Naoki Matayoshi of Peace: Slowly walking around central Tokyo, planning his next work!

A little after 3:00 p.m. in late September, I encountered a man with a head like a pineapple on a main street in Ebisu (Shibuya Ward). It was Naoki Matayoshi (41) of Peace.

He was walking down the street towards Daikanyama in his “loungewear style” of an oversized T-shirt, wide pants and sandals. Perhaps it was because he had tied up his trademark long curly hair, but no one noticed that the Akutagawa Prize winner was there.

Matayoshi’s third novel, “Ningen,” published in ’19, is widely considered by his fans to be his best work. The story opens with the main character, a young man, living in a “House”, a communal residence for young people, which is said to reflect Matayoshi’s own experiences as a young man.

(A comedy insider) Matayoshi walks around, occasionally looking at his phone. The fans are looking forward to his fourth novel.

From “FRIDAY” October 15, 2021 issue