Modern Fashion in Tokyo

Tokyo is one of the most fashionable cities in the world, with many different types of styles originating there. Two Tokyo districts famous for fashion are Shibuya  and Harajuku both of which we will be visiting on Sunday, January 11.

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Shibuya is the heart of quickly changing fashion trends for people in their teens and young twenties, and the heart of Shibuya fashion is 109. Shibuya 109 is an eight floor shopping mecca where new fashion trends are born every day. There are many different types of shops in 109, most linked to the gyaru (gal)-fashion that originated in the area. The stores are as varied as gyaru fashion itself with stores like the cutesy Liz Lisa, the colorful LDS, and the more edgy Glad News. Due to the fast paced nature of style taking photos is not allowed in some of the stores, but all the stores accept credit cards. Here is a blog  that shows some of the outfits seen in Shibuya.


Harajuku is another fashion center of the city. While many people here are just as stylish as those in Shibuya, Harajuku is also famous for having many people who dress in more spectacular ways like cosplay or Lolita. Cosplay (short for costume-play) is to dress up as one's favorite character in a manga or anime (think Japanese comic or cartoon), whereas Lolita is focused on dressing up in very cute, frilly clothes (which comes in many varieties such as Gothic, Punk, or Pink). There are many great places to encounter people wearing these clothes such as: Jingu Bashi, a famous people watching street; Takeshita-dori, a street lined with fashionable shops; and Laforet, a large department store much like 109 where you can use credit cards. Here is a blog that shows some of the outfits seen in Harajuku (though not any Lolita or cosplay outfits).

Girls in Lolita Fashion
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- By Gracie K. 2015