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hsjhoshiNakajima Yuto is "someone who devotes himself to his words". He shares the feelings overflowing in him as though he's talking directly to the readers until the very last line.
Nakajima Yuto talks about where he's at now and what lies ahead.
Last night, while I was looking over the storyboards and thinking about how today's shoot might turn out, I found myself feeling that, in the best possible way, it wouldn't go exactly the way I had pictured it in my head, just like always. Everyone comes prepared, but in the end, it's the ideas and enthusiasm we all bring on the day that turns the shoot into something great. That's the part I love most about Men's Non-no from my eight years as a regular model.
Naturally, there was a sense of "this is the last one," but I wanted to take part without changing the atmosphere I've cherished, keeping things as they usually are with the same team and our usual discussions. After each shot, I found myself thinking, "Ah… only a few more to go." Even so, the determination to create nice pages for Men's Non-no was stronger than all those feelings.
Proudly Looking Back on 8 Years as a Model
When I've been asked, "What kind of Men's Non-no model do you think you've been, Yuto-kun?", I think I'd say, "A model who was always thinking about what it meant to be a Men's Non-no model."
As I took on various jobs, I often found the boundary between which version of myself to show in each setting to be difficult. It's not like I'm changing my core personality, but each one has a different output and tones, you know? That's why I always made it a priority to carry myself with respect as a model here, and wanting that to come through in the photos. As a principle, I've always aimed to be someone who is truly "present" in the moment and able to contribute.
To me, Men's Non-no has always gone beyond just a fashion magazine; it feels like its own genre. I always wanted to respond properly to what was being asked of me as a model in that moment, to match the pose or atmosphere the shoot required.
I think I felt even more attached to Men's Non-no because I used to be just a reader who loved the magazine and admired it for so long. I still remember seeing myself in an issue for the first time and going, "Wow, I'm actually in this!" I was so moved (laughs). I've spent all 8 years wanting to be a part of Men's Non-no as a model, and I believe I've truly been able to live that. That's something I can be proud of.
What I really liked was that Men's Non-no wouldn't treat me differently just because I'm Nakajima Yuto (laughs). From the beginning, they never treated me like a guest. They saw me as part of the team who would work through problems to raise the quality, and they let me pursue that together with them.
If we thought, "That doesn't seem right," even with limited time, Men's Non-no would always stop to fix it. Whether it was the styling, hair and makeup, the shooting style, the page layout, or the direction of my performance… everyone would go, "Okay, let's change it!" I always thought it was sincere how everyone would shift gears together.
They could have easily said "It's fine," especially to someone in my position, where people are a bit more careful. But instead, they would fire off like, "Yuto, change into this," or "We're shooting over there now. Move!" And I'd respond with things like, "This isn't the place where the light hits properly, is it!" You don't get that kind of back-and-forth often, so even being there, I felt kind of envy, like, "This is how creative work should be."
Hearing, "This part has to be Yuto-kun," and "Thanks for always taking this so seriously," it honestly made me really happy. They say birds of a feather flock together, and since I also want to bring love into what I make, being among people like that made me happy. Thanks to them, they brought out many versions of Nakajima Yuto that I had never seen before, and my understanding of fashion and the expressive power that comes with it was trained a lot. It's a real asset to me.
Because we built that kind of relationship of trust, I was able to bring in people I'd met through other work, and that led to some really interesting projects with Men's Non-no. When the collaborations with people like Itagaki Rihito, "Watan" (Ichinosen Wataru), and Okazaki Taiiku-san came together, I felt like by placing myself between Men's Non-no and them, I helped create a bridge that crossed boundaries. It gave me confidence that I could act as a hub for new things. It felt very much like a magazine project and was really enjoyable. It reminded me once again that when you work with respect for every place and every person, wonderful things like this can happen.
I don't know what kind of projects I'll encounter as an actor from here on, but just like before, I want to prioritise working with people I like and enjoy being around. After all, a delicious meal isn't much fun if you eat it alone, right?
