“Fangophilia” is a Japanese accessory brand that has been fusing dental techniques with the spirit of body modification and “cyborgism”, to create a body of work that is truly self-expressive and forward-looking. Through a unique blend of dental practices, such as moulding alongside high-quality silver, “fangophilia” has created unique custom-made items that have garnered him fans ranging from Jaden Smith to K-pop’s G-Dragon; a list of impressive international clients that seems to continue to grow.

From studying dentistry at Tohoku University to backpacking around the world, and making custom pieces for Marilyn Manson, the transformation of fangophilia mirrors the mental and physical evolution of its designer Taro Hanabusa—who has gone to extreme lengths to express himself through body modifications. Some of the most incredible steps he has taken to transform himself include injecting ink into his eyes as well as implanting a microchip into his body.

Now based in the Katsushika ward of Tokyo, the GATA team had the opportunity to visit Taro in his atelier and have a chat with the designer about the history of this exciting and unique brand in the Tokyo sphere.

Here Taro shares with us the birth of his jewellery brand, his special design process as well as the obstacles that exist in expressing oneself in Japan’s conservative society.

Hello Taro! Can you briefly introduce yourself to the GATA family?

Taro Hanabusa: Hey there! My name is Taro Hanabusa. In 2012, I launched my brand Fangophilia and finally became an independent jewellery artist. Originally, I come from Sendai where I graduated from Tohoku University, obtaining an education in dentistry and a dental licence.

Later, I moved to Tokyo where the idea of launching my brand never left me. Even though I had never studied jewellery and fashion before in my life, my dream came true.

You have an affection for fangs and your brand is called Fangophilia. Where does your fascination for fangs come from? Is it related to Vampires, animals…?

Taro Hanabusa: After launching my brand, most of the orders were made for fangs. Without thinking twice, I merged the words “fang” and “-philia” to express an excessive fondness for it among my clients. Despite the support from naming my brand “Fangophilia”, I still hesitated due to my unfamiliarity with the English language. From the moment of reassurance of its correctness from native speakers and receiving compliments, I finally calmed down.

Tell us a little bit more about what tattoos and body modification mean for you. When did you start this journey and where did this fascination come from?

Taro Hanabusa: Well, throughout my life I have had an inexplicable interest in body modifications, such as tattoos and piercings. The journey took place in the university. In Japan, society stays extremely conservative, so student years are the only period of freedom, so everyone comes out of their shelf. Acting boldly and willing to be a cool kid, most students start experimenting with their looks and go crazy. I was among them as well. I started with one piercing and eventually ended up with 20 different styles, mostly on my face. You are limited in what you can do about tattoos. The area of the body must be hidden under clothing during future work.

When my practice at the hospital began that freedom immediately faded away. I took out all of my piercings while my tattoos were covered with long sleeves.

Your body is almost fully covered with tribal tattoos, representing ethnic and cultural bonds. What made you pick this style?

Taro Hanabusa: Hmm...actually, I don't care much about the style. My only preferences are black ink and choosing the place for the tattoo. Most of the tattoos were made by my beloved artists from all over the world. I trusted their view, so allowed them to capture whatever they felt right. Thinking now, this action is a pure illustration of emotional bonds with such people. I wasn’t aiming for that from the beginning; it was a result of overlapping coincidences.

We have heard that you implanted a chip in your hand. Can you tell us a bit more about it?

Taro Hanabusa: Some years ago I inserted a microchip in my hand without any special reason. I guess, the curiosity for attempting to do crazy ideas is my life motto. This chip can store a small amount of data, such as highly confidential information insuring you from loss and damage. However, right now it is a simple link to my Instagram page.

Lately, I started my investigation on implanting a “Suica card”—a contactless smart card used for the Japanese subway—to become the first person with a built-in chip. The main difficulty I face is the range of companies I need to cooperate with. Basically, chips for Suica use Sony's FeliCa chip for its main functionalities. FeliCa system is the de facto smart card ticketing system standard in Japan, many of these cards have integrated services. I am close to some individuals from Sony, and right now we are in the discussion stage.

The major problem is removing the circuitry from the card without damaging it. Another issue would be attempting to do a subdermal implant with an object that has the surface area of a credit card, as this would cause problems with the skin directly above the card. That layer of skin would be effectively cut off from the nervous system, removing sensation and also be cut off from the circulatory system that nourishes the living tissue that makes up the skin. Similar problems have been encountered with such smaller implants.

Sounds troublesome, but we will continue our research.

What was your last crazy body modification?

Taro Hanabusa: After approximately 10 years of doubting the idea of sclera tattooing, I finally found the courage to achieve it two years ago. This kind of tattooing is extremely risky because one mistake results in you losing your sight—and simply no future work. That’s why before committing to such major decisions, I surf the net looking for answers, weighing all the pros and cons. As you can see now, the desire to do it, outweighed all the disadvantages (laughs).

While I was in Amsterdam, I texted the artist Luna Cobra to make an appointment. Even though he is a professional, I had goosebumps from fear. The whole operation took three days. The first day was a proper explanation followed by picking the hue and the vibrance of ink. The second and third days were the injection days. The process was quite intense but not painful. The ink is inserted into the whites of the eyes by needles.

