──You started your career as a musician, and I'd like to know what was the first type of music you listened to?

The first music I experienced in my late elementary school days was, guess, The Beatles. Later, in middle school, I was into hard rock. I was in a cover band and we imitated bands like Led Zeppelin. From there I moved on to progressive rock.

──Bands such as Yes, for example?

Well, first of all I loved King Crimson. I went to university, and at the time I quit in my third year I was already doing occasional music-related jobs, such as programming music for TV commercials, etc. That was when I decided to fully devote myself to music.

──I heard your encounter with Macintosh in the year 1986 had quite an impact on you?

I started using Macintosh tools for music programming and was indeed pretty impressed, although that was more about the product design side.

──The Mac interfaces were in fact epoch-making tooÛc

My university was a scientific one where I was working with large-scale systems. At the time I was actually shrinking a bit from computers in general, but the Macintosh system was completely different. The impact was comparable to that of my first encounters with the music of The Beatles or King Crimson! I totally fell into that, and while working in music I began to develop own software on the sideÛc Well, music is a mafia business anyway, so my plan was to gradually shift and build myself a foothold in the computer area. I then started working for Seibu Department Store as a developer of computer systems and products, consultant, etc.

──Didn't you also write about Bauhaus?

That's right, I was definitely influenced by the Bauhaus style. In web design, for example, everything from single icons has to be perfectly functional in the first place. Otherwise things get too complicated afterwards. I keep teaching young designers things like "design doesn't mean decoration."

──Please tell me about your first encounter with the Internet.

Since my work for Seibu included jobs related to UNIX, I was familiar with the existence of the Internet from the beginning. Then products such as HyperCard or Macromedia Director surfaced, and terms like 'multimedia' became commonly known around the world. I had the premonition that multimedia and Internet would merge in the future, and when Japan's first commercial provider, IIJ, was launched I was among the first to sign up. In the moment I saw the "NCSA Mosaic" browser I knew that I had to make that my future profession.

──Now let me ask you about "Net Rezonator," the work you were awarded the Media Arts Festival Prize for. I understand that the concept is rooted in your own musical background?

The basic idea had been spooking around in my head already since the time I began to see the coming amalgamation of Internet and multimedia. Inspired by the possibility of chatting via the Internet, I thought it would be fun to create an environment where visitors can take part in jam sessions.

──The visual part stands out from the mass of similar applications that borrow images from studio consoles, which I found quite interesting.

For "Net Rezonator" I'm having in mind several different variations and alterations, so I suppose the visual part is going to change its appearance from time to time in the future. Right now I'm actually working on the "Net Rezonator Matrix." What you saw is the first version I came up with, and I just liked its experimental feel and nakedness. The metapher I used is a simple tuning fork. I guess people have nice associations with that, like remembering experiments in physics class in schoolÛc

──"Net Rezonator" is primarily for entertainment, but isn't it at the same time also a communication tool?

After we unveiled "Net Rezonator" quite a number of people played around with it, and we got lots of emails and other response. Some people reported that, when they used it alone at night they were "feeling like dolphins"Ûc Well, it's a bit like that indeed, and I think "Net Rezonator" might in fact have such qualities.

──Your company, IMG SRC, Inc., is producing corporate Web sites for the likes of Mori Building or Sony. How is your approach when working on such order-made products different from creating works of your own, such as "Net Rezonator"?

Oh, it's very different. Whenever I do a job for someone else, I'm offering a service. Creativity is an important factor, of course, but to put too much weight on this side often results in bad crash landings.

──Do you believe that the ascent of broadband technology and machine spec. will result in the Web becoming almost like TV?

I'm not sure about thatÛc Nowadays you can watch DVDs on your computer, but would you want to watch a 2-hour-long movie there? I think 15 minutes is the maximum. It will definitely change, but I guess it will take another while.

──Don't you think that's where the essence of the Internet lies?

In my opinion it all depends on the device. If things don't change there, nothing will change. Computers come with a number of connected peripherals that say "operate me," TVs don't. That's why I feel that for all things Internet a certain degree of interaction has to be considered first.

──So, as for your own motivation as an artist, do you think there is a possibility that, if the contents of your works change in form of new software, this will result also in the development of new devices?

That's what it will probably be like in the future. To build the device around the software actually sounds pretty interesting. But, to tell the truth, I haven't thought much about such things yet (laughs).

──By the way, is there any historical event that left a particularly strong impression on you? How about the World Exposition in Osaka in Osaka?

Oh, yes, I went to see it several times. My parents owned an electrical shop in Tokyo, and since I can remember I've been holding soldering iron in my hands and working with electricity. It was a "National" shop, and we got free tickets for the exposition. I think I went four, maybe five times.

──Do you think the feel of large numbers of people gathering at such places as the World Exposition is reflected in the concepts your works?

Ha ha ha, no, I don't thnk so. But, although the Internet is something people can usually see only by themselves, there are in fact millions out there logged in the Web. What I've been thinking for a long time is, isn't there a better way to make people realize that? Unfortunately I still haven't found an answer. Would be great if an idea flashed across my mind sometime soonÛc However, I really like the Web!