Counter-ESPY is sending me back to Tokyo3 for a bit. Mission objectives: moderate a panel at Tokyo Anime Fair, sneak into ACE, film numerous bits for OTAKU-VERSE ZERO and the Live Show, reconnect to the overtones, and try to seek the fulfillment of my mortal dreams in space. Ping me if anything is going on as per usual.
So what else is going on? The great work now is now Crunchyroll News. We are literally doing millions of views a month now, so most of my ass-kicking energy is going there now. Trying to finish up my long-overdue second book for Ohta Shuppan. Writing some short fiction for the Valkilly website. Exploring expressions in new media on tumblr and facebook (I sort of fell out of love with Twitter a while back, sorry) and scanning the horizons for signs of human emotion. Will continue to post here if you still want to hang out.
For all the recent sob stories about the lack of sex and relationships in Japan, it’s good to know that the Land of the Rising Sun takes Valentine’s Day deathly serious. I mean, who wouldn’t want to melt into someone’s arms after being given one of the spectacular and very romantic gifts below?
All were found on the rather incredible Chocolate Stadium website, and incredibly enough, nearly all are now sold out!
10. The Chocolate Bat
Japanese people love to play ball, and finally, here is concrete proof that would hold up in court. Forget about “first base”, “second base”, etc. Anyone who brings tasteless “baseball” metaphors to the game of love will be beaten to death with this baseball bat full of chocolaty treats.
9. Tanoshingo Love Injection Bath
Who wouldn’t want to make milky pink bath water with a guy in a T-shirt with a banana, a peach, and some cherries on it? "Let's inject the power of love!” demands the product description and it is useless to resist. In fact, I'm writing these very words from inside a bathtub right now!
8. Maid Medicine Compress Chocolate
Disguising chocolate as first aid materials may not seem very sanitary, but hey, there’s a maid on the package and apparently, "It'll cure what ails you. Let's give chocolate with moe ingredients that will soak up all the pain in your heart." Just don’t put it on a deep puncture wound or you will probably bleed out and die.
7. Big Cup Nipple Chocolate
The glass container here is familiar to millions of Japanese winos as a parody of the Ozeki One Cup sake bottle. The HILARIOUS twist is that it has been appropriated for these "nipple chocolates that are just a bit hentai”. The ad copy posits these as, "A parody chocolate that will have you slipping back into infancy” which is always exactly where you want to be on Valentine’s Day, right?
6. Overweight DE Measure Chocolate
“For those of you who are starting to get worried about the size of your belly, carefully check your girth with this measuring tape!" In other words, you’re fat and here’s some more chocolate to stuff in your piehole.
5. Ikemen Chocolate Ramen
"An order of instant ramen chocolate for handsome 'meat eater' guys! Upping your handsome manliness by 50%" Handsome or not, we hope some genius tries to boil them in hot water. Note: a version for wimpy 'vegitarian guys' also exists.
This one is kind of conceptual, but bear with us. The package explains helpfully, "This generation is not just about girls! A unique chocolate that displays the spirit and latent energy of mature ladies" Sure. Whatever. Just don’t expect to see them on the Letterman show anytime soon.
3. 'What Are You Looking At' Chocolate
If this isn’t the single weirdest Valentine's chocolate gift ever, it certainly is on the short list. Still, what are you looking at? Chocolate???
2. Chocolate Squid with Soft-Shelled Turtle Extract
Ok, I’m going to try and keep my lunch down while writing this: here’s a traditional Japanese snack of dried squid made even nastier by chocolate coating and a dollop of turtle extract (the latter is nature’s own Viagra, or so they say…). If this doesn't make you a sex machine, maybe the following will...
1. Chocolate Poo
And they said romance was dead! Give the Valentine's Day gift that keeps on giving with this heartwarming plastic turd filled with mouth-watering chocolates. The description calls it a "good luck charm", so yeah, good luck! You'll probably need it!