Besides that, I'd like to challenge myself in fields I've not experienced, with a freer mindset. Things I know nothing about, for example, directing a music video or writing a book...? I sometimes wonder if there's a worldview where I do that. I also want to deepen my skills in photography from behind the camera and not just as a subject. I want to meet all the different versions of myself. There's still a mountain of things I've never done. Until now, I'd hesitate and go, "I wonder...," But now, if I feel like "That looks fun!", I want to dive in with a more flexible mindset.
And it might be interesting to come back to Men's Non-no not just as a model, but as part of the photography staff. If that happens, I want people to be surprised when they see the credits.
I want to be someone who can forgive myself and be there for others.
Even in my private life, I feel the same way now. When I took another look at my own life, I started thinking that I really want to live happily, that being happy is what's important. To achieve that, I've become more conscious of my inner peace... though saying it like that sounds a bit grand. I guess I'll say I'm more aware of my mental freedom, or emotional well-being. I thought once when I was a little younger than I am now, I'd be able to handle things better, like, "I've experienced this," and "I overcame that." But instead, I noticed that the more established my sense of self becomes, the more deeply I'm affected when I hit a wall, and the longer the impact tends to linger.
I can tell myself that there's always something fresh ahead, but if I ignore the signs and don't stay aware, I'll break. So now I feel I need to protect myself, like a kind of personal self-defence to survive. I've started focusing heavily on my emotional well-being, my body, and my everyday life, and I think that's really where my desire to be happy comes from.
To achieve that, I want to become someone who can forgive myself and who can allow myself to lean on others. I've always had a much stronger feeling than most people of not wanting to trouble anyone. While I have a desire to be independent at my core, I'm also quite bad at relying on others... and people often tell me I'm not good at accepting support. On top of that, I felt pressured to live up to this label of being "someone who can do anything," far more than I needed to. Of course, I don't exactly mind being seen that way. I like making people happy, and my desire to act for others, to entertain a lot of people, is something that has never changed.
But I've started to think that maybe it's okay to let go of this idea of "someone who can do everything." I think it's important to be able to say, "I can't do this," "Please teach me," or "I don't know." And honestly, I surprisingly can't do much on my own anyway (laughs). That's why lately, I often find myself thinking, "I want to see people," or "I want to talk". Or to be more honest, "I want to rely on someone." Like in interviews like this, talking about the future, or even happy things with someone, helps me sort out my thoughts. I get help from others' opinions and advice, and find comfort for my worries. Before, I always had this little voice of "Should I invite them...?" But now, I've switched to a mode of actively seeking out others. I've realised, more than I thought, that I'm not alone and that it's okay to lean on people a little more. I've been feeling this strongly lately, and I'm truly becoming more willing to allow myself to be like that.
I think this might be a form of growth. Accepting the parts of yourself that can't do something, the weak parts, that takes courage, doesn't it? But I want to be able to embrace all these different aspects of myself, and even if I get a little hurt along the way, keep moving forward.
At the same time, I want to be an ally to those who are lost or having a hard time. With so much information in the world, it's become a time when trusting yourself or trusting others is difficult. That's why I want to value being mindful of others' feelings. There may be things you can only express through words, but there are also people who can't put their feelings into words at all. But we should be able to imagine what lies there. I want to be someone who doesn't just rely on what's handed to me passively, but who also pays attention to what lies between the lines. I feel this way because the people around me have done that for me. It's not about paying them back for the support they've given me, but I have a feeling that if I can do this, I might be able to respect myself a little more.
Please continue to support Men's Non-no.
As usual, I talked a lot (laughs).
Lastly, I want to express my gratitude, both to Men's Non-no, who has looked after me so much, and to all the devoted readers of the magazine over the past 8 years. And I ask that you continue to support Men's Non-no from now on as well.
It really is so rare that a magazine stays sincere to creativity and brings out all kinds of personalities in its models. For me personally, it was here where my own sense of direction and the person I want to become began to take shape. I hope the juniors will keep carrying on that tradition that truly flows through Men's Non-no, without letting it fade. And to all the readers, I hope you'll continue to stay stylish and cool together with Men's Non-no from here on out.
