KOHAKU is the leader of IRO.
On stage, she stands at the center of the five-member group in bold, colorful outfits. But ask her whether she thinks of herself as the one who leads everyone, and she gives a slightly embarrassed smile.
“I don’t really do that many leader-like things,” she says. “I’m basically the leader in name only.”
She talks a lot, gets teased by the other members, and sometimes relies on her younger sister RURI to summarize what she has just spent several minutes explaining.
But when the five members cannot quite reach a decision, KOHAKU is the one who tries to bring things to a conclusion.
Away from the stage, what is IRO’s leader really like?
We sat down with KOHAKU to find out.
“Honestly, any of us could have been the leader.”
How did you become the leader of IRO?
KOHAKU:
It really wasn’t a situation where I said, “I want to be the
leader!”
AKANE and I are the same age, and RURI, SUMIRE, and TOKI are younger than us.
AKANE already takes the lead in creating the basic choreography for us, so we felt that asking her to handle the leader role as well would put too much on her.
Somehow, I just naturally ended up becoming the leader.
So it was more like I realized one day, “Oh, I guess I’m the leader now.”
So it wasn’t something you had always wanted to do?
KOHAKU:
Not at all. [Laughs]
Honestly, I think any of us could have been the leader.
Of course, officially, that role is mine. But it’s not like I’m always telling everyone, “Okay, this is what we’re doing next,” or making every decision by myself.
Everyone has their own opinions, so we usually talk things through together.
Sometimes when people introduce me as “IRO’s leader,” I actually feel a little guilty.
I think, “Am I really doing enough to deserve that title?” [Laughs]
“When a decision has to be made, I try to be the one who makes it.”
Even if you do not see yourself as a typical leader, is there anything you consciously try to do in that role?
KOHAKU:
I try to take responsibility for the final decision.
We talk about almost everything as a group.
With choreography, for example, AKANE usually creates the basic structure first. Then the rest of us start talking.
“Maybe this part would work better like this.”
“Would this movement fit the song more?”
There’s a lot of back and forth.
It isn’t really a group where one person decides everything and everyone else just follows.
Do the five of you ever disagree?
KOHAKU:
Of course.
There are five of us, so I think it would actually be strange if we all had exactly the same opinion from the beginning.
But I don’t think disagreements are a bad thing.
People have different opinions because they are actually thinking about the performance.
Usually, after talking for a while, we find a point where everyone can say, “Okay, let’s go with this.”
But we also cannot keep discussing something forever.
So when we need to settle on something, I try to be the person who says, “Okay, this is where we’ll land.”
I’m not sure if that counts as being a leader, though. [Laughs]
So rather than constantly leading from the front, you step in when someone needs to make the final call.
KOHAKU:
Exactly.
And sometimes I use my authority as one of the older members. [Laughs]
The others would probably say, “You have authority?”
But somehow, I still think I’m the most sensible one in the group.
You think you are?
KOHAKU:
…I do. [Laughs]
I’m pretty sure the other members will have something to say when they read this.
“RURI is probably more reliable than I am.”
Your younger sister RURI is also a member of IRO. What are the two of you like as sisters?
KOHAKU:
I definitely talk more.
If something happens, I tend to start talking immediately.
“I was thinking this, and then this happened, and then…”
I just keep going.
RURI will sit there listening, and then at the end she’ll say, “So basically, what you mean is this, right?”
Your younger sister summarizes everything for you?
KOHAKU:
Yes. [Laughs]
RURI is very calm.
I tend to speak while I’m still organizing my thoughts, but she thinks everything through first and then talks.
That is something I genuinely respect about her, even though she is my younger sister.
Does that ever feel strange as the older sister?
KOHAKU:
Not really. It actually helps me a lot. [Laughs]
Of course, sometimes I think, “I’m the older sister, so I should be the one doing this.”
But I don’t believe being older means I have to be better at everything.
If RURI is better at something, I can rely on her.
And if there is something I can do, then I do it.
I think IRO works in the same way.
None of us needs to be good at absolutely everything.
“Honestly, some of the outfits still make me a little shy.”
IRO’s stage outfits can be quite bold and colorful. Were you always comfortable wearing that kind of fashion?
KOHAKU:
Actually, no. Quite the opposite.
I’ve always worn trousers.
I think the only time I regularly wore skirts was when I had to wear a school uniform in junior high and high school.
That is quite different from the image people might have of you on stage.
KOHAKU:
I’ve been dancing for a long time, so trousers were simply easier to
move in.
For me, comfortable clothes were always the best clothes.
So when I joined IRO and started wearing more glamorous outfits, or clothes that showed more skin than I was used to, I was definitely embarrassed at first.
There were times when I thought, “Wait, I’m really wearing this?”