Sunday seems a day as good as any to talk about BABYMETAL, so consider this: Originally formed in 2010, this 3-girl idol unit was conceived (possibly by demons) as a mix of innocent schoolgirl J-pop and devil-horns ready heavy metal. Or at least, that's what I think what's going on. The introductory video below raises more questions that it answers.
I can’t prove this in a court of law, but I am willing to bet that their name, BABYMETAL (ベビーメタル) is a play on the Japanese pronunciation of “heavy metal” (ヘヴィメタル). Also, they look really young, almost baby-ish, if you will, so there’s that…
With gimmicks like these, and a slogan to the tune of "welcome to the mosh pit of Chaos", it’s no wonder that the group has been steadily rising through the idol gauntlet in Japan, complete with stints at the Tokyo Idol Festival and on the hallowed grounds of Shinjuku Loft where many a hard metal act has rocked before.
Now, it’s your turn to be enchanted, bewitched, and possibly even sell your soul to BABYMETAL! Gaze upon their promotional video for their song Doki Doki☆Morning below, complete with conjuring circles and thrash guitar skeletons and wonder, "where is Japan going to go from here?"
Every now and then, a new VOCALOID video comes around that is destined to be the stuff of legend. The full CGI animated “Bacterial Contamination” clip goes one better by being the stuff of nightmares, too.
Featuring music by mathru@KanimisoP and creepy visuals by artist denio, the result is disturbing, mesmerizing, and frightfully marvelous.
Abandon all hope who enter here: The infamous KFC Double Down finally made its debut in Japan on Feb/2!
Atsushi Tamura as nature intended (left) and as history should remember him (right)
Comedian and TV personality Atsushi Tamura (best known for being one half of the London Boots duo) risked his life by becoming spokesperson for the product. Invoking the spirit of Colonel Sanders via cosplay was par for the course, as Atsushi donned the white suit, string tie, goatee and glasses familiar to billions of "finger lickin’ good" fried chicken lovers across the globe...
The question of our age: KFC or Pizza Hut?
At the media event for the Double Down, Atsushi was made “marketing manager” of KFC for two days (a role he has been fulfilling on Twitter) and, as part of the deal, got a big certificate from an important-looking guy in a suit.
Up next was a Col. Sanders cosplay costume open to the public. Contestants got a free Double Down just for showing up and then battled it out for the grand prize, perhaps the grandest prize of of all time...free chicken for a year!
Comedy group nibunnogo (above) next showed up in homemade Col. Sanders costumes. Admitting "Celebrities don't have any money, so…" the group showed off their pithy homemade costumes crafted from raincoats, tape, and T-shirts...
A Colonel shows off his homemade cane...among other things.
Some genius even filmed the entire KFC press event and uploaed it to YouTube (above) for future generations to marvel at. See if you can endure all one hour and forty seven minutes of it before you rush into the streets in a fright wig and white tights screaming for a Double Down to make everything all right again.
KIRIA personally wrote and composed the 11 tracks found on Noir Diadem. Describing her music is…difficult. Her songs contain touches of electro, classical, and goth, but none of these genres are occupied for very long. The only real constant is KIRIA’s voice, which scales to dizzying heights and delivers lyrics partially in Japanese and partially in a made-up language all her own. The result is an otherworldly atmosphere that KIRIA describes as "aesthetic, decadent, and fantastic."
You can view a video for her latest song, "A Queen's Dinner," below...
Ye shall also know: KIRIA is an anime fan as well, and what she sees and watches directly inspires her music.
Below, you’ll find KIRIA's Top Five favorite anime. In parentheses you’ll see the name of the song from her album, Noir Diadem, that were influenced by each work.
The protagonist Gintoki Sakata is habitually a mess and jokes around a lot. However, when it's crunch time, he'll make a snap decision that will move you to tears. The samurai spirit hidden within him is not spoken, but revealed through action—so cool. The very model of a samurai!
