no Zakkaten / ツインズ――続・世界の終わりという名の雑貨店)
- 2001 Café: A Collection of Literary Sketches (Café Shōhinshū / カフェー小品集)
- 2002 Emily (エミリー)
- 2002 Shimotsuma Story (Shimotsuma Monogatari / 下妻物語)
- (English title for the movie adaptation: Kamikaze GirlsKamikaze Girlsis a 2002 light novel written by Novala Takemoto that has been adapted into a manga and film.Kamikaze Girls centers around two students, Momoko Ryugasaki and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri , who are from completely different backgrounds: one is a Lolita girl, the other, her gyaru antithesis, a Yankī...
)
- (English title for the movie adaptation: Kamikaze Girls
- 2003 Princess Scale (Uroko-hime / 鱗姫)
- 2003 Calps Alpis (カルプス・アルピス)
- 2003 A Child Abandoned by Deus (Deusu no Sutego / デウスの棄て児)
- 2004 Lolita. (ロリヰタ。)
- 2004 Missin' 2 / Casaco (ミシン２／カサコ)
- 2005 SHIMOTSUMA STORY FINAL (Shimotsuma Monogatari Kan---Yankī-chan to Rorīta-chan to Satsujin Jiken / 下妻物語・完 ヤンキーちゃんとロリータちゃんと殺人事件)
- 2005 Sicilienne (シシリエンヌ)
- 2006 Happiness (ハピネス)
- 2007 ALL WORKS Fetish
- 2007 Metamorphosis (Henshin / 変身)
- 2007 Hallucinative Anthology (Gensō Shōhinshū / 幻想小品集)
- 2007 Arabian Nights (Sen'yaichiya Kishi--Arajin to Mahō no Okaimono / 千夜一夜騎士――アラジンと魔法のお買物)
- 2008 Cannabis (Taima / タイマ)
- 2008 Olochi, super remix ver. (Orochi, super remix ver. / おろち)
- 2008 ROCK'N'ROLL SWINDLE――How to Form a Proper Punk Band (ROCK'N'ROLL SWINDLE――Tadashii panku bando no tsukurikata / 正しいパンク・バンドの作り方)
- 2009 Unhallowed Kingdom (Shukufuku sarenai ōkoku / 祝福されない王国)
- 2009 Long-Distance Love at 14 Years Old (Jūyonsai no enkyori ren'ai / 十四歳の遠距離恋愛)
Essay collections
- 1998 Soleilnuit: For Becoming a Proper Young Lady (Soreinu---Tadashii Otome ni Naru Tame ni / それいぬ――正しい乙女になるために)
- 2002 Patchwork (パッチワーク)
- 2004 Alice's Adventures in Fantasy Land (Ren'ai no Kuni no Arisu / 恋愛の国のアリス)
External links
- NOVALA BOX (official website)
- J!-ENT 2006 Interview (Interview with Novala Takemoto at Pacific Media Expo 2006)