"HERALBONY TONE FROM MUSEUM ~Listening Museum~" is a podcast that launched this spring and focuses on artists contracted to the welfare experimental company Heralbony.

Sara Ogawa, an actor, filmmaker, and writer, and Takaya Matsuda, CEO of HERALBONY, will be the interviewers. As they listen carefully to the art, they will touch upon the personality and life story of this "unique artist" that can be seen beyond his work.

This time, our guest is Marina, a 15-year-old unique writer who writes the one-of-a-kind "Marina letters," and she appears with her father. We asked Marina about her daily life, from how the "Marina letters" were born to her life at a support school.

Currently attending a special needs school in Tokyo. She loves sushi, games (Mario Kart), cooking, and drawing. While she creates various artworks using stickers, stamps, dripping, etc., her favorite is writing her own typography on the entire page of a notebook, which may be an ancient, alien, or future language.

# Fascinating "Marina letters"

Ogawa: What kind of fascinating artist is this that will be appearing today? Takaya, please introduce him.

Takaya: The artist who has joined us today is an artist called Marina. In fact, the T-shirt I'm wearing and the T-shirt Sara is wearing are both her works. They have mysterious patterns, or maybe you could call them typography?

Ogawa: Wow. This looks like it'll be worth deciphering.

marina "marina-moji3"

Takaya: It's a line that makes you wonder, "What does it say?" This artist writes mysterious characters in a dense manner in his notebook. I call them "marina characters." This artist and his father come to the studio together.

Ogawa: That's great! Actually, I introduced Marina once in the "TONE FROM ART" corner of J-WAVE's "ACROSS THE SKY," which I host. At that time, she talked about trying live painting for the first time in her life, so I would like to hear about that today. So, Marina herself and her father will be joining us in the studio! Nice to meet you!

Father: Thank you very much.

Marina: Thank you very much!

Ogawa: Ever since we came into the studio today, he's been writing Marina letters in his notebook the whole time!

Takaya: Really? I didn't notice that! That's nice.

Ogawa: Is this always written?

Father: When I had an idea, I would sit at my desk and wonder what I was doing, and when I looked over, I saw that I was writing Marina letters.

Ogawa: Marina, what did you write about today?

Takaya: What are those words you have written all over your notebook right now?

Marina: Because it's fun!

Takaya: That's great! It's fun!

Ogawa: It's like you're expressing your happy feelings through words.

Takaya: I'd like to hear more. What does this character say? Anything is fine.

Marina: Because I'm happy!

Takaya: It makes me happy. Actually, it's worth deciphering.

Ogawa: You've been writing with a black pen all day today, but you also draw red lines, right?

Father: I actively use and select what is there, and then I write using it freely, depending on my own circumstances.

Ogawa: When did the Marina alphabet originate?

Father: He started writing when he was in the upper grades of elementary school.

Ogawa: Marina, how old are you now? (To Marina) How old are you now?

Marina: I'm 15 years old.

Takaya: 15 years old, young. The youngest on this podcast.

Dad: So you've been writing it for five or six years.

Ogawa: Did these letters suddenly appear?

Father: I think it started when I saw my family writing something at a desk or someone studying, and I had an urge to write something at a desk too. Then, when I started writing, I was so focused on writing that I asked, "Is it fun?" and he said, "Yes, it's fun." I thought it was interesting to see him writing with so much focus, just as the ideas flowed, so I started showing it to various people.

Ogawa: Before that, had you ever drawn pictures or written anything?

Father: I was drawing pictures, but then I started drawing circles and shapes. I think I started writing because I wanted to learn. I wanted to write smoothly and fluently.

Ogawa: Watching you in the studio today, you were really fluent! You wrote quickly and steadily.

Takaya: Ah, I wish you'd write it again.

Marina: (moves in response to the call)

Takaya: Oh, warming up!

Ogawa: You're moving your shoulders.

Takaya: Then, teacher, can I ask you something? Ah, you are writing it now.