Ghost in the Shell (♪Perestroika)
The story and the world is it set in are both masterpieces. A saga of soul searching with the near future as the setting. Trembling on the edge of the gap between cyborg machine bodies and human emotion, it makes me question my own ghost. It can't be summed up in a word, but not seeing it would be a mistake.
Hell Girl (♪Mugen Houyou)
In a melancholic atmosphere, full of human fighting, resentment, and curses, every type of karma is reflected. The world of humans is…sad, and uncanny, painful. This anime depicts human reality.
I have a thing for Killua! This anime depicts several different human relationships, at times in a fun way, at times seriously. I've loved it for years. Even if I don't say anything about it, many people know this famous anime!
Black Butler (♪Shoubi Sousou Kyoku)
Beautifully, splendidly, and aesthetically, we are beckoned into a decadent world. A boy's past…A hatred that won't die…And then, a contract with a demon… It magnificently depicts the path of a boy who has sealed a beautifully dangerous contract.
Ah, Valentine’s Day, when a young man’s fancy turns to finding a creepy inhuman female android to swear love and devotion to… Or at least, that’s the basic idea behind a new promotion now taking place at the Takashimaya department store in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.
I'd hit it...but only with a baseball that would dunk it into a water tank.
Behold, sitting in a see-through prison with the words, "Android falls in love? She is waiting for you" written on it, Geminoid F: a mechanical marvel created by assorted Osaka University robot boffins.
Modeled after an actual flesh and blood woman in her early 20s, Geminoid F is equipped with a purse, a cell phone, and Terminator-caliber data sensors that gives her the ability to react to people around her with smiles and/or disinterested yawns...just like real women do when you bang on their glass cages with candy and flowers!
Anyway, here's a video of Geminoid F doing what she does best and melting the hearts of all before her.
Japan-watchers have long known that the Land of the Rising Sun has been having a bit of trouble in the bedroom. But now, the Huffington Post and the BBC have prepared new reports that quote some downright shocking figures: a third of Japanese youth have no interest in sex and relationships.
Wow. That's A LOT of disinterest!
Even worse, the Huffington Post quotes a new survey conducted by the Japan Family Planning Association which found that “36% of males aged 16 to 19 said that they had 'no interest' in or even 'despised' sex. That's almost a 19% increase since the survey was last conducted in 2008.”
“If that's not bad enough, The Wall Street Journal reports that a whopping 59% of female respondents aged 16 to 19 said they were uninterested in or averse to sex, a near 12% increase since 2008.”
Japanese girls: "uninterested in or averse to sex". Um, okay...
Numbers like that spell disaster for the future of Japan and it's rapidly-aging population. The big question: Who is going to take care of all the old people if a new generation of young people aren’t around to support and mop up after them?
The answer is: no one! Associated Press claims that the entire population of Japan will have been reduced by one-third by the year 2060, by which point 40 percent of everyone you meet there will be old, elderly, ancient.
Well, at least we have color now. Image via Japan Probe.
Now, let's play the blame game. The Huffington Post and other sources point the finger at weak men, AKA soushoku danshi("herbivore men"), who supposedly lack the rugged manly attributes of their hot blooded macho forefathers...but often have really nice hairdos and know great cafes. LOVE ISN'T EAASY, and many guys are now avoiding it because they don't want to play the game, it's troublesome, etc.
That guy who married his Love Plus virtual girlfriend. Virtual offspring not available for comment.
And...there’s no small amount of blame being placed on Japanese youth who spend “too much time engaged with technology, living in virtual worlds or settling fo virtual girlfriends rather than real ones." The media in Japan periodically loves to blame otaku for some such other offense, so why not people not getting it on?
Either way, here's a recent BBC video report based on the same findings. Watch it and weep for the future of Japan or just cuddle up to someone close to you and thank your lucky stars.
Japan is a mecca for obsessive geeks or otaku, and Tokyo has shops catering to every obsession, says Patrick Macias, whether you collect anime or manga, action figures or yo-yos.
