Nakanojojo

When he's not designing apps for a famous IT company, Nakanojojo is enjoying his life in Japan as an artist registered with the Twin Planet Entertainment agency. His experiences include modeling, being a guest on television and internet shows, appearing in various entertainment events, and exploring his creativity through his activities as a musical artist and a cosplayer.

When it comes to cosplay, standing at 191 cm (6'3") tall, the trilingual French Canadian cuts quite a figure with his good looks and his lean, muscular physique. He has his own unique approach to cosplay, putting his own twist on anime characters and creating his own original cosplays as well. Moreover, he's not being afraid to choose subjects outside of anime.

In this two-part article, we interviewed Nakanojojo about his original approach to cosplay in Japan as well as his blossoming musical career.

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Interview: Part 1

grape Japan (gJ): Can you tell us about your name Nakanojojo, and how you came up with it?

Nakonojojo: My family name happens to be Joseph, but a coworker in one of the companies I worked for told me one day that calling me by my family name was a bit long. He asked me if he could call me JOJO instead. So, I got nicknamed JOJO from that day on. With that, I decided to add the location to it, so it would be easier to remember. Another thing I would like to mention is that Nakanojojo is actually one word. People often think that it’s separated between first name and family name but the original concept was to have it as one name ;)

gJ: What motivates you to cosplay?

Nakanojojo: I got into cosplay due to the TV work I’ve been doing. On some shows, I had to wear some particular clothing. After that experience, I felt that it's not too different from cosplay, so I decided that I wanted to try it.

gJ: Out of all the characters you have cosplayed, is there a particularly memorable one? If so, what is it?

Nakanojojo: I think it was Itsuka Orga from Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans.

gJ: Do you make your own cosplay outfits or accessories?

Nakanojojo: I do make some of the cosplay outfits. For others, I buy the base outfits and adjust them or make the parts that I think need to be reworked. In some cases, when they're more complicated costumes, I ask for help from a costume maker. She doesn't know much about anime, so I gather information about the clothing I want.

gJ: Is there something that all the characters you cosplay have in common? If so, what is it?

Nakanojojo: Not really, in my opinion.

gJ: Is there anything you particularly pay attention to when you cosplay?

Nakanojojo: Yes, I often check to see how I could make the character more interesting.

gJ: Did you begin cosplaying in Canada before you came to Japan?

Nakanojojo: No, I started cosplaying once I got to Japan.

gJ: Which cosplay events have you participated in?

Nakanojojo: There have been so many: World Cosplay Summit, Comiket (Summer ComiKe, Winter Comike), Jump Fest, Tokyo Game Show, and so on.

gJ: Yuriko Tiger is also in the same agency as yours, TwinPlanet. Have you participated in any cosplay events with her?

Nakanojojo: I haven't had the opportunity yet but if the chance should arise, I would love to!

gJ: As explained on your profile, in February 2018, you landed a spot on NTV's "Ariyoshi Hanseikai"* because your cosplay was "too original." Was this a reference to your original character cosplays, the original twist you put on known characters or something else entirely?

* 有吉反省会 Ariyoshi Hanseikai is a popular TV show in which host Hiroiki Ariyoshi, known for his sharp tongue, invites a wide variety of guests to confess something that they did.

Nakanojojo: I think it was probably about the original twist I put on characters.

gJ: Is Bunny Boy your recurring character? He seems to show up in the album art for your music. Is this character tied to your persona as a musical artist? Please tell us more about it.

Nakanojojo: This original character is a representation of a concept I came up with called "Kakkokawaii" (a combination of the Japanese words for "cool" and "cute"). When I get featured on television shows and other media, due to copyright concerns, I can't wear a good number of my cosplays. Therefore, this character is a great help. Concerning the character featured on my album covers, he does have some connection to my Bunny Boy cosplay. The character design is strongly based on my cosplay, so you could say it's like a father and son relationship.

gJ: You cosplayed as "Jun Enoshima" (a male version of Junko Enoshima from the Danganrompa video game). Can you tell us how you came up with that idea? Do you enjoy doing male versions of female characters or was this your only time?

Nakanojojo: The idea for Jun Enoshima came after spending quite some time with ex-gyaru et ex-gyaruo friends (lol).

gj: T.M.Revolution's Takanori Nishikawa in HOT LIMIT is quite an unusual cosplay choice. Was that just for a photo or did you cosplay it somewhere? Have you cosplayed iconic costumes from music videos like that before?

Nakanojojo: It was just a photo. I always liked T.M. Revolution and thought it would be fun to wear the HOT LIMIT costume he wore in the music video. Other than Takanori-san‘s costume, I haven’t tried cosplaying in other artists' iconic clothing but I would love to try. If any readers reading this article have any suggestions, please contact me on Twitter!

gJ: Are there any characters you have cosplay plans for or hope to cosplay in the future?

Nakanojojo: Currently, I’m waiting for new interesting characters to appear in future anime series.

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In part two, we'll focus on Nakajojo's blossoming musical career.

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Nakanojojo Information

Profile

• Blood type: O
• Nationality: Canadian
• Interests: Cosplaying, anime, video games, singing
• Hobbies: body building, cooking, ballet
• Height: 191 cm (6'3")
• Languages: Japanese, French, English

Links

• Profile page on Twin Planet Entertainment
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Ameblo