Fashion
Harajuku - A Fashion Epicentre For All When trying to figure out what to write for my first ever piece in print, my mind went to a couple of different places. How we as a society should come together to ban flip flops from being worn anywhere but a beach? Being the flighty Libra that I am, I eventually settled on a place that holds a special place in my heart: Harajuku. Where do I even begin? Harajuku is a fashion wonderland, and whether you love or hate the trends that have emerged from the area, experiencing Harajuku fashion is like being in another dimension. Well, to be honest, that’s just Japan as a whole. Travelling in Japan is incomparable to being anywhere else in the world - and I swear that on Gaga’s Chromatica. Everything is just better. No rotten people pushing on the bus. Each train station has their own unique theme song that plays when you get on and off - get on YouTube and have a listen!. There are ‘smart toilets’ that play music so no one else can hear you doing your business (and a built-in bidet, how chic!). One of my favourite places in the world without a doubt is Harajuku. The vibes? Immaculate. The coffee? Amazing. Oh, and the fashion (which is 100% why you’re reading this, duh, fashion section)? EVERYTHING. Harajuku is an area located in the Shibuya district, and although its is not that big, has made its mark on the world! Tokyo is a fashionable place by any standards, but Harajuku is the place. Over 37 million people live in Tokyo alone, so style differs, but streetwear is immensely popular, as well as business casual. Harajuku is more high-fashion/contemporary, ala McQueen! Still in a city as big as Tokyo, who knows what you’ll find! Harajuku is interesting as it actually began as a small town where, after the war, U.S military servicemen went to shop and to use what services were available back then! Harajuku JR (JR is short for ‘Japanese Rail’ - there are SO many train companies, hence the very confusing maps!) station was built shortly after and the district eventually began gaining more and more popularity when it became pedestrianised. Harajuku and the surrounding areas became the hot spot for artists, fashion kids and performers to hang out (Funny story, I actually sang Cindy Lauper’s ‘Girls just wanna have fun’ with a man doing karaoke at the entrance to Yogi Park opposite Harajuku on my last trip -- it was the greatest collaboration since Gaga and Beyonce). Now, here’s the real tea of how it became known for wild fashion trends. In the 1980s, Tokyo’s street performers and fashion elite had to find a new hangout spot when Ototesando, located right beside Harajuku, was closed due to traffic. Harajuku was deemed the new ‘it’ spot for this group. The huge Hokoten (meaning ‘Walker’s Paradise’, due to the closure of streets specifically for pedestrians to mingle) scene in the 90s further boosted Harajuku as the new spot. Shoichi Aoki, a renowned photographer, started to photograph the wild, crazy and high fashion looks he would see being worn around Harajuku for his magazine FRUiTs. This magazine became an instant hit for showcasing the region’s amazing outfits. While the opening of traffic to Harajuku may have eliminated the idea of Hokoten there, the fashion culture of Harajuku is still present and alive. Since traffic opened up the area, there was less space for people to mingle and generally just chill, without having to spend a fortune on a cafe or shopping. Hokoten is still done in other areas of Tokyo such as Ginza and Shibuya. The fashion there is beyond anything else I’ve seen. The account @tokyofashion on Instagram is dedicated to Japanese street fashion, shot primarily around Harajuku and highlights the style walking the streets. They photograph anyone with good style, ranging from high school students all the way to influencers and full-time workers.
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