Behold, below, a very sad looking school lunch from Tokushima City, Japan. It looks like something you’d be given to eat as punishment after doing something very naughty, doesn’t it? We’re willing to bet that corn soup is lukewarm at best and the milk is room temperature. The final curb stomp is the is tiny junk food wiener placed next to an oversized bun as if to say, “Wouldn’t you like a big juicy hot dawg right about now?”
Now get a gander at a meal that a hardened Japanese criminal gets to savor like a king in his castle: five tasty items including grilled fish and barley rice with the emphasis on freshness and health. Hardly seems fair to innocent kids guilty of nothing except going to public school in Japan.
How can such mind-shattering unfairness be allowed exist in our fair world? According to Japan Probe, "It’s supposedly due to mismanagement of funds. The bread in the (school lunch) photo is made from rice flour, making it significantly more expensive than typical bread. It’s basically a subsidy for rice farmers. The leftover money is spent on very simple foods."
Try telling that to a grimy faced kid who will have to go to jail if he wants some decent chow.
OVZ's coverage of the Chara Hobby convention in Tokyo continues as Yuu and Patrick interview cosplayers from Evangelion, Tiger & Bunny, and Transformers. Then, our fearless hosts take the challenge to do some cosplay of their very own!
Those nasty boys are at it again! Patrick Macias, Matt Alt, and Andy Szymanski encounter Godzilla on the mythical island of Umihotaru in Tokyo Bay.
Video taken at Bandai's Tamashii Nations 2011 event in Akihabara Tokyo on 11/24/2011. Up first is the S.H.MonsterArts showroom filled with Godzilla figures, and then the ULTRA-ACT room.
Video taken at Bandai's Tamashii Nations 2011 event in Akihabara. Tokyo on 11/24/2011. Includes figures from "Tiger & Bunny", "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya", and others.
Patrick Macias, Matt Alt, and Andy Szymanski fight for YOUR honor as they flip through an old Japanese movie book all about Best Kid 2: The Moment of Truth (AKA Karate Kid 2). Also includes 7 reasons why Karate Kid 2 is better than Karate Kid 1.
Patrick Macias and Matt Alt visit "stamina" restaurant Asa Dachi-ya ("Morning Wood") to feast on grilled salamander washed down with pit viper booze.
Patrick Macias and Matt Alt attack the Akihabara Culture Zone in search of rare garage kits, action figures, plastic models, and Choudenji Yo-Yos...
Victoria Holden and Patrick Macias go to the ends of the earth to acquire an "I am T-Pain Microphone" in time for this Friday's episode of THE LIVE SHOW @ crunchyroll.
Is there any way for a guy to write about idols in English without sounding like a creep? This is what I must first ask myself as I sit down to discuss the idol group known as Momoiro Clover Z…
In Japan, going down this path would be no big deal. Serious discussion of idols and their music fits comfortably in the realm of what is called “subculture” for assorted pundits of both sexes to explore in depth. But elsewhere, idol culture is way more marginal and much of what is written tends to comes from die-hard fans who don’t care about (or even hear) the faint hum of “thank heaven for little girls” in the background.
First, let the record show that age-appropriate women (albeit, trashy ones) are the only ones I want to “protect” or who can “cheer me up” effectively. But Momoiro Clover Z brings a lot more than just a group of five girls --ranging in age from 15 to18 -- to the table. So I am intrigued. And if ever I was going to discuss their unique mix of pro-wrestling theatrics, Power Rangers imagery, and trash culture spectacle, right now would have to be that moment.
