On YouTube and other social media, New York-based video creator kemio skillfully uses online platforms to captivate his audience, many of them young people.
Standing 193 centimeters tall, kemio was named the Youth Influencer of the Year in Japan's GQ Men of the Year awards in 2019. He recently started a podcast program, broadening his activities to include audio-only media.
So how did he become one of the most sought-after influencers? The Yomiuri Shimbun recently interviewed kemio online.
"K, E, M, I, O! This is kemio!"
He always starts his YouTube videos full of energy, and they're filled with his nonstop comments. He talks incessantly about things like hair dyeing, food, moving, cleaning, Q&A sessions and eating out with his pals. His videos are basically about his everyday life in New York.
"I have Kilimanjaro-class knowledge stacked in my brain, so I'm going to report to you on that," kemio says in one of his videos, talking about hair. Using such idiosyncratic vocabulary of his own creation, he talks to viewers as if he's chatting with friends. His zip and friendly demeanor have been very popular, and his YouTube channel boasts more than 1.8 million subscribers.
He has a combined total of over 4 million followers and subscribers on his three social media accounts. He posts mostly fashion photos on Instagram, and uses Twitter to upload short videos and notices about new YouTube videos.
Born in October 1995, kemio lost his parents when he was 2 and was raised by his grandparents. He's loved to stand out since he was a little child: In his kindergarten talent shows, he would always nominate himself for the lead character, be it male or female.
"If I did something flashy and the audience liked it, I was happy. I think that's how I found my place in life because I had a tendency to be sensitive to other people's feelings." Before long, kemio started seriously dreaming about becoming a star in the entertainment scene.
Even after failing talent agencies' auditions again and again, he did not give up. He was convinced, without any reason, that things would somehow be all right before he graduated from high school.
A turning point came when kemio posted videos, each lasting only about six seconds, on the video app Vine. His funny faces and bizarre screams, just to make his friends laugh, caught people's attention. Suddenly, things started to move, and he became a model for HR, a cultural magazine for high school students. After finishing high school, kemio widened his activities to become a TV personality, then a singer.
Everything looked like he was steadily moving toward his dream of becoming a big star. In 2016, however, kemio suddenly moved to the United States. He'd been worried that he couldn't make the most of his characteristics in his TV jobs, at which he worked with many talented people.
"I became keenly aware how shallow and inexperienced I was," kemio said, adding that he thought he needed to recharge.
"I wanted to be able to understand what my dear Lady Gaga and Katy Perry were saying, without the help of an interpreter," he said, as another reason why he went to the United States.
He continued with his webcasting and social media activities even after moving to Los Angeles. After finishing the day's class at a language school, he would spend the afternoon posting on YouTube things that he didn't plan in advance but found amusing, such as stories about going to a hair stylist or taking ID photos. It was like he was writing a diary.
"When I moved, I had no friends. There were some troubles, too. At a time like that, it was a big relief to read messages people posted for my videos. They gave me encouragement and made me feel I wasn't alone," kemio said.
YouTube was his moral support, and his friendly videos attracted many fans. The number of subscribers increased to 100,000, then 200,000 and ultimately to a million.
Some of the words he coins, such as "agemizawa" (most hyper), and funny, nonsensical lines he invents, such as "Dokomade ittemo Shibuya wa Nihon no Tokyo" (No matter how far you go, Shibuya is the Tokyo of Japan), have won much support among teenage girls.
Those words were among the top rankings in the language division of a buzzword award chosen by female junior high and high school students in 2018.
He has created many other "kemio phrases" as well, such as "YouTube wa digital isho" (YouTube is a digital farewell note) and "Ningen kankei wankosoba shitoke" (Treat human relationships like wankosoba), referring to traditional all-you-can-eat soba noodles served in small bowls one after another.
"I have such a poor vocabulary that I'm often at a loss searching for suitable words when speaking," kemio said. "That's why I fire off those phrases, thinking if I put this word and that word together, it may come through. Perhaps I'm hastening the shipment of [new] words."
Last year, kemio moved his U.S. base from Los Angeles to New York. After that and even during the lockdown in New York due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, he continued streaming bubbly videos and posting on social media.
Now he can understand what Lady Gaga is saying "if I heighten my concentration 50,000 times," he said modestly. He's greatly improved his English language skills, so maybe it's time to return to Japan?
"Here people my age speak their opinions on racial issues and politics, which is very stimulating to me. It alarms me that I'm still living my life superficially," kemio said.
So he's planning to stay in New York for the time being, to absorb various kinds of stimulus like a sponge and send out messages.
His podcast "kemio no mimisoji club" (kemio's ear cleaning club) was launched on Spotify in June. It's a talk show posted once a week or so.
Citing his interest in doing jobs involving voices and sounds, kemio said excitedly: "My pound is hearting! I hope I can do 'share-happiness' with all of you!"
So far he's invited to the show such celebrity guests as YouTuber Hikakin, comedy duo Gambareruya and singer Thelma Aoyama. When talking with them, he switches from his usual fast talk mode on YouTube to a calmer attitude, discussing such topics as romance and the secret to success.
"I want to invite professional people from various fields and learn new things together with all of you," kemio said enthusiastically.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
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