TOKYO (AP) — She’s not old enough to walk through the doors of a nightclub, but that hasn’t stopped DJ Rinoka from becoming one of the most talked-about names in techno music.
At just 9 years old, this Japanese DJ has already made history — earning a spot in the Guinness World Records as the youngest DJ in the world, a title she claimed at age 6.
“It’s fun when people get excited at the live performances,” she shared with The Associated Press in a recent interview.
Her passion for DJing started at age 4, when she stumbled across videos of DJs Amelie Lens and Nina Kraviz on YouTube. She thought they were incredibly cool and wasted no time asking for a Pioneer DDJ-200 machine as a Christmas gift.
“I like a cool, fast, intense style,” she said during the interview, sporting a cap featuring her own personal logo.
Beyond the DJ booth, Rinoka is still very much a kid. She has a pet gecko at home and travels everywhere with a stuffed toy dog named Korochan — including up on stage. The gecko, however, stays behind.
Her performance schedule is anything but ordinary for a child her age. She regularly plays at games for Tokyo’s professional baseball team, the Yomiuri Giants, and shares the stage with DJs many years her senior.
When she performs, there’s a joyful confidence about her — pressing and turning buttons, bobbing along to the rhythm with pure enthusiasm.
Rinoka keeps her last name out of the public eye, and her parents have chosen to stay anonymous as well, hoping to give their only child as normal an upbringing as possible.
Outside of music, she takes hip-hop dance classes, enjoys making things out of paper and aluminum foil, and keeps up with her schoolwork like any other child her age.
Techno music itself has deep roots in American cities like Detroit and relies heavily on electronic instruments, including the now highly sought-after Roland machines. Among its many styles is the hypnotic, high-energy acid house genre that Rinoka is particularly drawn to.
The music is defined by its powerful, driving beat — the kind that makes listeners want to get up and move.
Over the decades, techno has grown into a global phenomenon, with top DJs crafting dance music for audiences around the world. And now, one of its most unlikely fans has become one of its rising stars.
“The music will continue,” Rinoka said with quiet thoughtfulness.
But when asked to choose between a career as a DJ or a life spent caring for a whole lot of geckos, she didn’t hesitate for a second.
“The geckos,” she exclaimed. “They are so cute.”
