Chiba Jets Funabashi (hereinafter referred to as Chiba Jets) runs in 1st place with 21 wins and 4 losses after 25 games in the 2020-21 season of the professional basketball B league. From the match against Akita Northern Happinets on Saturday, November 14th to the match against Osaka Evessa on Saturday, December 26th, they have recorded 11 consecutive victories, showing their strength. This year, Chiba Jets is celebrating its 10th year since the company was established. At the new system presentation in September, 10 projects were announced as “10th anniversary projects”. One of them is the development of the season main visual in collaboration with illustrator Tamura Dai, who is attracting worldwide attention, such as working on NBA illustrations. Not only goods such as yearbooks sold at the venue, but also big signboards and banners that decorate the arena, as well as huge posters at the station, players drawn by Tamura will be active throughout the hometown and entertain the fans. .. This time, I interviewed Tamura, who said, “I was vaguely thinking that I wanted to jack the city with my paintings as one of my various dreams. The scenery of such a dream became a reality and spread.” I heard.
Tamura Dai
● I want to draw athletes like superheroes ●
“The theme was how to bring out the” power “and” impact “of basketball players, and how to convey the” dynamic feeling “. When I draw an athlete, I think “I want to draw it as if a superhero is doing a special move”, and I imagine in my head the moment when it is the most energetic, cool, and the power is transmitted. I will. Also, the Chiba Jets players are insanely cool, so this time I’m drawing with an emphasis on physical beauty so that I can make it more attractive. “
Tamura was born in September 1983, who talks about his enthusiasm from the depths of his heart, despite his cool impression. He worked for seven years at a caricature production company that exaggerates the characteristics of people and draws more creatively, and drew about 30,000 caricatures. In 2016, he won the overall victory at the “ISCA Caricature World Championship” held in the United States.
“I’ve loved drawing since I was a kid, and when I got the hang of it, I drew it on my own. I started playing basketball in the 4th grade of elementary school, and from there I was absorbed in basketball at the gymnasium. But I like drawing as much as basketball, and it would be difficult to eat with drawing as a job, but I wanted to keep drawing. “
When I was in the third year of college and thought about my future course, I entered a vocational school to learn design expertise again, saying, “I don’t like the life of drawing pictures in my spare time while doing work I don’t want to do.” .. He joined the design department of a basketball product maker and turned his favorite basketball and painting knowledge into a job.
● “To be the best in the world” “To draw NBA illustrations” Ability to calculate and execute backwards toward the goal ●
The reason why I changed from product design to the world of illustration was that I was in charge of the B League winning goods T-shirt that the manufacturer was involved in.
“I enjoyed the work that was said to” draw caricatures of the players “as a motif for goods T-shirts. I wanted to draw more and went on the road of caricature. I often started working at a caricature shop that is a tenant in a shopping mall, and I learned that there is a “caricature” world competition there. Challenged 3 times, 10th place for the first time, 4th place after that. I was able to become the best in the world for the third time. “
Looking back on such circumstances, Tamura says that it is smooth.
“From the beginning, I was always thinking about what I should do to become a world champion.”
And even after achieving the goal of being the best in the world, Tamura said, “I became independent because I thought it would be meaningless to spend the same daily life even though I became the best in the world,” and aimed for further heights.
I want to compete with basketball experience, design knowledge and the best picture in the world …. The new goal that came to mind was the NBA, the world’s premier basketball player. While thinking about various measures, Tamura believed in his own “power of painting”, “How can I do NBA work?”
While looking for hints to sign a contract with the NBA, I learned that Rakuten is a sponsor of the NBA in Japan, so Mikitani, the chairman and president of Rakuten. On Hiroshi’s birthday, I drew a caricature of the celebration, tagged it, posted it, and followed me. From there, I sent a DM, talked about my dreams, and connected me to the NBA department. “
It’s a dreamlike development.
“I can easily say it in words now, but when I was drawing a small picture while saying” I’m aiming for the NBA! “, I couldn’t help it, and when Mr. Mikitani followed me, when I sent a DM. At that moment, I was really thrilled. “
Even for goals that would normally give up, “I can’t do it,” I will build up from what I can do. We will spare no effort for the issues that can be seen by back calculation from the goal. That Tamura’s attitude is connected to the present that “what I like becomes work”.
● After fulfilling my big dream … ●
Yuki Togashi Photographed by Kazuki Takano
Tamura, who achieved his goal of working on NBA player illustrations, turned his attention to the “origin.”
“I originally wanted to liven up the Japanese basketball world, and if I could contribute to that,”
I want to give back to the basketball that raised me. When I thought so, Tamura contacted B League Chiba Jets Funabashi. In fact, about two years ago, Chiba Jets Funabashi Side offered Tamura a visual production.
Kazutada Takara, who is in charge of visual production for Chiba Jets, said, “It seems that Shigehiro Taguchi of Jets knew Mr. Tamura, and when he saw that he had eaten on SNS, he said,” By all means. I want you to draw a picture of the Jets players. ” But at that time, I didn’t get the timing right because I wanted to work in the NBA, but when I was trying to decide on the theme for the next season, Mr. Tamura said, “Would you like me to draw?” I received it. ” For Takara, it was an unexpected reverse offer.
“When I first talked to you, it was the time when I was aiming for an NBA job, and I wanted to have the confidence to” liven up Japanese basketball “because I did it. Even with the same picture, it would be more persuasive to say, “It’s a picture of a human who worked for the NBA” (laughs). “
And it was the timing of the 10th anniversary of Chiba Jets that the timings of each other matched through experience. Tamura says, “I didn’t aim at it intentionally,” but it may have the power to attract such timing.
For production, I went to the training camp and ran the pen while looking at the huge number of photographs taken.
“It’s a serious game for me because I think it must be a picture that makes all the fans happy and the players happy. It was more like” enjoying the fight “rather than having fun drawing. Many basketball players have sharp muscles, the muscles of the shoulders and legs are cool, and the wrinkles in the uniform that appear when doing various poses are also a point that gives a sense of dynamism. “
Tamura’s paintings were displayed everywhere in the venue where the league started. In the opening video and player introduction video, movement was added to the fonts and parts drawn by Tamura in collaboration with the video production company Pele, a creative agency of Chiba Jets.
“I was impressed by the fact that the picture moves is amazing.”
After the match, Tamura handed the illustration directly to Yuki Togashi.
“I get nervous every time I give a picture to him. The reaction is direct (laughs), so I was relieved that Togashi was pleased. Togashi actually likes to draw. , He seems to be attending a drawing class, and in response to the request “I want to know how to draw a face”, I uploaded the drawing method to YouTube, “he revealed an episode with Togashi.
● Chiba Jets is a “challenge who is as close as possible to the champion” ●
Regarding the image of Chiba Jets, “Isn’t it as close as possible to the champion? A team that has a very strong personality and coexists with it while having the appearance of a challenger. I’m excited to see it challenging.” Says. Takara, who heard that, relaxed his expression, saying, “Jets is only thinking about winning the league, and I’m glad if that feeling is conveyed.”
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, which Tamura collaborated with this year, won the Japan Series and became the champion. Tamura says with ale.
“I want to send a lot of energy with the power of the pen. Do you call it a wish (laughs). So I believe that Jets will definitely win this season.”
Chiba Jets has a big goal of winning the league in 2021.
