CONTRIBUTED BY JANNINE MYERS
The shortest of shorts, knee-high socks, and stiletto shoes! Or as one of Pamela’s previous To See posts shows, skinny jeans with a black studded belt and Elmo keyring hanging from the back pocket. You know where I’m going with this don’t you? Japanese fashion of course, and the strange and crazy styles you’re so unaccustomed to seeing, at least not until you’ve lived in Japan for a while. Then it just becomes ordinary, or unnoticeable, and you no longer grab your friend or spouse’s arm and quickly steer their attention toward what you inevitably deem as either a fashion monstrosity or a fashion statement, or maybe even a fashion sensation. If that is you who I have just described, and you're enjoying your acquired immunity to the bizarre fashion styles around you, then I’m about to tip the scales and send your fashion radar off the charts once again.
Enter the Harajuku girls! Okay, so some of you already have the scoop on these girls and know exactly who they are, where they meet, and why they dress the way they do. But for those of you who don’t I look forward to sharing their story with you and hope that you’ll find them as intriguing as I do.
Not so long ago, while looking at photos with a friend who had just returned from a trip to Tokyo, I was drawn to some pictures of various groups of girls dressed in clothing styles that ranged from cute,
![4556_103512750954_750800954_2723187_6560947_n[1]](/images/old/6a00e54ee8a8ff883301157104c5c0970c-800wi.jpg)
to punk-rockish,
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to downright scary (ever seen The Grudge - girl on the right?),
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to um, not quite sure.
![4556_103512810954_750800954_2723199_5066728_n[1]](/images/old/6a00e54ee8a8ff8833011571f99f7a970b-800wi.jpg)
These are your Harajuku girls, not Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku girls, but Harajuku girls nonetheless.
Harajuku is an area around Harajuku Station, in the Shibuku ward of Tokyo. Its history originates back to the end of World War II, when many American soldiers and their families moved into the area. Young people, interested in the pervading new culture, began to flock there and soon after, when blocks of central apartments were constructed, a wave of fashion designers, photographers, and models also moved into the area.
Several years later, after the summer Olympics in 1964, Harajuku was developed even further and scores of young people referred to as the Harajuku-zoku, or the Harajuku Tribe, began to frequent the area. They dressed themselves in unique clothing styles, often replicating members of their favorite rock band, or favorite movie or manga character. Thus a new and distinct culture began to form in Harajuku which resulted in its formation as a gathering ground where young people are able to freely express themselves through fashion. One such form of expression occurs every Sunday at Harajuku Station, where groups of young girls (known as the Harajuku Girls), gather in their favorite clothing styles and proudly flaunt their attire.
There is so much more I could tell you about these fashionistas but my main goal was to introduce them to you and let those of you who find them interesting delve a little further with your own research. You might like to start by checking out some of the costume styles represented, for example, cosplay, lolita, and visual kei. As for the rest of you, feel free to return to your fashion-immune state and be glad that the "odd" fashion styles you've gotten used to in Okinawa aren't half as odd as those in Tokyo!
Photos compliments of Olivia Lunsway
But if you loved them and have never...
We went to Tokyo in May and made sure we went to Harajuku!! Even my 2 and 4 year old sons appreciated the “diversity”, LOL! As a plus, you can also visit the Meiji Jingu shrine from the same subway stop…another must see in Tokyo.
I raised a Harajuka girl! She was ecstatic to learn we were moving to Japan, and crushed when to learn there was no cosplay here.
You may have seen my daughter walking around Foster with her moon boots, neon fish nets and black cape. Some people look at her and automatically think “freak”. But if any of you really want to get to know a very sweet, creative, talented, intelligent girl and learn more about cosplay come on over to my house!
For those Parents out there who are “battling” with your kids over this particular style, be reassured, your child is not weird, or sick, or suicidal. Peer (and parent) pressure to “blend in” is overwhelmingly hard. It takes a strong personality to buck the fashion system. You should be rejoicing that you raised a kid with enough self confidence to dress how they want, because our kids possess more self assurance than the dozens of clones who want to be unique but are too afraid to try.