Momoiro Clover Z with Animetal USA
Every act in the reigning idol lineup (Morning Musume, AKB48, Perfume) has made a similar journey from being darlings of the otaku underground to becoming a much-less interesting mainstream phenomenon. There’s no doubt about it: from sell out concerts at Saitama Super Arena, to releasing a Christmas cash-in single, Momoiro Clover Z are now in the process of crossing over. Collaborations with the likes of Animetal USA (above), All Japan Pro Wrestling, and Kishidan, are still in the cards for now, but so are live shows sponsored by Young Jump manga and a line of T-shirts for designer label galaxxxy. Sub-cult journalist Go Yoshida once asked, “Will Momoiro Clover Z ever become oshare (stylish, trendy)?” to which manager Akira Kawakami replied, “Don’t worry. We won’t. We don’t understand that kind of stuff.” But it would be naïve to assume that they can pass through the maze of professional show business in Japan completely unscathed. Maybe the moment has already passed. After all, a collaboration with galaxxxy is pretty much the dictionary definition of oshare.
So where to actually start with Momoiro Clover Z? Probably with the promo video for their summer 2011 single Z Densetsu - Owarinaki Kakumei (Z Legend – Never Ending Revolution), which essentially amounts to the Momoiro Clover manifesto. The lyrics are also crucial, so I’ve included a link to a subtitled live performance here.
Ok, some of you are no doubt unimpressed, and probably see little but pandering to otaku taste at the lowest level. But approximately three of you might be saying, “Wow they got Ichirou Mizuki to do the voice-over narration!” Those who get the reference and get excited without me having to stop and explain "Ichirou Mizuki is a hot blooded anime and tokusatsu theme song singer, perhaps best known for the Mazinger Z theme" might belong to a subspecies of otaku that is called bonkura.
Since the word has its roots in Japanese gambling circles as a term for “a guy who can’t make money”, let’s say that bonkura is analogues to “loser” in English. Because both camps are fundamentally stuck in a state of prolonged adolescence, there is a fair amount of overlap between the stereotypical Akihabara-type otaku and bonkura guys. For starters, both allow their hobbies to dictate their lifestyle and identity, but a bonkura is not a specialist and has a wider range of interests.
To put it bluntly, a bonkura guy would prefer to jerk off to actual pornography instead of whacking it to anime and manga characters. When it comes to food, an otaku guy robotically reaches for a Cup Noodle to sustain his life for another day, meanwhile, the bonkura guy is probably daydreaming about a double cheeseburger or a greasy pizza pie. An Akihabara dude doesn’t care about clothes at all, but a bonkura guy gravitates towards a specific look: a T-shirt with either a band logo or a Z-movie poster on it (there’s even a label called BON-KURA that sells these), jeans, and sneakers.
You can be successful, drop the uniform, and still be deeply bonkura. Kevin Smith is one. Quentin Tarantino is another. Bonkura guys are not anti-social. They will seek out and immediately bond with others who share the same wild enthusiasm for junk culture as they do. A bonkura is not a hipster and doesn't care much about cool. All they want out of life is raw stimulation and to satisfy the unsophisticated desires of their eternal teenage boy within.
Travis Bickle, bonkura icon
By the same token, a bonkura guy will always suspect that he is a loser on some fundamental level: despite his impressive comic or movie collection maybe he’s bad with women, lacks a proper education, doesn’t have any discernible skills or just can’t get ahead in the world. And like the song “Loser” by Beck he can take a kind of masochistic perverse pride in being called bonkura by others, or undermine judgment by calling himself one first.
While bonkura have nowhere near the numbers or influence that otaku do, as with many Japanese subcultures, you can find a rallying point for them on the magazine racks. Debuting in 1999, Eiga Hiho (“Movie Treasures”) became the monthly publication for bonkura guys in Japan (I am unaware if there are actually any bonkura women, like in the gambling dens of old, they aren't really allowed inside the club house...probably because they remind us of nagging moms or annoying sisters). Look around inside an issue of Eiga Hiho and you’ll find a catalog of classically bonkura iconography: monster movies, action figures, karate killers, spaceships, explosions, splatter, rock and roll, guns, hot chicks, violent video games, etc.
All this has been building up the revelation that the Momoiro Clover Z’s entire presentation style is founded on two key bonkura genres: pro-wrestling and tokusatsu TV superheroes ala...