Thank you so much for everything... really, thank you. But I'm not feeling sad right now. Let's definitely do something fun together again!
Nakajima Yuto talks about where he's at now and what lies ahead.
Last night, while I was looking over the storyboards and thinking about how today's shoot might turn out, I found myself feeling that, in the best possible way, it wouldn't go exactly the way I had pictured it in my head, just like always. Everyone comes prepared, but in the end, it's the ideas and enthusiasm we all bring on the day that turns the shoot into something great. That's the part I love most about Men's Non-no from my eight years as a regular model.
Naturally, there was a sense of "this is the last one," but I wanted to take part without changing the atmosphere I've cherished, keeping things as they usually are with the same team and our usual discussions. After each shot, I found myself thinking, "Ah… only a few more to go." Even so, the determination to create nice pages for Men's Non-no was stronger than all those feelings.
Proudly Looking Back on 8 Years as a Model
When I've been asked, "What kind of Men's Non-no model do you think you've been, Yuto-kun?", I think I'd say, "A model who was always thinking about what it meant to be a Men's Non-no model."
As I took on various jobs, I often found the boundary between which version of myself to show in each setting to be difficult. It's not like I'm changing my core personality, but each one has a different output and tones, you know? That's why I always made it a priority to carry myself with respect as a model here, and wanting that to come through in the photos. As a principle, I've always aimed to be someone who is truly "present" in the moment and able to contribute.
To me, Men's Non-no has always gone beyond just a fashion magazine; it feels like its own genre. I always wanted to respond properly to what was being asked of me as a model in that moment, to match the pose or atmosphere the shoot required.
I think I felt even more attached to Men's Non-no because I used to be just a reader who loved the magazine and admired it for so long. I still remember seeing myself in an issue for the first time and going, "Wow, I'm actually in this!" I was so moved (laughs). I've spent all 8 years wanting to be a part of Men's Non-no as a model, and I believe I've truly been able to live that. That's something I can be proud of.
What I really liked was that Men's Non-no wouldn't treat me differently just because I'm Nakajima Yuto (laughs). From the beginning, they never treated me like a guest. They saw me as part of the team who would work through problems to raise the quality, and they let me pursue that together with them.
If we thought, "That doesn't seem right," even with limited time, Men's Non-no would always stop to fix it. Whether it was the styling, hair and makeup, the shooting style, the page layout, or the direction of my performance… everyone would go, "Okay, let's change it!" I always thought it was sincere how everyone would shift gears together.
They could have easily said "It's fine," especially to someone in my position, where people are a bit more careful. But instead, they would fire off like, "Yuto, change into this," or "We're shooting over there now. Move!" And I'd respond with things like, "This isn't the place where the light hits properly, is it!" You don't get that kind of back-and-forth often, so even being there, I felt kind of envy, like, "This is how creative work should be."
Hearing, "This part has to be Yuto-kun," and "Thanks for always taking this so seriously," it honestly made me really happy. They say birds of a feather flock together, and since I also want to bring love into what I make, being among people like that made me happy. Thanks to them, they brought out many versions of Nakajima Yuto that I had never seen before, and my understanding of fashion and the expressive power that comes with it was trained a lot. It's a real asset to me.
Because we built that kind of relationship of trust, I was able to bring in people I'd met through other work, and that led to some really interesting projects with Men's Non-no. When the collaborations with people like Itagaki Rihito, "Watan" (Ichinosen Wataru), and Okazaki Taiiku-san came together, I felt like by placing myself between Men's Non-no and them, I helped create a bridge that crossed boundaries. It gave me confidence that I could act as a hub for new things. It felt very much like a magazine project and was really enjoyable. It reminded me once again that when you work with respect for every place and every person, wonderful things like this can happen.
I don't know what kind of projects I'll encounter as an actor from here on, but just like before, I want to prioritise working with people I like and enjoy being around. After all, a delicious meal isn't much fun if you eat it alone, right?
