What Changes with Life and Age
Model Kanako
As a Model with an Eye for Presentation
As an Artist Who Brings Ideas to Life
Whether as a model with an eye for presentation, an artist who brings ideas to life, or simply someone who moves through daily life with ease and grace, Kanako has a way of inspiring both admiration and familiarity. Needless to say, we feel the same.
It had been several years since we last met. In that time, “Opantsu-kun,” a character she created, had grown into a remarkably popular figure, and she had begun splitting her time between Tokyo and Kamakura. As the shape of her busy days gradually changed, so too did many parts of her daily life.
It seemed to naturally overlap with the reason she now chooses to carry REN’s Square Shoulder.
What Lies Beyond Simplicity
“Lately, simplicity has become a theme in my life.”
With that, Kanako opened our conversation with a phrase that immediately caught our attention.
“Traveling between Tokyo and Kamakura takes about three hours round-trip. Over time, it became difficult to find time for the Pilates classes I used to attend. Rather than forcing it, I shifted my mindset and began weaving exercise into my everyday life.”
One of Kanako’s new rituals begins after she steps out of the bath.
“First, I use an electric scalp brush, then do my skincare routine with lotion and moisturizer while stepping on a bamboo foot massager a hundred times. And when I dry my hair, I do thirty squats—yes, thirty!”
“It’s become part of everyday life now, to the point where not doing it feels a little strange. And even if I eat more than usual, I can remind myself that I do squats every day. That small sense of reassurance has helped me enjoy food more freely.”
Still, as the years pass, she has become quietly aware of a gradual change in her stamina.
“In the past, I would always push myself further, thinking, ‘I can do another thirty.’ Now I’m able to tell myself, ‘This is a good place to stop.’”
A Lighter Body, A Lighter Mind
As life changed and the years passed, some things gradually took on a different shape. The same was true of the things she chose to buy.
“I do have a bicycle, but these days I deliberately choose to walk instead.”
Mornings are often spent shopping at local supermarkets and markets before settling into work in the afternoon. For heavier items such as detergent or olive oil, however, she simply orders them in advance on Amazon.
“When I go shopping, I set a limit for myself: only what I can carry in this bag and an eco bag.”
To keep both body and mind light, so that fatigue doesn’t linger into the days ahead.
There was so much to take away from our conversation.
A Sense of Ease。
With the warmer months just around the corner,
“But I want to stay true to what feels right for me.”
“If comfort were the only priority, I could probably spend every day in nothing but a T-shirt. But once I start down that path, I feel like I’ll just keep going further and further in that direction.”
She is wearing a linen shirt today.
“This shirt originally had a much larger collar. But I decided to be bold and cut it off. I felt it suited me better this way—less sweet, less casual.”
As the way you dress changes, so do the bags you choose to carry.
“I have a few leather bags that I still love—the shapes are all beautiful. But somehow, I stopped reaching for them. In the end, the one I keep coming back to is this Square Shoulder. It’s soft, never feels heavy, and simply sits right. That’s true physically, of course, but I think it also fits where I am in life right now.”
The Art of Letting Go
As a model, she often finds herself wearing a wide variety of clothes.
“As you gain more experience, I think you also develop the ability to strip things back. Adding is easy, but knowing what to keep and what to let go of only comes with experience. Even when it comes to my belongings, I’m now able to make clearer decisions—whether it’s ‘I still use this’ or ‘If I’m not using it, it’s time to let it go.’”
A model’s job, after all, is also about making all kinds of clothes feel right.
“I usually leave things in the stylist’s hands, but sometimes I’ll think, ‘This would look better if I rolled up the sleeves a little.’ Those are the kinds of adjustments I end up making myself in the fitting room.”
The small techniques she uses to make clothes feel more like her own. In a way, the same could be said of bags.
“I usually carry bags on my shoulder, but after trying different ways of wearing the Square Shoulder, I realized I like carrying it by hand the most. I simply don’t mind holding it. I think that’s because the handles are soft and lightweight, so they never feel tiring.”
“Sometimes it’s the smallest things—like deciding whether to tuck the strap inside or leave it out. I’ll change it depending on the balance of the outfit. Since I started carrying this bag, I’ve found myself thinking not only about what to carry, but also about how to carry it.”
Life moves quickly enough as it is—I try to remove as many decisions as possible.
「“Rather than having to think, ‘This needs to go here,’ it just happens naturally. Taking things in and out feels intuitive. If I were to compare it to a computer, it’s like a Mac. Come to think of it, REN might be the Apple of the bag world.”
It was a compliment that felt almost too generous—though one we were delighted to receive.
Thank you, as always, Kanako.
* At the time of this interview, Kanako was living between Tokyo and Kamakura. As of June 2026, she has returned to living in one place.