Of course, some bonkura guys are also idol fans. That in itself is not so surprising; after all, so are juvenile delinquents and downright normal people. But idols from the dawn of J-pop onwards have existed to offer their fan bases consolation and comfort. Naturally, Momoiro Clover Z also does the requisite handshake events and cheerful greetings, but the machinery around them…does something else.
In August 2011, Momoiro Clover Z gave a concert at the Yomiuri Land amusement park in Tokyo, home of countless superhero stage shows for little kids. A sell-out audience of okina tomodachi (“big friends”), many of them wearing Power Rangers style helmets and bright color-coordinated clothing like the girls do in the video, showed up to support the group.
A giant panda taunts the audience before the show
But before the music starts, a giant evil panda (above) takes to the stage, escorted by Shocker-esque minions. Representing the oppression of normal life in the guise of “The Empire”, the panda taunts the audience of otaku and bonkura alike, “Who are you no-good adults? Why are you wearing such colorful T-shirts? Don’t you know that real adults are supposed to wear black and white? And what about work? Don’t tell me you took the day off to come here!”
Of course, Momoiro Clover Z soon comes to the rescue and defeats this alarming figure before singing and dancing, but not before even they publically admit that all is not quite right with their audience by saying "its ok, to be an adult who is a little strange..."
Either way, some kind of implicit rule between spectator and spectacle has been broken. For such a confrontational dialouge happen in the world of idols is unprecedented. But as anyone who has seen a “heel” rile up an audience before a match knows, this kind of interaction with the audience is a classic pro-wrestling gesture (My all-time favorite example being Nikolai Volkoff insisting that the crowd stand while he sings the Soviet national anthem before every match during the height of the '80s cold war).
But while a classic heel move creates a simple "good vs. evil" dynamic, Momoiro Clover's act both affirms the bonkura's cherished outsider status and punishes them for it.
I think we can safely assume that Momoiro Clover Z’s manager Akira Kawakami is himself a bonkura guy. A big fan of pro-wrestling, he has repeatedly sought collaborations in the world of the squared circle, which has led to promotions in which the girls in the group get put into headlocks and throw fully grown men into the metal railing (like in the clip above).
He certainly knows what it is like to be down on his luck in true loser fashion...
Before becoming involved with Momoiro Clover, Kawakami was the manager of Erika Sawajiri. This actress, model, and musician created a national scandal in 2007 when she delivered a series of short, incredibly terse and angry answers at a press event for her new film (video below). While acting like a spoiled celeb, or even a heel, can be par for the course in Hollywood, in Japan the punishment for breaking the show biz code of polite conduct -- like the evil panda would later -- was banishment. Sawajiri was dropped from the Stardust Promotion agency and manager Kawakami was out of a job.
In an interview with Go Yoshida, Kawakami (who said that Sawajiri could be difficult in public, but was a loving person in private) explained what happened next. Stardust Promotion was looking to form their own idol group made up of child talent on their roster. Kawakami was given the order to manage the resulting group, which became Momoiro Clover. “I was not an idol fan at all,” said Kawakami, “I only knew about pro-wrestling.” But since he was starting from zero, he felt that he was free to do whatever he wanted.
The mark one version of Momoiro Clover travelled across Japan in a tiny van, like wrestlers working the carnival circuit, and performed to near empty audiences at amusement parks. This dismal reality of these early years of bitter struggle has been captured in the video below: a no-budget PV for Momoiro’s cover of the song “Saikyou Pare Parade” from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya anime which, in spite of (or maybe because of) the harsh circumstances and craziness, sounds better to these ears than Aya Hirano’s original.
Kawakami’s next move was a bonkura gamble that actually paid out. Sizing up his rivals, he ordered Momoiro Clover to hand out fliers at the AKB48 theater in Akihabara. AKB48 had begun their career famously marketed as “the idols you can meet”, but their growing popularity had now made their previous level of accessibility increasingly hard for fans to reach. Momoiro Clover informed the line of guys waiting outside that they were “the idols you can meet RIGHT NOW!” And thus was the empire forged…
I don’t want to paint Kawakami purely as a bold visionary who broke the rules and won. Indeed, even the girls in the group will admit that they are routinely pushed to, and sometimes beyond, their physical and mental limits during rehearsal and performance...again, just like wrestlers.
