✦ Interview with Higuchi Asa ✦
From Saitama City’s 20th Anniversary Bulletin, October issue
Text on the ball: Celebration // Saitama City’s 20th Anniversary!
A message from a popular personality from Saitama
The author of “Ookiku Furikabutte,” the high school baseball manga based in Saitama, is from Saitama herself. We had her draw the 20th Anniversary illustration and asked her a few questions about her life in her hometown, as well as her opinion on the best features of Saitama.
Ookiku Furikabutte is currently being serialized in Kodansha’s monthly Seinen Magazine, “Afternoon.” Oofuri won the Newcomer Prize in the 10th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2006, and the General Manga category in the 31st Kodansha Manga Awards in 2007.
Her hometown’s reception of her work makes her happy
What made you decide to write a baseball manga?
I would think it all started with how hardworking Municipal Urawa High School was during their run in Koushien. When I was still in high school, Municipal Urawa High School appeared in Koushien and was called a “Refreshing Whirlwind.” They even advanced as far as the semi finals. My hometown was absolutely thrilled. I knew some of the players and was cheering for them wholeheartedly. In actuality, I was attending the school next door, Urawa Nishi High School. I was just so amazed that these people not much older than me were causing a whirlwind in the national tournament. And because I was so moved, “Ookiku Furikabutte” came into being.
The school in Oofuri is based on the one I attended myself—Urawa Nishi High School. After all, it’s much easier to ask permission to take photos at one’s own alma mater.
Do you feel a certain connection to your work because you set your manga in your own high school?
Two years ago, Oofuri was featured in a special exhibit at the Manga Museum (Bonsai-cho, Kita Ward). My childhood home is in Saitama City, and my father is part of the neighborhood council. He’s in charge of public relations. Apparently, my father was surprised when he received the poster from the exhibit. “Oh, it’s my daughter’s art.” I’m sure it made him happy. He then sent me a picture of the poster, actually. I had a sample copy of the poster myself, but this photo had my father’s feelings attached to it, and I was so grateful for it. My friends also sent me messages saying, “I went to the exhibit!” It truly is an honor to be recognized in my hometown.
The best things about living in Saitama
What do you think are the best things about living in Saitama?
There are a lot, but I think one thing that you notice when you’ve lived in Saitama is that the roads are relatively flat. It’s easy to move around. When you see mothers riding bicycles with children on both their front and back even without the aid of a motor, you realize that there are hardly any elevated roads here.
Also, Saitama City’s grade schools have pretty big sports fields. It just shows how many people come to watch grade school matches. There are a lot of grade school teams in Saitama after all—you need big fields for them, especially baseball or soccer. I think it’s because there are such huge sports fields that we can hold a lot of sporting events.
Is there any particular scenery in Saitama that has left an impact on you?
It would have to be the sight of Mt. Fuji in winter, right along the Saikyo Line. It surprised me just how clearly you can see it despite how far away it is. When I was in college, I would wake up early and ride the Saikyo Line on my way to my part time job. I would see Mt. Fuji glowing in the morning sun, and it was truly beautiful. That image still lives in my heart. There are other things too, like how traffic and shopping have improved significantly with the construction of Shintoshin Station. There’s also Kita Ward’s Bonsai-cho’s townscape, which is really wonderful. I think it’s a place that embodies much of Saitama’s charm.
The timid and shy protagonist, Mihashi, is the team’s ace. Watch his growth through carefully drawn and psychologically realistic matches. The high school Mihashi attends is based on the author’s own alma mater, Urawa Nishi High School.
