thanks for this post! from the photos I always assumed these were rebellious japanese kids until I went to harajuku and saw them roaming in identical looking groups... which somehow makes this even more fascinating.
but I have another theory and I'd like to have you opinion. when I was in tokyo I did a little bit of grass roots self promotion with the help of a japanese friend who's was born there (I do is illustration). it was a complete failure on every level. I got the idea that what I was doing was very alien to the shops/galleries I approached and not welcome. also I got the sense that japan observes the west very closely and they will call for you if you have proven yourself to be on the cutting edge of western culture. in short...japan is a small island and highly protective of what they let into their country. however they seem to know a lot more about our culture than we know about theirs. they pick and select a "best of" western culture in fashion, design an art and make it available to the japanese public. numerous small and talented european fashion designers could only survive because they became a sudden favourite in japan (only that it mostly turns out to be a short lived fad).
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bringing culture to japan
Date: 2009-11-18 05:55 pm (UTC)but I have another theory and I'd like to have you opinion. when I was in tokyo I did a little bit of grass roots self promotion with the help of a japanese friend who's was born there (I do is illustration). it was a complete failure on every level. I got the idea that what I was doing was very alien to the shops/galleries I approached and not welcome. also I got the sense that japan observes the west very closely and they will call for you if you have proven yourself to be on the cutting edge of western culture.
in short...japan is a small island and highly protective of what they let into their country. however they seem to know a lot more about our culture than we know about theirs. they pick and select a "best of" western culture in fashion, design an art and make it available to the japanese public. numerous small and talented european fashion designers could only survive because they became a sudden favourite in japan (only that it mostly turns out to be a short lived fad).