Are you used to it now?
KOHAKU:
More than before.
But depending on the outfit, I still get a little embarrassed.
At the same time, this is my job.
Once I step onto the stage, looking uncomfortable would probably be less cool than just owning the outfit.
So if I’m going to wear it, I want to wear it properly.
It’s the same with dance.
If I’m going to do something, I don’t want to do it halfway.
“Dance is what I know best. Singing is something I’m still working on.”
Between singing and dancing, would you say dance is your stronger side?
KOHAKU:
Definitely.
I’ve been dancing for years, so it’s the thing I feel most comfortable with.
I enjoy listening to a song and thinking about how the body should move with it.
When I’m dancing, I feel very natural.
Singing is different.
I still have a lot to learn, so I keep practicing.
Is there a certain kind of song you would like to try in the future?
KOHAKU:
I’d love to do more cool, powerful songs.
One thing I really like about IRO is that the mood can change a lot depending on the song.
But personally, I love music that feels strong and stylish.
RARA is on the same label as us, and I think she is incredibly cool.
Would you like to sing a song in that kind of style?
KOHAKU:
I would.
Even if RARA and IRO sang the same song, I think the result would be completely different, so that would be interesting too.
I’d love for IRO to explore more of that kind of cool sound in our own way someday.
“Someone might see me and think, ‘So this is what Japanese people are like.’”
IRO incorporates Japanese influences into its music and visual style. Does that affect how you think about performing internationally?
KOHAKU:
I wouldn’t say I feel like I’m “representing Japan” in some huge,
dramatic way.
But because we appear in front of people, I do think a lot about how I behave offstage.
IRO is a dance group, so we wear bold outfits and sometimes present ourselves in a powerful or glamorous way on stage.
Because of that, I think it’s even more important to be polite and considerate in everyday situations.
Do you feel that people may see you as a Japanese artist, not just as KOHAKU?
KOHAKU:
Yes.
Some people who discover us overseas may never have been to Japan.
For some of them, we might even be among the first Japanese people they really pay attention to.
So there is a possibility that someone might look at me and think, “Oh, so this is what Japanese people are like.”
Of course, I’m not saying I represent every Japanese person.
But I know that possibility exists.
That makes me want to be careful about the way I speak and the way I treat people.
Especially because our music includes elements of Japanese culture, I think that kind of attitude matters.
“When I’m overseas, the food I miss most is actually very simple.”
Do you ever miss Japan while working overseas?
KOHAKU:
Definitely.
Especially the food.
Of course, I enjoy eating overseas too, but after a while, I start craving really ordinary Japanese food.
What is the first thing you want to eat when you return to Japan?
KOHAKU:
Rice with natto and miso soup.
That usually happens pretty quickly after I get home. [Laughs]
That is much more everyday than something like sushi or yakiniku.
KOHAKU:
Exactly.
It’s not sushi or anything special.
When I’m away, what I start missing is just a bowl of white rice with natto and a cup of miso soup.
When I finally eat it again, that is when I really think, “Ah, I’m home.”
“YouTube Shorts can make an entire day disappear.”
What does KOHAKU do on a day off?
KOHAKU:
Honestly, my days off are very normal.
I spend a lot of time relaxing at home and watching YouTube.
What kind of videos?
KOHAKU:
All kinds.
But YouTube Shorts are dangerous.
I’ll open them thinking, “I’ll just watch a few.”
Then I tell myself, “Okay, this is the last one.”
But there’s always another one.
And somehow I just keep watching.
How long can that go on?
KOHAKU:
I don’t want to say. [Laughs]
But there are definitely days when it gets dark outside and I think, “What did I actually do today?”
That happens more often than I’d like to admit.
Not exactly a very “leader-like” day off.
KOHAKU:
But what does a leader-like day off even look like? [Laughs]
I’m really just a normal person.
“As long as the five of us can keep moving forward as IRO, that’s enough.”
Being a leader does not always mean walking several steps ahead of everyone else.
AKANE builds the foundation of the choreography. RURI helps turn KOHAKU’s overflowing thoughts into clear sentences. The members exchange opinions, disagree, laugh, and search for the version that feels right to all five of them.
KOHAKU’s role seems less about standing above the group and more about knowing when it is time to say, “This is the decision.”
Throughout the interview, she repeatedly joked that she was only IRO’s leader “in name.”
But perhaps that relaxed approach is exactly what allows the five members to remain themselves.
KOHAKU:
I don’t really try to look like a leader.
Everyone has things they’re good at, and I don’t think I need to do everything myself.
But when something needs to be decided, I want to be the one who takes responsibility for making that decision.
I think that’s enough.
As long as the five of us can keep talking to each other and keep moving forward as IRO, that’s what matters most to me.