Harajuku
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Harajuku (原宿 "meadow lodging") 
listen (help·info) is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan. Harajuku is known for the patrons that visit the area every Sunday. Every Sunday, many young people dress in a variety of styles that include gothic lolita, visual kei, and cosplay, among others and spend the day in Harajuku socializing. The fashion styles of these young people frequently vary and are rarely conformist to one particular style and are usually a mesh of many. Most young people gather on Jingu Bridge, which is a pedestrian bridge that connects Harajuku to the neighboring Meiji Shrine Area. [1] However, Harajuku is not just known for its Sunday visitors. It is also a well-respected fashion capital of the world renowned for its unique street fashion.[2] Harajuku street style is promoted in Japanese and international publications such as Kera, Tune, Gothic & Lolita Bible and Fruits. Many prominent designers and fashion ideals have sprung from Harajuku and incorporated themselves in to other fashions throughout the world. Harajuku is also a vast shopping district that includes luxury western designers like Louis Vuitton, Harajuku native designers, and affordable shops catered to youths.
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[edit] Location
Harajuku is an area between Shinjuku and Shibuya. Local landmarks include the headquarters of NHK, Meiji Shrine, and Yoyogi Park.
The area has two main shopping streets, Omotesandō and Takeshita Street (Takeshita-dōri). The latter caters to youth fashions and has many small stores selling Gothic Lolita, visual kei, rockabilly, hip-hop, and punk outfits,[3] in addition to fast food outlets and so forth.
In recent years Omotesandō has seen a rise in branches of expensive fashion stores such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Prada. The avenue is sometimes referred to as "Tokyo's Champs-Élysées".[4] Until 2004, one side of the avenue was occupied by the Dōjunkai Aoyama apāto, Bauhaus-inspired apartments built in 1927 after the 1923 Kantō earthquake. In 2006 the buildings were controversially destroyed by Mori Building and replaced with the "Omotesando Hills"[5] shopping mall, designed by Tadao Ando.[6] The area known as "Ura-Hara" (back streets of Harajuku) is a center of Japanese fashion for younger people — brands such as A Bathing Ape and Undercover have shops in the area.[7]
[edit] History
The beginnings of Harajuku began when World War II ended. During that time U.S. soldiers and their families began to occupy the area known as Harajuku. Harajuku became an area where curious young people flocked to experience a different culture. Soon after in 1958, Central Apartments were built in the Harajuku area and were quickly occupied by fashion designers, models, and photographers.[8] In 1964, when the Summer Olympics came to Tokyo the Harajuku area was further developed and the idea of “Harajuku” slowly began to take a more concrete shape. After the Olympics the young people who hung out in the Harajuku area, frequently referred to as the Harajuku-zoku[8]or the Harajuku tribe, began to develop a distinct culture and style unique to their different groups and the area. From this distinct style grew the notion of Harajuku as a gathering ground for youths and as a fashion mecca.
[edit] Styles
The term "Harajuku Girls" has been used by English-language media to describe teenagers dressed in any fashion style who are in the area of Harajuku.[9] This fashion infuses multiple looks and styles to create a unique form of dress. One of these styles, Kawaii, came to fame in the 1990’s. Kawaii became a popular phrase that meant something was cute or pretty. Kawaii was a form of resistance in that the style and culture associated with it were not seen as attractive by an older generation. [8] This idea of Kawaii was a distinct youth culture separate from the traditional one in existence.
The cyber-punk look takes its influence from gothic fashion and incorporates neon and metallic colors. [8] However, it’s not as popular as it was in the 1990’s.
Gothic-Loli style was created in Osaka. It is a play on Victorian era princess fashions and ripped gauzed gothic fashion. [8] By wearing and promoting these styles performers allowed the fashions to flourish because fans were eager to replicate their idols.
Punk style in Harajuku is more of a fashion than a statement. [1] Its fashion mainly consists of dark colors, plaid, chains, and zippers. Punk style is also one of the more gender-neutral fashions in Harajuku. [1]
Cosplay is more of a costume-based style. A cosplay enthusiast will usually dress as a fictional or iconic character from a band, movie, or manga. [1]
Ura-Hara is another section of Harajuku, which caters to a mostly male population interested in a hip-hop, graffiti, and skater fashion and culture. [8] Ura-Hara is seen as the opposite of Harajuku in that it’s more hidden and reserved. [8]
[edit] See also
- Amerikamura in Osaka
- Dōtonbori in Osaka
- Harajuku Girls (a dance entourage associated with Gwen Stefani)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d [ http://www.scribd.com/doc/38260/Harajuku-Rebels-on-the-Bridge Rebels on a Bridge: Subversion, Style, and a New Subculture. 2008]
- ^ (2005-10-21), "Shop-till-you-drop hints in fashionable districts of Harajuku and Omotesando". The Japan Times, [1]; Otake, Tomoko (1998-06-02), "High-fashion bikes hit the streets of Harajuku". The Japan Times, [2]; Godoy, Tiffany (2007-12), Style Deficit Disorder: Harajuku Street Fashion; Lomrantz, Tracey (2005-11-28), "Hipsters of the World, Unite! Rebellion via consumption comes to Tokyo". men.style.com, [3]; (2007-09-10), "Geekipedia: Tokyo". Wired, [4]; Ashcraft, Brian (2007-10-23), "Japanese Schoolgirl Watch: Take-What-You-Want Sample Salons". Wired, [5]; Altman, Daniel (2005-10-09), "Sneakers in Tokyo". The New York Times, [6]; Considine, Austin (2004-12-19), "A Scene-Hopper's Atlas". The New York Times, [7]; O’Flaherty, Mark (2005-01-09), "Fashion: Tokyo teen spirit". The London Times, [8].
- ^ "Face to face with Harajuku". Metropolis. December 1999. http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyofeaturestoriesarchive299/252/tokyofeaturestoriesinc.htm. Retrieved on 2007-07-16.
- ^ "Attention Avid Shoppers: A High-End Complex Opens Its Doors". The New York Times. February 15, 2005. http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/02/15/travel/15tokyo.html?8dpc. Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
- ^ "Omotesando Hills Project Page". Mori Building. January 19, 2006. http://www.mori.co.jp/projects/omotesando/en_index.html. Retrieved on 2007-07-16.
- ^ "The view from the Hills: Minoru Mori defends the Omotesando Hills development and reveals big plans for Tokyo". Metropolis. February 3, 2006. http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/619/feature.asp. Retrieved on 2007-07-16.
- ^ "Behind the Scene". Metropolis. January 19, 2006. http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyofeaturestoriesarchive349/321/tokyofeaturestoriesinc.htm. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g Tiffany Godoy, Style Deficit Disorder: Harajuku Street Fashions (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2007; ISBN 978-0811857963).
- ^ Knight, Magda Harajuku Girls - The Heart of Modern Japanese Fashion Retrieved September 10, 2007
[edit] Further reading
- Suzuki, Chako Pretty Babies: Japan's Undying Gothic Lolita Phenomenon fashionlines.com
- Perry, Christian Harajuku: Rebels on the Bridge scribd.com
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Harajuku |
- / Photos Harajuku
- www.harajukustyle.net Harajuku Photos and Fashion Information.
- Video Tour of Harajuku
- Tokyo/Harajuku travel guide from Wikitravel
- Harajuku Photos and Guide
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