In May 2024, an exhibition titled ""Secret Garden" inspired by Hitsujibungaku - 12 hugs (like butterflies)" was held, inspired by the original album "12 hugs (like butterflies)" by the alternative rock band Hitsujibungaku. The director was haru. (HUG inc.), a creative director who has worked on many of Hitsujibungaku's artworks and was also in charge of creating the jacket for this album. Based on the 12 songs included in the album, the works created in collaboration with seven artists show the possibility of freely interpreting and expressing music. We talked to haru. about the intention of the concept of "garden" and the thoughts behind the exhibition.

Hitsujibungaku is "the same generation living in the same era"

――First, please tell us about your relationship with Hitsujibungaku.

haru.: Eight years ago, when I first moved to Tokyo, member Moeka (Shiotsuka) invited me to an interview, which was the first opportunity. Hitsujibungaku was still an indie band at the time, and I think the live houses were small. After a while, I was asked to design the jacket for the album "The Youths". After that, I was involved in the artwork in the same way several times, and that's how I got to where I am today.

We're not close enough to talk a lot about private matters, but we do talk a lot at the time of production. I've always been watching them closely, and I feel like they are "the same generation living in the same era".

――How do you see Hitsujibungaku's progress so far? I think the scale of the band has grown compared to the beginning.

haru.: I've been watching them thinking, "They've always been honest with themselves." The members of Hitsujibungaku don't try to hide the pain in their hearts, like "This is hard'' or "This world is kind of hard."

But it's not always the same. I was also allowed to make the jacket for the previous album "our hope", but at that time, there was an air of being indoors due to the corona disaster, and the band also had a strong feeling of "wanting to send a signal to the outside world". So the jacket also has a composition of "a woman looking out from the car window".

But this time, "12 hugs (like butterflies)" is themed on "butterfly hugs," or hugging yourself, so there is a nuance of "confronting what's happening inside you." I am always conscious that I have to create things while understanding what they are thinking each time.

――At the exhibition venue, you can listen to a talk between haru. and Hitsujibungaku, and there is also a conversation about this album. The story that they tried to bring out "the slightly aggressive part of themselves" without hiding it was impressive.

haru.: I think "taking care of yourself" is really difficult. It's something you can't do unless you have time to spare, and sometimes you get tired of the negative emotions inside of you. But we often talked about how it would be nice if we could accept all of that and say, "It can't be helped" and "That's the way it is."