Reni Takagi, AKA Purple, and her "funny face"
Reni Takagi, who is Purple in Momoiro Clover Z, is suspected by fans to have suffered an eating disorder after the agency masterminded a public promotion that involved the girls “weighing in” like prize fighters before their next single would be released (the others passed, she did not). Not all of this is apocryphal either. I personally know someone who worked on a production with Momoiro Clover who said that at one point during an interview, Takagi began banging her head against a wall and screamed before immediately regaining her composure as if nothing had happened.
But if anything does separate Momoiro Clover Z from other idol acts now, it is the element of sheer unpredictability and craziness at work both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. I can’t really imagine AKB48 painting their faces and getting in the ring for All Japan Pro-Wrestling or Perfume pretending to be drunk oyaji in their promo videos (as below), but right now, this is simply the way Momoiro Clover Z rolls...
Oh god, I really don’t want to explain drunk oyaji culture, and why the girls have ties around their heads... As you can see, writing about Japanese pop culture in general takes an enormous amount of explaining and back peddling to try and get everyone on the same page. This shit is provincial as hell.
As such, I don’t know if Momoiro Clover Z has a future anywhere outside of Japan. While Asia beckons, Westerners seem to have little interest in idols. Since we didn’t live through the first generation of Seiko Matsuda and co., we lack the proper foundation for understanding the appeal of "the girl next door writ large". Morning Musume, who in their early 2000’s prime functioned like a hyper-exaggerated parody of idol culture, didn’t register much here either. As anyone who has had to slog through old issues of Mad magazine knows, it’s tough to enjoy a parody if you don’t know the source material. Still, who knows...maybe the time for Japanese idols is finally here. American otaku kids are certainly intrigued by Hatsune Miku and Vocaloid concerts, so they could now be absorbing some of the old influences by proxy.
But what the West does know is pro-wrestling and superheroes, probably better than anyone, because we invented them. And being bonkura is by no means a Japanese-only phenomenon. My collection of faded monster movie T-shirts can attest to that. So I say, "don't lose the crazy and let the madness continue forever".
And as Ichirou Mizuki shouts during the group’s signature song:
A PR puff piece ran in yesterday’s Washington Post with the inexplicably newsworthy headline of “Gwen Stefani designs Harajuku kids’ clothes for Target”. It seems that Stefani , the lead singer of group No Doubt, will be expanding upon her “Harajuku Lovers” brand to include “Harajuku Mini”, a collection of children’s clothing inspired by the street styles found in Tokyo’s Harajuku district…
Bit of a flashback here: Stefani first began associating herself with Japanese fashion in a big way back in 2004 with her song “Harajuku Girls” and her similarly-named troupe of backup dancers. The next step was the creation of a “Harajuku Lovers” lifestyle brand overseen by Stefani that included apparel and fragrances...
The problem was that all of these projects merely seemed to be out to exploit the buzz that surrounded Harajuku in the wake of 2001's international best selling book FRUiTS: Tokyo street style. But for all the work that Stefani and her brand did to associate themselves with Harajuku, there was never any actual connection with Japan.
According to the owners of a local store in Harajuku, hype only raises the price of the real estate and pushes out independent businesses. Over the last few years Harajuku has been invaded by international brands like H&M and Forever 21 who have opened mammoth stores hoping to ride the buzz while local stores like Erostika have closed. I think it's fine for people to be interested in this stuff, I just feel like some of the money has to go back to keeping the foundation firm.
So why should I care? After all, I’m an adult male, with zero need for Harajuku-inspired apparel in my wardrobe. I guess I care because fashion is such a major part of Japanese pop culture that it simply can’t be avoided. Even if you spend a lot of time just focusing on anime and manga, clothing and style are still bound to pop up on the radar. And when it comes to Japanese pop culture, I think we all want things that are authentic, not watered down Americanized versions thereof (just look at all the outrage over the recent AKIRA Hollywood remake…).
