Harajuku: Takeshita Street Part II

The only major minus point of Takeshita Street has to deal with how crowded the street always is as well as with the constant jostling of elbows with fellow shoppers. To give a mental image, if one stands at the top of the street (especially on a weekend day), all he will be able to see is a sea of heads sandwiched between the brightly colored shops. Therefore, it may take a bit of mental preparation to plunge yourself in among this crowd, but once you're in, you're bound to enjoy yourself and lose track of time visiting all of the stores and observing the lively street fashion.

Harajuku: Takeshita Street PartⅠ

If one were to ask any teenager living outside of Japan today, "what do you think when you think 'Tokyo'", they are most likely to mention fashion amongst other subjects. Tokyo, as publicized in the media, is one of the fashion capitals of the world. As a US citizen studying abroad in Japan, I cannot agree more with this statement: teens and young adults here take fashion very seriously, and I mean it when I say they use fashion as a means to express themselves. People here rarely leave the house unless they're dressed from head to toe in the most fashionable manner, and they are definitely not afraid to wear funky outfits with bright colors or items sporting the most outrageous patterns and fabrics. Some even go as far as dressing as what most Westerners may consider "Halloween costumes" on a regular basis. Thus, one cannot help but to wonder, "in a fashion conscious society where trends are constantly changing, where do young people find crazy, cute, fashionable, yet affordable clothes?" The answer: Takeshita Street.

Scrunchy all over the place!!

Have you ever noticed how most young girls are wearing scrunchy on their hair or around their arm?

Well, here in Japan, we call them "shushu" and it is a very popular accessory beyond the young girls in Japan.
They come in lacey type to furry ones, and ones that has ribbons on it. It’s worn on their pony tail style hair or maybe a bun.
They also come in many different colors and they have wide variety of them so any style girls can wear them. The prices are also wide in range, and it could be as cheap as 105 yen to 2000 yen.
Since they are so popular today, some magazines come with brand name scrunchys (shushu). It’s like the prize in the cracker jack box, but instead they have Cat Kidson or Chloe or Tory's shushu inside.

If you are tired of your everyday hairstyle and want a little twist in it, I suggest you to buy one of this shushu sold in Japan. The trend of this winter is to wear a furry or pastel colored shushu on your hair with a loose pony tail. Enjoy!

UNIQLO [U-Need-CLOthes]

I need a nice shirt and I need a nice pair of pants, but the problem is I do not want to spend that much money on them! Then, there is only one place I should be heading to UNIQLO.

Eyelashes

“Fashion” is a big part of girl’s lives. “Fashion” isn’t just about how you dress or what you have. Japanese girls also spend a lot of time, effort, and money on “Beauty” to do anything to look stunning. Most girls make sure they look their best on their daily basis when they step out of their house: perfect hair, make-up, nails is definitely on their checklist.

Lately, to boost women’s beauty, getting eyelashes done at a salon specializing in eyelashes is becoming quite popular. To be specific, there are two types to getting eyelashes “done.”

First, it is the act of permanently curling your own eye lashes called eyelash perm. Though it costs about 5,000 yen for both eyes, since it saves morning makeover time for girls, eyelash perm is considered valuable. The actual process of eye lash perm is very simple, and only takes up to an hour. The aesthetician wraps your eye lashes around a thin roller while you lie down and close your eyes. They then place gauze on the under-eye area as they apply perming solution to your lashes for protective measure. They are curled for about 2 months since they get replaced naturally over time. Thus, perm will need to be re-done if you want to maintain the curly lashes.

Fast Fashion

Be Cheap! –the latest fashion trend in Japan-

So, the country of Japan has been suffering from an economic slump over the past few months and it is making it harder for people to open up their wallets and pay their money for something. Especially for girls in Japan who want to remain fashionable, not being able to spend so much money on cute clothes is a pain!! That is why for such girls, several brands have stood up to save the girls in Japan from having to give up the joy of shopping and being fashionable. This is what started the trend of “Fast Fashion” in Japan!

Gotochi Kitty! – Hello Kitty All Over Japan!-

I bet most of you readers know the character, Hello Kitty. It is a cat mascot by Sanrio that has been loved by many people all over the world!!

Today, I will recommend you "Gotochi Kitty". Gotochi in Japanese means "Local" and Gotochi Kitty is Hello Kitty dressed up in traditional or symbolic styles that represent many areas of Japan. Usually there are about five or six different varieties of Gotochi Kitty for each prefecture of Japan. Most Gotochi Kittys are attached to pens or straps for mobile phones Here, I will introduce to you some of the Gotochi Kittys that you can purchase when you make your visit to several prefectures of Japan.

