Sub-3 and ELDORESO's challenge to advance to the world stage
Why I Run: Stories from Runners
Vol.3 Takashi Akuzawa Part 2
Text: Shun Sato
On the eve of ELDORESO's birth, the owner of the outdoor shop mentioned above asked us to make a special order item to commemorate the opening of a new running shop, and the first item we made was a cotton-linen cap.
However, Takashi Akuzawa was reluctant to create sports products.
"I thought that sportswear shouldn't be something an amateur could get involved in, considering the materials and performance. So I was told, 'Anything is fine,' so I made a cap out of cotton-linen fabric, which is completely unsuitable for sports. The color fades when you wash it, but it got an astonishing response, and as soon as I put it on Mercari, it was selling for several times the price. Up until then, I had been making products, and no celebrities had worn them, so I'd never seen anything like this happen before. I thought, 'Hey, this might be good,' and from there I started to increase the number of products I had."
The start of ELDORESO
Three years after getting back on the road, ELDORESO products began to be sold in 2016.
ELDORESO revolutionized running wear, which had previously been simple in design and had few color variations, and became popular with runners for its functionality as well as its unique, edgy design and colors. The product seems to have been born from a blend of running culture and good old American culture, and the concept seems well-thought-out, but Akuzawa says with a wry smile, "No, no."
"I don't really have a concept for making things. I have to submit samples within a certain time frame for an exhibition. I'm pressed for time and just make things as I think about them. I don't look a year or two into the future. I'll probably still be making similar things three years from now. But when you look at it as a whole, it becomes a single concept."
What do you think about the design?
"When it comes to design, I don't have a motif or inspiration. A design doesn't suddenly pop into my head when the deadline is fast approaching (laughs). However, I like vintage clothing, so I may have made use of things I've seen from back in the day. What's important to me is to not waver from what I initially thought was right. If you try to tweak it, ideas that aren't your own will come into play, and it will end up being the same as what's out there. That's why the experience we had when we were a group of four is so useful. The important thing is to not be influenced by others, and to only make things that you like."
A challenge to myself
As ELDORESO's popularity grew, Akuzawa's approach to running began to change. He began running marathons and became known to many as "Akuzawa of ELDORESO." He then began to hear people say, "I'm faster than the guy who makes ELDORESO."
"I couldn't ignore that (laughs). At first, my marathon time was around 4 hours 50 minutes, but at drinking parties I would be told, 'You're a former track and field athlete, but that's slow,' and I started to feel like I was being made fun of. I started being compared to everyone else, and I thought, 'Damn, I don't want to lose. So I'll get faster,' and so I started running."
The fun of marathons
In a marathon, your strengths are reflected in your time. As a former member of the track and field club, I was very particular about my time. That's why I focused on the marathon and worked hard at it. In February of this year, I ran the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in 3 hours, 3 minutes, and 20 seconds, and my goal of a sub-3 time was within reach.
"It's been years since I first said my goal was to run under three hours, and I'm getting closer little by little. However, recently I've only been able to improve my time by about 20 seconds at a time, and I wonder, 'How many years will it take to run under three hours?' But that's what makes it fun (laughs). I think the fun of running a marathon is that it's not that easy."
The joy of team activities
Running activities, including marathons, are becoming more active.
In 2021, he founded the running club "LOUD RUNNERS," making team uniforms and participating in practice sessions. He supports his fellow runners in races and practice sessions, and is on-site to support his university junior and employee, Junpei Yamaguchi, when he takes part in marathons and 100km races.
"It makes me happy when the members get good times, and it's a lot of fun to cheer them on. Just like Junpei, cheering for someone close to you is a completely different experience, even though it's the same cheering. You put your heart into it."
Paris Olympic Games experience
ELDORESO has created uniforms and second uniforms for 14 teams, including Kokushikan University, Asia University, Jobu University, his alma mater Kiryu Technical High School, and the powerhouses Toyokawa High School and Funabashi Municipal High School. When he receives a request, he sometimes thinks, "This is going to be a lot of work," but creating the uniforms nevertheless increases interest in the teams and athletes. As a result, he has increasingly traveled to competitions and track meets to support the athletes and teams. In August, he flew to Paris to create the uniform for the Mongolian national team competing in the marathon at the Paris Olympics.
"I was supporting Mongolian marathon representative Serud Batochir in Japan with his clothing, and we were also able to make his Olympic wear, so I went to Paris to support him. I was really excited and had a lot of fun."
Now, we are receiving inquiries from all over asking us to make uniforms.
"Thankfully, I receive a lot of orders, but now I only take orders from people I know. It's almost all from my connections to Kokushikan University. There are so many seniors, classmates, and juniors, so it's hard to turn down requests like that. It's already at a point where I have my hands full."
Akuzawa Style = ELDORESO
The popularity of ELDORESO and its continued steady growth are likely due to the high quality of its products as well as the fact that Akuzawa's lifestyle is reflected in his clothing. Akuzawa stands out wherever he runs. He has long hair that flows in the wind, a sage-like beard, and a tattoo of Sakamoto Ryoma on his left thigh, as well as a free-flowing brushstroke of Okamoto Taro on his left arm and back. He started getting tattoos at the age of 23 after being used as a practice dummy by a friend, and finished at 27. His main motivation for starting to make running clothing was not to wear the same thing as everyone else, but Akuzawa himself stands out, and his unique style overlaps with ELDORESO's clothing.
"I'm not that cool, and I just ended up with the way I look now. I had a shaved head until I was about 30. But shaving your head is a pain because you have to cut it every now and then. So I don't have one now, but I might get one in the future. Tattoos hurt, so I'm not getting any more (laughs)."
My experience with RETO
Akuzawa-san once participated in the RETO RUNNING CLUB as a citizen runner. Although he had a team called Loud Runners, there was a reason why he joined a different team.
"When you join a new team, how do you feel viewed by those around you and how do you want to be treated? Since I'm in Loud, I wanted to know how new people feel. I'm shy and don't like people talking to me much, but Seiya (Takagi), the coach at RETO, often talks to me, which I was simply happy about. At the same time, by having close friends gather together, I understand how it feels to be isolated. At Loud, I make use of that experience and try to talk to new people, but it's not easy (laughs). Another thing I like about RETO is how much people are willing to support their teammates. Many people stay with us and we hold training camps, so I think that's why we've formed those kinds of connections, but I thought it was amazing that so many people are willing to help grow the community themselves."
To become a global brand
As he digests his various experiences, Akuzawa turns his attention to the world.
"Going abroad is always inspiring. My clothes have a lot of primary colors, so they're popular with b-boys and rappers in America, who say they're funky. It's interesting because different countries have different ways of seeing and feeling things. I'd like to grow into a global brand, including my running wear."
Motivation to run
Of course, I continue to run.
"Running takes up about 70% of my life. I make running wear, go to support runners, and enter races, but if you ask me if I want to still be running 20 years from now, I don't think so. If I feel like running then I'll run. If I don't like it anymore, I can just quit. It's very simple. My motivation now is going out for drinks with everyone after a run. It's the most fun. That's basically why I run (laughs)."
If you feel like doing something, do it. If you don't feel like doing it, don't do it. This mindset of cutting out incompleteness and swinging to extremes is and will continue to be firmly reflected in ELDORESO.
Akuzawa's Instagram account
https://www.instagram.com/tarzan_aqzawa/
ELDORESO Instagram Account
https://www.instagram.com/eldoreso/