PS – I’m not attacking kids who do not dress this way, or parents, or parenting styles, or any thing closely related.
<– see my smile? I’m a really nice person who loves ALL kids be they in the “norm” or outside the norm. And while I embrace the fashion choices of my daughter and her friends (yes, this is huge back in the states with teens) – my hard ‘corps’ Marine is not. You can all imagine what his reaction was the first time she donned an outfit and left the house! It’s taken him years to come to terms with her style, and he’s still not comfortable with it. He has accepted that she is unique, but still asks that she dress “normal” when he takes her out. She loves and respects him enough to keep a supply of jeans and t-shrits on hand.
So interesting and informative, Jannine. Only in Japan would you see a combo of bizarre and *cute* (thinking about stuffed animals around the neck/innocent painted eyes)…I was always curious if the prefecture ever tried to “distinguish” the Harajuku following…Now its so popular- but wonder how it was recieved when it first started..
LOL Dasha! Heather is wonderful and I don’t think she is a freak at all.
I personally love the fashion here because it means I can wear whatever I want. I recently received a pair of hot pink sandals in the mail (they didn’t look like that when I ordered them) rather than send them back I am just going to buy clothes to match them. I can rock some serious retro 80′s clothes and get away with it here – does it get better??
From what I understand Staci, it was embraced without too much opposition because it eventuated at a time when young people were looking for hope, and the kind of change that permitted people to be who and whatever they wanted to be. I could be wrong though…..
By the way Dasha, I LOVE your Harajuku girl, Heather is one of the nicest and most considerate teenagers I’ve ever met. My own teenager is often frowned upon just because she is a teenager, but I can imagine how Heather and other teenagers like her might be judged even more harshly because they look “different.” I hope that I will remember this post discussion the next time I am tempted to make a judgement about someone, especially when that judgement is based purely on appearance.Thanks for sharing…..
I have never met you Heather but the next time I see someone wearing retro style clothing with bright pink sandals, I’ll assume it’s you
Heather, I DIG hot pink sandals! (So does Peg Bundy!)
You can totally make an outfit glow in the dark – start with basic black top and bottoms, then deck it out with all hot pink accessories! (Peg would wear skin tight black crops and tiny tee, then add a hot pink feather boa and rock star rhinestone glasses!) 
I see you more in nice slacks and a silk knit tank with a thinish hot pink bangle bracelet. 
Do you mean Harajuku station as in the JR train station, right? I lived on mainland for 4 years and I never got to Harajuku…but I want to go! We are planning a “hop” up to mainland and we are going this time! Tokyo is much more diversified in fashion then here, where everything seems more laid back. I could never get over the heels the women wore while commuting for hours on the trains!! I always felt underdressed while out in town there…I’m more laid back and I fit in much better in Oki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyK66UHcrY4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5WeHV90ivY
BBC did a short series called Japanorama a couple of years ago, and you can catch clips on YouTube. They had a segement on Harajuku, but at the moment I’m having trouble finding it. For now, what I found is in the same vein, just a little different. But still one of those only in Japan things.
Wicked post, Jannine. And your post just went global. I was talking to a lady today at a fete here in London and my Mum told her I lived in Japan and she mentioned something about this crazy dress scene in Japan. Turns out she was referring to this Harajuku. So, I gave her the Oki hai link! First time I heard about about it too, cheers!
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I will check out that you tube link too, I am now intrigued
PS: Dasha, Heather is Lovely with a capitol fishnetted L!
Heather, you’re correct, it is the JR train station.
Thanks for the Youtube link Jennifer
Hi Pam, thought you might find this interesting, you should definitely go photograph them if you’re ever up in Tokyo. Apparently some of the girls are quite happy to be photographed while others are camera-shy and tend to look away if you try to get photos of them.