Interview: Nagi Yanagi at Hyper Japan 2014

Written by A. H. on 04 Aug 2014

London's Hyper Japan events are always a treat for broader fans of Japanese culture beyond simply anime or manga - while these passions are capably represented, they are but a slither of the food, drink and musical fare which the show brings to Earl's Court every year. This summer's event was no different in this regard - wander around the show floor and you'd find yourself playing a video game one moment, then stumbling into the midst of a kendo demonstration before wheeling away to see a group of shamisen musicians performing.

It's often the musical element of Hyper Japan that proves to be one of our biggest draws every time it rolls around, with the event boasting an impressive number of Japanese musical guests over the years since its inception. 2014's offering is no different in this regard, with its musical highlight surely the appearance of Nagi Yanagi, a young woman whose stratospheric rise to prominence has seen her working with the likes of Supercell and Jun Maeda before striking out on her own and a career that has led to her providing some memorable ending themes to anime series in the midst of an impressive body of work.

After a short appearance on Hyper Japan's main stage on the Saturday morning of the event, which saw her performing a trio of songs (including the ending theme to Waiting in the Summer, Glass Pattern), we were lucky enough to sit down for a press conference with some fellow journalists and spend some time quizzing Nagi Yanagi on her career thus far - read on to see what she had to say.