Harajuku!

[Mr Man]

It only till recently that I knew this happened in japan and it looks like so much fun! Basically in Harajuku station on a sunday loads of people dress up in strange fancey costumes ranging from Anime to goth, to kimonos and crazy funky stuff. It just seems like such an interesting place for fashion and inspiration. Some of its really wierd and some of its awsome.
Heres crappy video I found on youtube to describe it
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6ZwdxLlRiT4
and another vid
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ATXxuEqr5p8

What are your views on this unusual art?

[sleep]

this has been going on since the 80's.. lol.

it's quite cool, the japanese have a very interesting sense of fashion...

[Azza]

what I think?
all image and zero culture.

I mean, I used to be one of those japan old culture and tradition lovers, and it is sad to see a whole country throwing away centuries of traditions in favor of appearance at all costs.

[sleep]

azza, it's just kids having some fun in thier own way.. the western equivalent of you would be a fundamentalist christian saying how punks and goths and gangstaz and whatever are throwing away centuries of western culture.. japan for the most part is probably still that old rural whatever..

[Azza]

let me explain myself better :)

I mean, I like nonconformism. It's good in my point of view to follow what someone likes and cares, you can have whatever style fit you the most.
the problem is, when there's nothing more than the surface. when someone lives only to be cool, to have fun, to have party...

In some ways, I call it "the Gwen Stefani" style when someone doesn't care for his future and lives only in the present, caring only of the appearance of things.
I have met people like this and I find it really sad.

role playing is fun, taking life as a role play can be devasting for your future.

P.S.
it's hard to compare two so different cultures such as european and japanese are and with all the social pressure young japaneses had in the last thirty years, I somewhat can understand this need of transgression

[Blue]

I just want to make sure you take one major thing into account... Since the last world war, japan's entire government structure changed, they were on the verge of a complete depression, and were falling apart at the seams. To counter this, and to become the amazing economic monster they are, meant they needed to absorb European culture (aside from just democracy) and part of that was major capatalistic competition. You can't achieve much with culture walls, and to put emphasis on western culture in this way, promotes spending, and you know, the economy grows faster when the money is circulating more and not sitting in a vault.

Its all relative, and a matter of perspective (not to mention, kids want to be "cool" and "rebelious" and are typically looking for new ways to do that). The only thing for sure is, there is a lot more to take into consideration then you have so far.

[Rudeone]

You should get this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0714845108/sr=8-1/qid=1154860933/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-7141108-8763900?ie=UTF8) book, it's full of pics of these kids in the Harajuku district.

[Azza]

Blue,
if we have to take in consideration the change in structure in japan, you have to go a little more back than wwii: we should talk about Meiji age (approx 1850 to early 1900) and not world war two. It's under Meiji emperor that the country changed from a basically feudal and rural society to a still "feudal in its way" but industrialized country. and all in just a little more than fifty years.

but as you stated, there's still a lot more to take into consideration. Japanese history and modern society is an argument so vast it is hardly possible to explain on a board :)

Regarding my first post, I must admit at that time I had seen only the first video which made me think more to the current young japanese sub-culture than cosplay, sorry.

[Mr Man]

Well with everything there is always a certian deep history behind it. I can understand what you mean by living in a dream and living in a dream all your life isnt good for you but I suppose this is how humans work. I think most humans these days live in some fantasy even if its subtle. It can be from watching movies, reading books to dressing up hehe and even drawing. I draw to get myself away from the world, and deep inside my head I like to create my own little worlds for my own pleasure so to speak :S . sure its not good for us but I dont think you can stop humans from being creative its just the way we humans are. We yearn for something exciting to come along..otherwise the world would a very dull place.

I dont think these people dress up every day like that. I heard its just every sunday those people group up. With the youth population today they dont wish to be like every other drone on this earth doing the same daily routine. They need to have some form of scapegoat to feed their satisfaction.

At the end of the day its just some harmless fun.

[ah.heng]

well, would you rather they hang around in dark alleys and mob old ladies?

it is still considered a kind of creative outlet. it's fun and healthy, keeps the kids out of trouble, creates a new industry and some of these kids eventually turn into well respected professionals.

[BlackGuy]

Yeah I can't imagine any group of people that like to escape reality.....not at all.....

[Carnifex]

looks like helluva fun to me.

edit: guess it's like a weekly cosplay?

edit2: and i mean,hot japanese goths(etc.)? score! (http://www.flyingczechman.org/gallery/harajuku/00%20-%20Harajuku%20fashion%20(gas%20mask).jpg)

[ah.heng]

that last time i was there, around 5 or 6pm in the evening where most of them were packing up to leave. a group of them would go around collecting the trash left behind. they're just a bunch of good kids with an incredulous sense of fashion.

[corky13]

mmm..i really like some of those designs...godd inspiration. Thank you Mr Man :)
some of the hairstiles are awesome to :)

The only thing that bugs me a bit is that the "punk/goth/metal" outfit wearer probably dont know anything about such scenes. (tho i don`t know)

[Carnifex]

most probably not. i guess they're inspired by certain mangas,such as "god child".

[corky13]

Aye exactly what i was thinking. I wonder how they would end up if they make a holidaytrip to europe and try to get together with some Punks , Metalheads nad/or Goths :D

[Carnifex]

i guess they wouldn't. neither would they know where to find them,neither would they dare to. i wouldn't walk into an american cowboy-bar or something like that either.

[corky13]

i was just trying to imgine some funny situations carni...you cant be against that ! :D

[Carnifex]

i know.
i try not to imagine the slaughter that would ensure ;)

[Mr Man]

Why are asians so hot!!! :O

[Blue]

score! (http://www.flyingczechman.org/gallery/harajuku/00%20-%20Harajuku%20fashion%20(gas%20mask).jpg)
Thats...so...fucking...hot. <3

[BlackGuy]

they'd get it

[wittle]

i spent a whole day wandering harajuku and couldn't find one decent school girl uniform... :sadcheerleader:

[Tack]

alot of them dress up as band members from various japanese metal bands (the pic of the 2 girls you posted are dressed as the male guitarist and drummer from the band dir en grey)