Ogawa: There is no hesitation.

Takaya: That's really amazing.

Ogawa: It was written in a style similar to cursive, but here and there... Ah, there was something that looked like two mountains. What was it? Something like hieroglyphics, or symbols.

Takaya: It's incredibly fast.

Ogawa: That's amazing.

Takaya: If you search for "marina Heralbony", I think you'll be able to get an idea of ​​what kind of work it is.

T-shirt featuring Marina's work

Ogawa: And it's on sale as merchandise. The clothes we're wearing now and the T-shirts are stylish. Wow, that was so fast! I think I've already written about three lines.

Takaya: Thank you, Marina. That's wonderful.

Ogawa: Thank you! Please feel free to write as much as you like.

Takaya: Wow, your writing style is really cool. The way you place the pen is impressive. You can tell from an artist who does live painting.

Ogawa: How was the live painting? March 21st was World Down Syndrome Day, so you performed in front of a large audience on the first day of "TOKYO CREATIVE SALON 2023"!

Takaya: How was it, Marina? Drawing in front of everyone?

Marina: It was fun!

Ogawa: Were you drawing with the same enthusiasm back then as you are now?

Father: (To Marina) Right? I thought I would be more nervous if you were drawing so quickly like now. It was my first time, and I was surrounded by so many people, so I thought, "Maybe I'll get so nervous I won't be able to draw?" But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, and I was really into it. I think I was able to approach it in a relaxed manner.

Ogawa: Was it your first time drawing in front of so many people?

Father: I think it was the first time I drew in front of anyone other than my family.

Ogawa: But even so, it was still very relaxing and enjoyable.

Takaya: You seem pretty relaxed today too.

Ogawa: That's right.

Father: You're not nervous at all. (To Marina) Right? You're not nervous.

Takaya: That’s nice.

#How to spend your pocket money

Ogawa: Marina, what do you enjoy doing? What do you like to do?

Takaya: What is it?

Marina: Singing.

Ogawa: Wow! What song are you going to sing?

Marina: Demon Slayer.

Takaya: "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba," that's great! By the way, has your father's opinion of you changed since you started working with Heralbony?

Father: He seems to be very happy when he hears that people are wearing the things he makes and are happy with them.

Ogawa: For the wearer, Marina's work seems like it would be a conversation starter. You might be asked, "What does that say?" or you might want to say, "This is called Marina lettering." Marina is 15 years old now. Do you go to school?

Father: Yes. My child goes to a special needs school and we also use a few after-school day care services.

Ogawa: I see. (To Marina) What do you usually do at school?

Marina: Japanese!

Takaya: That's amazing!

Ogawa: What do we do in Japanese class?

Takaya: What is it?

Ogawa: Did you learn kanji and other characters?

Father: (to Marina) You're taking lessons, aren't you?

Takaya: I guess I wanted to do it because I love my dad and he's good at drawing. Maybe. I think I was influenced by him. Is that related?

Marina: (blushing) It's irrelevant!

Takaya: It doesn't matter!

Ogawa: I wonder if it was born from inside Marina. But it might be there, latent. What kind of activities do you do at the after-school day care center?

Father: I think it's about having fun and learning. I'm taking care of two places, one of which specializes in singing and dancing, so I can do what I love. I'm really looking forward to it. I can sing and dance, and play simple instruments. Like playing the bongos.

Marina: Yes.

Father: He plays handbells. That's what he enjoys.

Takaya: That's great. Is it fun?

Marina: It's fun!

Ogawa: Do you like dancing?

Marina: I like it.

Ogawa: Drawing, singing, dancing. You really love expression.

Takaya: Marina, what do you want to be someday?

Dad: When you grow up?

Marina: When you become an adult, you work.

Takaya: Well, you're already working with HERALBONY. Thank you very much.

Ogawa: What kind of work would you like to do?

Marina: Hmm. A computer.