Besides that, I'd like to challenge myself in fields I've not experienced, with a freer mindset. Things I know nothing about, for example, directing a music video or writing a book...? I sometimes wonder if there's a worldview where I do that. I also want to deepen my skills in photography from behind the camera and not just as a subject. I want to meet all the different versions of myself. There's still a mountain of things I've never done. Until now, I'd hesitate and go, "I wonder...," But now, if I feel like "That looks fun!", I want to dive in with a more flexible mindset.
And it might be interesting to come back to Men's Non-no not just as a model, but as part of the photography staff. If that happens, I want people to be surprised when they see the credits.
I want to be someone who can forgive myself and be there for others.
Even in my private life, I feel the same way now. When I took another look at my own life, I started thinking that I really want to live happily, that being happy is what's important. To achieve that, I've become more conscious of my inner peace... though saying it like that sounds a bit grand. I guess I'll say I'm more aware of my mental freedom, or emotional well-being. I thought once when I was a little younger than I am now, I'd be able to handle things better, like, "I've experienced this," and "I overcame that." But instead, I noticed that the more established my sense of self becomes, the more deeply I'm affected when I hit a wall, and the longer the impact tends to linger.
I can tell myself that there's always something fresh ahead, but if I ignore the signs and don't stay aware, I'll break. So now I feel I need to protect myself, like a kind of personal self-defence to survive. I've started focusing heavily on my emotional well-being, my body, and my everyday life, and I think that's really where my desire to be happy comes from.
To achieve that, I want to become someone who can forgive myself and who can allow myself to lean on others. I've always had a much stronger feeling than most people of not wanting to trouble anyone. While I have a desire to be independent at my core, I'm also quite bad at relying on others... and people often tell me I'm not good at accepting support. On top of that, I felt pressured to live up to this label of being "someone who can do anything," far more than I needed to. Of course, I don't exactly mind being seen that way. I like making people happy, and my desire to act for others, to entertain a lot of people, is something that has never changed.
But I've started to think that maybe it's okay to let go of this idea of "someone who can do everything." I think it's important to be able to say, "I can't do this," "Please teach me," or "I don't know." And honestly, I surprisingly can't do much on my own anyway (laughs). That's why lately, I often find myself thinking, "I want to see people," or "I want to talk". Or to be more honest, "I want to rely on someone." Like in interviews like this, talking about the future, or even happy things with someone, helps me sort out my thoughts. I get help from others' opinions and advice, and find comfort for my worries. Before, I always had this little voice of "Should I invite them...?" But now, I've switched to a mode of actively seeking out others. I've realised, more than I thought, that I'm not alone and that it's okay to lean on people a little more. I've been feeling this strongly lately, and I'm truly becoming more willing to allow myself to be like that.
I think this might be a form of growth. Accepting the parts of yourself that can't do something, the weak parts, that takes courage, doesn't it? But I want to be able to embrace all these different aspects of myself, and even if I get a little hurt along the way, keep moving forward.
At the same time, I want to be an ally to those who are lost or having a hard time. With so much information in the world, it's become a time when trusting yourself or trusting others is difficult. That's why I want to value being mindful of others' feelings. There may be things you can only express through words, but there are also people who can't put their feelings into words at all. But we should be able to imagine what lies there. I want to be someone who doesn't just rely on what's handed to me passively, but who also pays attention to what lies between the lines. I feel this way because the people around me have done that for me. It's not about paying them back for the support they've given me, but I have a feeling that if I can do this, I might be able to respect myself a little more.
Please continue to support Men's Non-no.
As usual, I talked a lot (laughs).
Lastly, I want to express my gratitude, both to Men's Non-no, who has looked after me so much, and to all the devoted readers of the magazine over the past 8 years. And I ask that you continue to support Men's Non-no from now on as well.
It really is so rare that a magazine stays sincere to creativity and brings out all kinds of personalities in its models. For me personally, it was here where my own sense of direction and the person I want to become began to take shape. I hope the juniors will keep carrying on that tradition that truly flows through Men's Non-no, without letting it fade. And to all the readers, I hope you'll continue to stay stylish and cool together with Men's Non-no from here on out.
Thank you so much for everything... really, thank you. But I'm not feeling sad right now. Let's definitely do something fun together again!
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