Here are some examples of what you can find…

Hokkaido Kitty – Lavender Kittys, ikura (cod roe) Kittys, soup curry Kittys, marimo (spherical moss) Kittys etc. (In just Hokkaido, there are approximately 20 different types of Gotochi Kittys.)

Kanto Gotchi Kitty – Tokyo Dome Kitty, Tsukiji Kitty, Tokyo Tower Kitty, Asakusa Kitty, Monja Kitty, Hato Bus Kitty, etc. (Tokyo). Yokohama Kitty, Chinatown Kitty, Yokosuka Kitty, shumai Kitty, etc. (Kanagawa).

Kansai Gotochi Kitty – Umeboshi (pickled plum) Kitty, Orange Kitty, etc. (Wakayama). Maiko Kitty, Yatsuhashi Kitty, Kiyomizu Shrine Kitty (Kyoto). Takoyaki Kitty, Dotonbori Kitty, Osaka Castle Kitty, Tsutenkaku Kitty, etc. (Osaka).

Okinawa Kitty – Hub (snake) Kitty, Kokusai Street Kitty, Eisa (Okinawa traditional dance) Kitty, Goya Kitty etc.

Hello Kitty would be either wearing a traditional outfit, or she would be wearing unique headdresses, like you see in the picture. Since all of them are so cute, it is extremely difficult to choose your favorite and which one to take home as a souvenir!

What's also interesting about these Gotochi Kitty is that once you start buying one, you can never leave a different place without going to a souvenir shop and purchasing the Gotochi Kitty of that area. It becomes a habit!! Making a collection of Gotochi Kitties will sure motivate you into travelling to many other areas in Japan and it will also allow you to remember all of the trips that you have made.

Cell Phone Decorating Fever

When you walk out in the city, and notice people’s belongings, you may notice a “bling” that you may not notice so much outside of Japan. Japanese people like to decorate and tie cell phone straps to personalize their cell phones.


In Japan, people call it “Deco Den” which is short for “Decoration Denwa,” or Decoration Phone in English. “Deco Den” is specifically the term used for decorating and personalizing the cell phone itself, mostly popular among girls. Many people like to put rhinestones, glittery things, stickers, and any other possible items that can be glued onto the surface of their phones to make it their own. There are shops around the city like stands, nail salons, and department stores where people can pay to get it nicely done. They are expensive though, usually ranging from 5000 yen to 15,000 yen, which is an expensive purchase for many young. Thus, some people prefer to decorate it on their own by buying materials at shops to decorate it themselves. The most popular shop that people buy their materials is “The Loft.”


Besides “Deco Den,” people like to put cell phone straps. People tie from about 1 to 5 straps, also to personalize their cell phones. It varies among preference, but some like to put glittery things, stuffed animal key chains, and little souvenirs from places they’ve visited. Some people have a meaning behind the straps, but others just like to have it because they’re cute or look cool.

Stopping by at a cell phone decorating shop may be a fun visit as you can peek at numerous designs and steal ideas for your own cell phone.

Street fashion in Tokyo

The fastest way to find out the characteristic of the town or area you are at in Tokyo is to look at the fashion of the people walking around. Today I'd like to discuss about the style in different areas of Tokyo.

Harajuku
The term Harajuku has been popularized by a pop queen in America while the image of these girls has grown too. The fashion of Harajuku girls is a bit different today, but their fashion is centered on being "kawaii" (cute). Pink, yellow, light green, and lollipop colors are used in many clothes, and their hair is almost always dyed.
Check it out

Shibuya
Girls in Shibuya are known for their tans and the colorful clothes often seen in clubs. They wear more make-up than girls in other areas and "having an attitude" is one of their things too. They dress up like girls from clubs and from R&B music videos.
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Omotesando
Omotesando is known for its expensive brands and stores; and many celebrities are usually seen shopping here. It is known to be like the Rodeo Drive of Tokyo. Here, many girls dress up like Hollywood celebrities and wear famous international brands.
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Daikanyama
Girls seen in this area dresses up in casual yet fashionable style. The style is more European and the colors used in the clothing are not so bright. They use more monotone colors.
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Ginza
Not many 'girls' are seen in this area. It is more known for the rich 'ladies & gentlemen' of Japan. They wear famous international brands like the girls in Omotesando, but the average age of women shopping here is older, most women are closer to their 30s and 40s.
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Shimo Kitazawa
Shimo-Kitazawa is known for punk and rock bands. Therefore, many people dress up with a bit of rock taste; and many people have highlighted hairs or dyed hair. The amount of the make-up put on is usually some to none. The whole concept of the style is very similar to Harajuku girls yet they have less make-up and have an essence of punk mixed into their style.
Check it out