It might sound hilarious but the Japanese don't know much about such an operation, so till now, no one has freaked out looking at me. Only my tattoos and implants are the sort of attention here.

You have worked previously with Marilyn Manson, can you tell us a little bit about this experience, and what it means to work with such an influencing figure?

Taro Hanabusa: Going to LA was a new step in my career. Three days before leaving, out of the blue, Marilyn Manson contacted me on Facebook, hinting at purchasing some jewellery and a future collaboration. I was doubtful whether it was actually him, but I still went to the appointment, and it ended up being him. He also ordered a lot of accessories right on the spot. I took moulds of his teeth, nose and fingers right there, but I was pretty nervous. By the way, I got Manson to draw a tattoo on me.

When I arrived at the place, the party was super private, there were only four of us, including his girlfriend. At the time, he told me that we were at a close friend’s house, which ended up being Johnny Depp’s. It’s really unbelievable, but I had the miraculous experience of meeting Marilyn Manson for the first time at Johnny Depp’s house. Such things can’t happen in Japan, but in LA, I was able to connect with world-class stars with a little luck and realised America’s potential.

Tattoo by Marlin Manson. Image by **Kazuo Yoshida**

Are there any artists (body modification, tattoo artists, jewellery designers) out there that have inspired you along your career?

Taro Hanabusa: Before my brand’s rapid popularity and expansion overseas, which was five years ago, I was truly looking for a chance to work with influential people in the body modification industry. Some of them I met on my way, and it was a pleasurable experience which I truly honour. However, right now this mindset has shifted away.

Let’s talk about the process of producing your pieces. Why is it important for you to do handmade pieces? What steps are required to produce one piece?

Taro Hanabusa: There are two types: custom-made and ready-to-sell. The main aim is to suit a wide range of budgets and tastes with adjustable nail rings, nail helmets, fingertip rings, joint rings and various earpieces, such as pointed covers. For the first type, it requires a hand-made moulding process and a personal meeting is necessary. This relationship is part of what differentiates Fangophilia from most accessory brands. Moving to the ready-to-wear option. Due to the demand from people, who don’t have the opportunity to run into my studio, the contribution of such a collection came by itself.

There are a few stages of jewellery manufacturers: moulding, waxing, casting, grinding and polishing. Firstly, I get an impression of the wearer's body, filling a form with wax later. The next stage is casting the wax model into metal and grinding the metal piece into jewellery. The polishing stage is frequently done by my assistant.

It’s hard to tell exactly the length of production for one piece, as each time I manufacture dozens of them. By being a workaholic, it takes me approximately a month to a month and a half to make 60-70 pieces.

What’s your creative process when it comes to conceptualising new items such as mouthpieces, jewellery etc? We saw that many of your pieces are reminiscent of mythological creatures, elves etc. Can you also tell us where you get your inspiration from?

Taro Hanabusa: Creature? Not so much to be honest. My main source of inspiration comes from tattoos body modification cultures and cyborgs. By examining my pieces, it is an actual mould of body parts customised according to my style and the customer’s preferences. Once there was a special customer’s request to produce something similar to a manica—which is a type of arm guard—and wear it as an accessory for fashion events and parties. This piece more than any previous ones resonated with the concept of “cyborgism” the most. Sometimes the clients become supervisors, affecting my creative resources. For example, I got DMs, asking me to create a prosthetic appliance. Even though it doesn’t offer any medical support, people are still willing to purchase it as a fashion accessory.

Travelling seems to be a very important part of your life, how does this impact you as an artist and creator?

Taro Hanabusa: I have visited plenty of destinations, but the one which resonates with me the most is Berlin. It is a well-known hub of techno music and dark culture, where individuals openly present themselves. They tend to be more liberal than the Japanese when it comes to your looks and vision. Also, as it’s a mecca for creatives—wherever you go, you get inspired.

We firmly believe that cinema can be a source of inspiration for artists, is there any movie that has particularly influenced your life or work?

Taro Hanabusa: Watching Tarantino's works is something I truly enjoy. The most recent movie I checked was “Avatar: The Way of Water”. The range of genres lacks logic, and I'd like to point out that the visuals ultimately triumph over the plot. The visuals were and continue to be a big draw for me, regardless of what others think.

What’s next for Taro and Fangophilia? Can you give us a sneak peek at what you are working on at the moment?

Taro Hanabusa: Recently, I realised the significance of a personal brand within Instagram itself. Before, I couldn't name myself as a frequent user of social media, except for occasionally posting photos of jewellery I had produced. After a while, my brand expanded overseas, and now my audience is seeking the answer to who is behind “Fangophilia". I am getting lots of questions, and it seems that 2024 is a year of sharing my persona with the world!

As for myself, I have plans to go backpacking in Nepal soon.

Interview by Marta Espinosa & Elizaveta Khimicheva

Images by James Elliott

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TOKYO'S MOST EXTREME DENTISTRY AND BODY MODIFICATION: FANGOPHILIA