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Tokyo Fashion

Wherever you're shopping in Tokyo, fashion, trends and styles are not far away.

There's gothic lolita, cosplay fans, grunge, high end designer, and of course, Tokyo street fashion care of the young.

It really is worth finding a nice cafe or somewhere you can while away half an hour near a busy street so you can check out the number of fashions that will pass you by.

Tokyo is great that way. There are no frowns of condescension from those with a different style. It's live and let live, or fashion and let's fashion if you like. Wonderful!

Tokyo Street Fashion

Tokyo fashion for women, and increasingly for men too, is often deemed to be "cute". It is the highest honor to smile winningly at your friend while saying "kawaii" (so cute)!

Cute or not, there are many trends to choose from, although as an average size Westerner it is not always easy to find clothes that fit. Make sure to check a Japanese sizing guide if you intend on stocking up your wardrobe.

One site I personally love taking a peek at just to see what Tokyo fashion is "in" on the streets of the city is Style Arena. See the tabs on the left to visit the different areas of Tokyo. Compare Ginza, Daikanyama, and Shibuya to get an idea of how diverse Tokyo street fashion is.

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Goths and Lolitas

One of the most popular portrayals of Tokyo fashion is of the goths and lolitas who are most commonly associated with Harajuku.

This particular Tokyo street fashion is influenced by clothing worn during the Victorian and Edwardian eras and involves many frills, ribbons, and ruffles as part of the design.

Accompanying accessories include parasols, bonnets, top hats, lacey caps, and anything of this ilk.

One of the reasons that Harajuku is a popular meeting place for goths and lolitas is because there are some great shops that cater specifically to this particular style. If you fancy picking up some of these items for yourself it's a good place to try, otherwise try Shinjuku.

Within this set of teenage subculture, however, there are still further classifications, such as black, punk, white, or gory goths and lolitas. When you pop to Harajuku see if you can spot them and add any new categories you can think of. We'd love to hear your ideas.

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Cosplay

Cosplay is usually associated with the world of anime, manga and video games and the characters that are personified in them.

Cosplay is literally a combination of the two words "costume play" and is gradually developing a broader audience worldwide as the fame and recognition of these leisure pursuits continues to grow.

Akihabara, as the center of all things electronic, anime and manga in Tokyo, is a major draw for cosplayers, especially at the weekends.

One of the most famous cosplayers in Tokyo is Danny Choo. Danny has made his Tokyo fashion name by wearing the distinctive costume of a Star Wars Stormtrooper in and around the city over the last few years. If you are not in the know, as I was the first time I saw him walking down the street in Jiyugaoka, you wonder what on earth is going on!

He has pulled some great stunts including dancing his way across Hachiko at Shibuya and attending the launch of the iphone in Tokyo at Softbank.

If you'd like to know more about him, here's the link to his site Danny Choo...

... and here's the man himself doing his Stormtrooper stuff... love it!

See you on the streets of Tokyo!