If you like Gwen Stefani and her Harajuku-inspired brands, that’s cool. Even Kyary Pamyu Pamyu of PONPONPON fame admits in interviews that early exposure to the Harajuku Girls was a life changing experience. But for the sake of those of you who want the real thing, I’ve rounded up a list of five cutting-edge brands that are actually from Japan. No, you won’t find any of their goods at your local Target store, but maybe that's for the best...
6%DOKIDOKI first opened its doors in Harajuku during the dawn of the contemporary street fashion scene in 1995. Since then, the brand has evolved into a wild and colorful look that owner Sebastian Masuda calls, “Sensational Kawaii” and “Happy Anarchy.” 6%DOKIDOKI’s tiered skirts and baby doll dresses been widely copied by others seeking to emulate Harajuku style (even their name has been copped, ala tokidoki), and while the extreme end of their fashion may not be suitable for all, 6% also sells a wide range of low-priced accessories much loved by celebrities and locals alike. While they aren’t doing international shipping right now, 6%DOKIDOKI travels abroad often to sell their goods, and are slated to be in LA by the end of the year. And of course, mention must now be made of 6%DOKIDOKI famed model “shop girls” Vani (above left) and Yuka (right), who are without the doubt the real “Harajuku Girls” par excellence.
Since opening their flagship store in Harajuku in 2010, SPINNS has become enormously influential in the world of Harajuku fashion. For starters, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu of PONPONPON fame often models for Spinns (that's her above) and their club-ready clothes and accessories are often featured in magazines like KERA and Zipper. There is no single SPINNS style. Shoppers are encouraged to mix and match to create their own “fashion coordinate”, but lots of pastels colors, animal prints, and zany cartoon imagery figure prominently. Spinns does not do international shipping…yet. But a visit to their “head shop” in Harajuku is a must.
A staple of Japanese fashion since 1988, Super Lovers caters to the rock and punk crowd. Design motifs – such as skulls and crossbones, Union Jack flags, and metal studs – take their cues from the classic UK punk style, but are served up with neon colors and a sense of playfulness that’s pure Harajuku. The similarities between their name and Gwen’s “Harajuku Lovers” are just too close to be a coincidence. Either way, you can buy Super Lovers apparel from overseas via their online shop at Rakuten Global.
Spank! started off in 2004 as a store that worshipped at the altar of the 1980s with style icons that include the likes of Strawberry Shortcake, the Care Bears, and Jem and the Holograms. Now, Spank also produces their own clothing and accessories which follow a similar pastel colored path somewhere between trash culture and fancy goods. Spank! (along with US collaborator Chubby Bunny) will be opening a pop-up shop in Culver City, CA during November as part of the SWEET STREETS: art exhibition.
The galaxxxy store is located in Shibuya, just around the corner from some of Tokyo’s most popular dance clubs. Just like a DJ manning the turntables, galaxxxy remixes the past and present to create an energetic new style that, as their English promotional materials put it, “combine neon cracks and exploding of galaxxxy”. While casual looks can be mined from their apparel, this is really state-of-the art clothing for club goers and party animals. galaxxxy goods can be purchased internationally using Rakuten Global Market.
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Gwen, if you are out there, please consider collaborating with some of these guys. The hype from Harajuku may be enormous, but in reality, it's a very fragile ecosystem that could use some love and care beyond just branding and lip service. You are obviously as much a fan of the crazy world of Japanese fashion as much as I am, and I think everyone could stand to benefit by bringing something real to the table.
First episode of my new series for YouTube. Will subtitle later in English, as this was designed for Japanese viewers, but for those of you who want a sneak peek...
Tomo credits it as "Shot and edited by Patrick Macias", but we both ran camera and ate Alien Burgers. Either way, look for the next episode in a month or so.
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