Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue
fumihiro hayashi
unpublished photos from purple fashion magazine #7 spring/summer 2007 by Chikashi Suzuki
AKA CHARLIE BROWN
text
by OLIVIER ZAHM
I couldn’t dedicate an issue to Tokyo and Japan without paying tribute to my friend Fumihiro Hayashi, better known as “Charlie Brown.” In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he opened the door to Tokyo’s art, underground scene, and nightlife for Purple.
Fumihiro Hayashi was the founder and editor-in-chief of the iconic Japanese magazine DUNE, which he created with no money but an unbridled energy for the alternative and avant-garde. The first issue of DUNE in 1993 featured Japanese actress Rie Miyazawa on the cover, while the 33rd and final issue in 2008 showcased the emerging actress Rinko Kikuchi. Beyond his publishing activities, Hayashi was such an iconic Tokyo figure that he appeared as himself in films like Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (2003) and Sion Sono’s Father’s Day (2003).
In 2009, together with his wife, Kazumi Asamura Hayashi, he opened The Last Gallery in Tokyo, dedicated to promoting unknown artists in Japan. The gallery featured works from members of the Purple community, including Rita Ackermann, Mark Gonzales, and Aurel Schmidt. With Kazumi, he relaunched his magazine in 2010, giving it the new name Libertin DUNE. The publication remains active, appearing periodically.
Tragically, Hayashi passed away from cancer in 2011 at the age of 46. His absence is deeply felt by everyone on Tokyo’s creative scene and beyond.
