Japanese fashion is very complex. I concluded that the Japanese dress very well. Women are very fashionable, men are stylish and are generally touched by the metrosexual wave. Children are dressed as parents (although I did not see many clothing stores for children in the run, but I’m still sure there are). It’s just that if we’re going to talk about Japanese fashion, we have to make a clear distinction between teenagers and the rest of the world. And here we go to Harajuku district. Also, here we go if you want classic, cool, weird, and fun things to do in Tokyo with kids.
You’ve probably seen, many times, in movies or in documentaries, Japanese teenagers dressed as if the drawer blasted in their head. The trendsetters of this madness are the teenagers from the Harajuku district in Shibuya, Tokyo’s heart.
A Visit In Harajuku, an extraordinary neighborhood
Extrapolating a bit, Harajuku – a shopping district located between Shinjuku and Shibuya – has two main streets, Takeshita and Omotesando, filled with shops and boutiques, also with shops selling street food or other nonsense. If Omotesando is often associated (forcibly) with the Japanese Champs Elysee, Takeshita Street is a crazy pedestrian artery where the show is at home. Here, teenagers from Tokyo gather (especially on Sundays) to show their fashion habits.
Own creations often result from chaotic thoughts based on the idea: I look in the closet, try the weirdest possible combinations, and then go to Harajuku. And… boom! This madness has the power to inspire the great Japanese fashion houses, which send their spies on Takeshita Street to encourage things and bear the new collections.
Styles are many and diverse. Hip hop, goth, punk and cyberpunk, lolita, cute, visual kei, cosplay, kawaii, decorate, ganguro – whatever the hell all this means, each of them is undoubtedly found both in the stores and on the crowded artery, on the boys and, especially, the girls who cross it. The show is complete, and the figures you meet can generate the most diverse dreams: from horror (loved so much by the Japanese) to role-playing games.
It is easy to imagine the atmosphere of Takeshita street: in front of the clothing stores, their employees scream from the bottom of their lungs, probably about the offers of the moment. The windows are shining. The bare legs, bordered by black leggings (typical Japanese fashion), scroll casually, even if the outside temperature does not exceed a few Celsius degrees. Pink summer dresses. Figures with big “manga” eyes and intense makeup accept to be photographed from a distance. Something doesn’t seem to be in the right place, although, at the same time, on this street, everything is more than in place. I mean… genuine.
Takeshita, the street of fashion madness
Historically, Japanese street fashion dates back to the ’80s, influenced by subcultures around the world, which Japanese teenagers always knew to twist, giving them an incredibly personalized touch. On Takeshita street, even the dogs have their fashion, a specialized store offering trendy clothes for the furry guys, together with trolleys for puppies and other such crazy things.
You can’t stop being fascinated by this street. It’s 400 meters of shopping and color, and I think I could pull a chair and stare for many hours at the people passing in front of me. And when I get bored with people, I’d go into the shops, where you can’t get bored anyway. Because, besides the “normal” stores that you find in Europe, there are some of them where madness seems to be at home. Do you want gothic lolitas and punk clothes? Enter ACDC Rag. Do you want more lolita clothing, this time at exorbitant prices? Get into Liz Lisa. Do you want playful garments, which you’d put on if – sorry – you were crazy? Enter the WC (no, it’s not a public toilet). Do you want shoes (and what shoes!)? Step into Panama Boy world! Harajuku vintage shops are also there. Harajuku Hello Kitty? Glad you asked!
And if you’ve heard of Daiso and you want to visit the biggest one, then you’ve been hit by luck. Because the Daiso store in Harajuku is the largest 100 yen store in Japan. What do you find inside? Eh… from false eyelashes to firefighter equipment. As you would say… the sky is the limit!
Things are pretty much the same regarding food, which follows fashion trends. The same simple stroll along the street brings you to culinary temptations that I’m sure you would like: seven-color lollipops, pancakes stuffed with you can’t imagine what, cakes from which it is possible to spill something at any moment, skewers with mozzarella or Calbee chips. And if you’re tired of doing culinary window shopping, enter a cafe where you’ll remember the 10 little niggers (nothing racist here, don’t worry!) – it’s called Christie, and it has the theme of Agatha Christie, the world-famous writer of policier novels. In a Brit-enough atmosphere, where you can crunch biscuits and sandwiches without anything way to pink around.
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