Hashizume speaks to FRIDAY Digital Previously worked as a garbage collector “After moving to Tokyo at 19, I spent ten years without making any progress. It was truly a long period of struggling from the bottom. That’s why being this busy every day now makes me really happy.” Hashizume Kenji (33), a member of the six-person Showa-era pop group MATSURI, produced by Akimoto Yasushi (67), said this with a soft smile. MATSURI was formed in July ’23 after six members were selected from an audition with over 3,000 participants. The group’s concept is bringing Showa-era kayōkyoku and pop music to the modern age. They made their major debut in January ’25 with the single Avanchure Nakameguro. Because all the members debuted after turning 30, the group is considered late bloomers, and their backgrounds are varied. Hashizume, for instance, had worked as a garbage collector.