【Togetherness】
Differences in principles and values are a given.
Therefore, if we can respect such differences, we can surely unite.
Looking forward, together.
【Originality】
If everyone could live as they are and be themselves,
the world would be a more interesting place.
Refine your identity.
【Doing Good】
What each one of us can do is small.
But if we all do what we can, we can surmount even the greatest obstacles.
For the earth, for our friends, and above all, for ourselves.
The dry heat, the distant symphony of cicadas, and the gentle breeze brushing against the skin that carried a subtle scent of nature were all signs heralding the arrival of summer on the day we visited the Nakamoto family. As we headed upstairs to their rooftop one-story house, their spacious terrace came into view, where they had pitched a tent over an inflatable pool for their two romping daughters. “Hello!” Mom & Dad Nakamoto greeted us with their familiar carefree smiles. Nakamoto.ke (ke is Japanese for family) became instant Instagram stars and won a legion of followers for their humorous family photos and witty one-liners. The family of four—Dad, Mom, and their two daughters—lives closely with nature, setting up their home in the rooftop house and going into the outdoors, biking, and traveling under the motto “Enjoy Life Every Day.” In person, they were exactly as we had imagined from their photos: laid-back, easygoing, open-minded, going with the flow, and always finding fun in what’s around them.
The family started their Instagram account right after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dad worked at a café, which was forced to close for two months. That gave him more family time, and he saw it as a great opportunity to document their everyday life. He thanks Mom and their two daughters for making funny faces and goofy poses when he pointed the camera their way, and credits them for keeping the project going to this day. A regular setting and the biggest feature of the pictures is this rooftop one-story house.
Dad: We love the openness of this rooftop unit of our apartment building. It was terrific during the pandemic to have an outdoor space of our own where we could feel the coming and going of the seasons. Just being able to leave the windows open feels great.
Mom: When it was just the two of us, we lived in the Nakano area of central Tokyo. We found this rooftop house when our first daughter was born. The nature was an unexpected bonus—it wasn’t until after we moved that we found we were spending more and more time outdoors. Our kids like to make chalk drawings on the terrace, and it’s really easy to take them out and play by the water, since the river is right down the street.
Dad: The riverbed is one of our favorite destinations. We usually stop by the convenience store on the way, and just hang out and munch on fried chicken and slurp cup noodles. It isn’t a carefully planned outdoor activity. We’re just making good use of what’s available. Going out empty-handed and having a good time matches our lifestyle.
Mom: Our family is good at going with the flow. Life is more fun that way.
The Nakamotos embrace their lucky find of a home surrounded by nature. Their lifestyle of going with the flow is rooted in Dad’s experiences from his teens and twenties.
Dad: As a student, I became hooked on hitchhiking. I took my first trip during middle school, and once traveled from Tokyo all the way to Okinawa. In my twenties, I became a backpacker and went on excursions abroad. I’d be embarrassed to talk about those adventures now, but whatever the situation, things always seemed to work out. That’s how I came to live by the general idea that if I just go with the flow, everything will be okay. Even when I came back to Japan, I didn’t have a place to live, so I earned my daily bread by busking. That is, I found a guitar and played it in the street for gratuities. I lived like that for a good six months.
Inspired by their laid-back and original lifestyle, KEEN tapped Nakamoto.ke for the LIFE IS KEEN global campaign and features the family in ads in the US and Japan. KEEN is essential gear for the Nakamotos too.
Dad: KEEN is a terrific match for our lifestyle. The toe protection keeps us safe when biking, and the sandals are wonderful around the water. I keep them on all the time, even when I’m working.
Mom: Yes, we get a lot of use out of our KEENs. They work in every situation for our whole family.
In closing, we asked if the Nakamotos had any future goals with their Instagram activities. Their response wasn’t all that surprising.
Dad: Future goals? Nope! My camera is beat up, but as long as my family is willing to take photos together and the project continues to be interesting and exciting. I want to keep going. Enjoying these moments while they last is truly the best thing.
From inside the house, the windows offer an unbroken view of the blue sky, and outside on the terrace, the comfortable breeze delivers a feel of the season. At this home, the border is blurry between indoor and outdoor. Dad freely wears his sandals into the house and walks barefoot onto the terrace. And spending time here with this family, watching them go with the flow and finding fun in what’s available, strangely made us thirsty for the outdoors. Why don’t we all be ourselves and take one step further again today, emulating the Nakamoto family’s motto “Enjoy Life Every Day.”
Nakamoto.ke
Nakamoto.ke started sharing scenes of their everyday life along with brilliant comments on Instagram in May 2020. Their account has over 40,000 followers at present.
@nakamoto.ke