Ogawa: Wow! You like computers! Do you use a computer at home?

Father: Actually, a few days ago, the school provided him with a tablet. He's been learning how to input data and all that. It's a new and exciting thing for him.

Ogawa: That's interesting! Computers open up a whole new world of possibilities.

Takaya: I'd like to have a PC version of Marina characters someday! Typing it like "tatatatatan."

Ogawa: That's true! If you could type at that speed, it would be amazing. What do you usually do at home?

Marina: I'm doing the dishes.

Takaya: Washing dishes? That's nice! When is it? At night?

Marina: At night, my mom invited me to put 50 yen in the piggy bank, and it continues every day.

Ogawa: Put 50 yen in the piggy bank! I see!

Takaya: You suddenly became fluent. That's great!

Ogawa: You really have a positive attitude towards everything.

Father: It's just help, but you get paid for it (laughs).

Takaya: If it was just 50 yen a day, I might want to ask for it too (laughs).

Marina: Hehehe!

Ogawa: What will you use that 50 yen for if you save it?

Marina: Game center.

Ogawa: I love games! What games?

Marina: Because the catcher, the Kirby one, is fun.

Dad: This is a UFO catcher...

Marina: The UFO catcher is in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture.

Takaya: UFO catcher in Kashiwa, Chiba.

Dad: You got Kirby in one shot the other day, right?

Takaya: Amazing!

Ogawa: Amazing! I could never get that.

(Rustling sounds. Marina is trying to show us something.)

Takaya: What, you brought it today?!

Ogawa: Wow! So cute!

Takaya: You have it attached to your bag, right?

Ogawa: It matches the color of the bag perfectly!

Takaya: That's great. Did you do it all by yourself?

Marina: Yes.

Takaya: That's amazing! If you spend 50 yen a day, you can get one every two days.

Marina: When I grow up, I want to be a sushi chef.

Takaya: I also want to be a sushi chef. That's a bit of a curveball.

Ogawa: Do you like sushi too?

Marina: I like it.

Ogawa: What do you like?

Marina: Tuna.

Takaya: That's great! I love it too. What else?

Marina: Natto rolls.

Takaya: That's great. Anything else?

Marina: Chawanmushi. Chawanmushi is delicious.

Ogawa: It's delicious, isn't it? I understand. I also eat chawanmushi at sushi restaurants.

Takaya: Then next time I do some work at Heralbony, let's all go to a sushi restaurant together. Right!

Marina: ...Yeah.

Takaya: Hmm, I don't think he's that keen on that. (laughs)

Dad: You spend about a third of your day thinking about sushi.

Ogawa: Do you ever say things in your family like, "If something good happens, we'll have sushi"?

Father: If I asked him today, "Where do you want to go after this?" I'm sure he'd say, "I want to eat sushi."

Marina: Yes.

Ogawa: Maybe we'll be able to eat it today!

Takaya: I have a feeling I'll be able to eat it. Judging from your dad's personality!

Ogawa: Actually, Marina brought along some early drawings today. Can I see them?

(Marina, do you have something?)

Takaya: Marina-san also hints at it. That's nice.

Ogawa: What is this picture of? Marina.

Marina: Stars.

Ogawa: There are a lot of stars drawn on it. Can I take a look if you don't mind?

Marina: Yes.

Ogawa: Thank you. First of all, the school lunch menu is covered with stars.

Takaya: On the school lunch menu! Why? That's nice.

Ogawa: It says "Marina Cart". Interesting. There are quite a few words written on it. It says "Rice", "Miso soup" and "School lunch", and it has Marina's seal on it. Free! There are red and blue stars, checkered patterns and circles, so it feels a bit like a school? (Turning the menu over) Oh, the back is also full! There is a name written in large letters on the back. This is nice. .

Takaya: Well, there is one more piece... (taking out piece) Amazing! In the middle of a row of red and blue circles, it says "Kura Sushi Game" (laughs). So you really love sushi and games. That's great. It says "Tuna," "Salmon roe," and "Natto rolls."

