Street Fashion Trends

Its pretty much a given that the Japanese are funky fashion trendsetters. They’re not afraid to show their individual styles despite its mostly non-conformist trends which can be downright strange at times. This however, is really just seen in the big cities, such as Tokyo’s streets, and nearly always involves teenagers or the young at least.

Japanese children, on the other hand, are always dressed impeccably, in neat little outfits, clean shoes and smart haircuts. And beyond the teen years, the twentysomething set and above win the well-dressed battle hands down compared with their American (or English) counterparts. In Japan you’ll prety much never see a grungy looking kid with the less-than-respectable and unkempt look of say, Britney Spears (thank goodness!).

Heres some of the favourites:

* Traditional looks mixed with new
* Hats of all kinds , also with words on them
* Knee-high platform boots
* Mini cell phone accessories
* Luxe designer labels like Vuitton, Burberry and Gucci
* Umbrellas and plastic raincoats of all colours and sizes
* Pigtails and plaits
* Small bells on the person as jewelry
* Bobby pins of all kinds on coats and jackets
* T-Shirts with English sentences which dont make any sense
* Purple or blue hair (especially on Seniors)
* Nail polish colors are black, pink and orange.
* Long socks of different hues, textures and prints or baggy white socks
* Hello Kitty
* Hair extensions
* Lollipops as accessories
* Other “cute” or “dark” accessories from films like Nightmare before Christmas for instance.

[tags]Japanese fashion, street fashion, Tokyo fashion, Japanese trends[/tags]

Posted January 8th, 2007 by geisha | Comments Off

The Gunguro Girl Look

Moving on from kiddie fashion, I thought it would be timely to talk about “Gunguro”, one of the trendy looks of Japan’s teens sullenly roaming the streets of Tokyo. Definitely not a look conservative parents would give their blessings to, the Gunguro involves a deep “maui” tan, mile-long false eyelashes and lots, and lots of make-up. Think layers of very pale lipstick - white or lavender, bright blue eyeshadow accented with stick-on lame beads, and as much mascara as a tube will supply. Top it off with long silvery grey strands of hair, extensions mandatory.

Despite the surf-chick skin-tone and perhaps even lip tone (reminiscent of sunblock), this look is as far away from the sunny laid-back island girl, and more of a tough, “don’t mess with me dude” urban message, whose origins are believed to have stemmed from the street-smart, tough-talking female rapper of the late 80’s-90’s, coupled with 70’s California surfer chick.

Interested in recreating the unique look? Try these tips I found online if you dare:

* Pale lipstick is an absolute must.
* Lots of orange, also bright green, bright yellow, bright pink… bright anything!
* Light brown or beige, leather or suede knee-high platform boots.
* Tans are very popular, especially really dark tans. Tanning saloons are blossoming all over Tokyo thanks to Gunguro chickies.
* Pale blue or white eye shadow to emphasize their ultra tans are also absolutely essential.
* Hair has to be bleached blonde (alternatively bleached pale blue or bleached orange) and has to be worn in big wavy curls.
* Hawaiian-theme jewelry as well Hawaiian-theme shirts or backpacks are a bonus.
* Mascara is BIG. Lots of it. Lots. And more. More! More. Fake eyelashes. More mascara!
* Fake hair extensions. Silver, electric blue, electric pink.
* Stripper shoes with knee high socks.
* Plucked eyebrows
* Stick-on glittery eyeliner-stickers are huge too so are stick-on stars and sparkly flowers.
* Fake flowers in hair. Bright fake flowers in bright yellow hair.

Most importantly though: If you want to be a true Gunguro girl you have to have Gunguro girlfriends. Gunguro girls travel in packs. Recently, Gunguro males have been spotted as well and these have to be accompanied by Gunguro girls.

[tags]Japanese teens, fashion, Gunguro[/tags]

Posted January 6th, 2007 by geisha | Comments Off

Miki House: The Cutest Kids Clothing

With the Japanese love for fashion and all things cute, its not surprising that Japanese children and babies are among some of the best dressed kids in the world. Enter Miki House, the upscale Japanese kids clothing brand, which is definitely my favourite.

If you haven’t heard of the brand before, here’s how the innovative family company describe themselves:

Miki House’s founding principle is one of love for children. Ever since our founding as a producer of baby apparel, we have placed the needs of children first in everything that we do. Our vision and mission is and always will be to bring smiles to the lives of children and their families. From clothing to publishing to child-rearing support to sports sponsorship, we look forward to continually expanding our repertoire by exploring new and exciting fields.

Miki House’s clothing and accessories for babies and kids are fun, colourful and functional. Unlike some of the large Italian designer brands which tend to make your kids look like mini-catwalk degenerates, Miki House keeps true to the essence of childhood in designs in colours that appeal to the kids, and not just the fashionista parents. Another great thing about the clothing is not just its adorable designs, but its good quality.My daughter has a Miki House t-shirt which was passed down by a cousin, and despite its age (10 years old! seriously), it actually looks “nearly new”.

Aside from their children and baby lines ( which include shoes and home accessories), the company has also expanded its interests to publications (on child-rearing and other family issues) and sports sponsorship.

Heres what Miki House’s founder says:

” Since I founded the company with my wife, Yoshiko, over 30 years ago in Japan, our goal has always been to support children reaching for their dreams with a sparkle in their eyes. We have also been truly passionate about the quality of our products and the best possible service. Fortunately, our brand, MIKI HOUSE, has earned a great reputation for its quality and the dedication to the welfare of children.

In Japanese, MIKI can be literally translated as “gathering of the people” or “three stands.” We wish that our creative products would get the attention of children and the children could be active enough to live out their dream. By offering our vision of big dreams and sophisticated lifestyles, we hope to eventually become a company cherished by children and their families all over the world!”

Koichi Kimura
Founder of MIKI HOUSE

[tags]Japanese brands, kids clothings, Miki House[/tags]

Posted January 4th, 2007 by geisha | Comments Off

Ishi-Yaki: Hot Stone Cooking

When I was a child, one of the highlights of our trips to Japan was eating in a hot stone cooking restaurant. I remember that there was a very large, smooth stone, searingly hot. The waitress would bring in some fresh sirloin and we would cook it ourselves on the stone. It smelt wonderful and tasted even better.

Although all I really remember was the beef, after a bit of research I found out that “Ishi-Yaki”, or Japanese hot stone cooking is actually an ancient cooking method and is traditionally done with seafood,rather than meat, as you can read below:

What’s Cooking America: Glossary

“When fishermen go to catch a fish or shellfish by diving into sea, it was a custom to provide a stove in the boat. At noon, they boiled fish and shellfish in a wooden bucket heated with hot stones from the stove.

On shore, where wooden buckets or pans were not provided, they cooked in a hollow of a rock. This cooking is also called ‘ishi-yaki,’ baked with hot stones. The original ishi-yaki was said to be the cooking of freshwater fish at the bank of a mountain river. In Akita, this cooking was thought to be very ancient. Instead of using hot stones, a big rock with a hollow was also used. At first, a fire was build in the hollow, then food was cooked in the hot hollow.”

Interestingly enough, another way the hot stone cooking is used in Akita was by simply throwing in a few blisteringly hot stones into a pail of soup, filled with raw vegetables and seafood. The heat of the stones would cause the soup to boil instantaneously, thereby cooking the dish. This interesting local specialty can easily be found in various restaurants in the Akita area.

[tags]Japanese food, ancient cooking methods, hot stone cooking, ishi-yaki[/tags]

Posted January 2nd, 2007 by geisha | Comments Off