Ogawa: The things I like haven't changed at all!

Takaya: It's really amazing! Marina, what are these? These red and blue circles?

Marina: I drew the broom from Harry Potter.

Takaya: Harry Potter? Suddenly, Harry Potter! That's nice.

Ogawa: Inspiration comes from a variety of places.

Takaya: I was wondering how much it was! I wonder how much this red circle is.

Marina:...

Ogawa: ...Harry Potter?

(Marina nods)

Takaya: Harry Potter? Sorry! My apologies.

Ogawa: What about that? Can I see it?

Marina: Rengoku from Demon Slayer.

Ogawa: I'm coloring my favorite characters from "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba". The way I color is also quite innovative. I'm not bound by the frame anymore, I color inside the frame with various colors, and my hair is colorful and stylish.

Takaya: About 10 different hair colors. I think it would be very expensive to get this done at a hair salon!

Ogawa: It says "From Marina"! So cute. It looks like a letter. I had an image of Marina as a letter, but the illustrations are also lovely. Do you like red and blue?

Marina: I like it.

Ogawa: That's right! There's so much red and blue lined up. Thank you for this precious piece.

Takaya: Thank you.

Ogawa: Marina, you are really positive and kind. When I met you, I thought you were a very kind person, washing dishes and caring about those around you.

# School life at 15

Takaya: I heard that when my mother found out that her son had an intellectual disability, she was very worried because there was very little information available at the time. How did you yourself find information and communities?

Father: I think things have really changed since your brother's time.

Takaya: That's right.

Father: I researched things on the internet at a tremendous rate. On the other hand, I often get anxious because I know too much, so I think it's important to know how to deal with information. But there are also a lot of communities, which helped me a lot. Looking back, I'm really glad that I was able to live in such a wonderful time.

Takaya: I see.

Ogawa: So there is a community of families in similar situations?

Father: Yes. There are many Down Syndrome communities in Tokyo, but they also look up information from overseas and there are some very proactive groups, so it's helpful.

Ogawa: I see. Now that I think about it, are there any funny or enjoyable stories you've had recently with Marina?

Father: He stayed overnight at the school the day before yesterday.

Marina: Yes.

Takaya: Wow.

Father: We stayed there to learn how to respond in the event of a disaster, as if it were a disaster drill. So there wasn't anything fun like a campfire, and we only had ready-made curry for meals in case of a disaster.

Marina: ...Hmm.

Dad: Huh?

Marina: Five-grain rice.

Takaya: Ahh! It looks delicious.

Dad: Gomoku rice, huh? That's right. He slept on a simple mattress. So I went to pick him up yesterday morning, and when I asked him if he'd ever felt lonely or scared, he said, "It was so much fun."

Ogawa: I see! (To Marina) How was it staying at the school?

Marina: It was fun!

Ogawa: Wow, that's amazing! That's definitely what happened when I was in high school.

Dad: It's not like we have any fun recreational activities. Hey, it was fun, wasn't it?

Ogawa: Just the idea of ​​staying overnight at school must have been quite exciting. Weren't you lonely?

Marina: It was okay.

Ogawa: You're so positive! It's encouraging to see Marina slowly moving into society and spending her time apart from her father. Thank you so much for the wonderful story and for the work.

"HERALBONY TONE FROM MUSEUM ~Listening Museum~" is now available for free

Based on the concept of "imagining the history of an unconventional artist through his art," this program listens closely to the art and touches upon the personality and life story of one "unconventional artist" that can be seen beyond his work.
The two MCs are Sara Ogawa, an actor, filmmaker and writer, and Takaya Matsuda, CEO of HERALBONY. Each episode focuses on a writer under contract with HERALBONY, and welcomes intellectually disabled writers, their families and welfare facility staff as guests.
It is available every Sunday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
You can also enjoy back issues for free.

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