Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

Fashion

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Cool Biz, kind of

Since its inception in 2005, Cool Biz arguably gets talked about much more than it’s taken notice of.

Introduced during the Koizumi years, the concept of conserving power during the summer by dressing accordingly is suddenly more relevant than it has ever been. In fact, with saving electricity now a necessity rather than just a nod in the right direction, even Super Cool Biz has been introduced, allowing workers to not only ditch their jackets and ties, but even don sandals and polo shirts.

And yet even as temperatures continue to rise, and offices become ever more uncomfortable, for many, even tossing out the tie is still tough.

Tokyo shrine in Autumn

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Creepy kimono silk doll?

Peering out from the window of a kimono shop, this doll, made almost entirely of silk, was certainly very striking. So stunning, in fact, that the car had to be parked, and pictures taken.

Japanese silk doll

Our presence, however, prompted the owner of the shop to come out, explain what it was made of, and then kindly invite us in for traditional tea and sweets. A decision that resulted in a truly fascinating hour or so, as not only did we get a rundown of the shop’s 120 year history, but we were also fortunate enough to see someone in there being fitted for a new kimono. Not to mention, of course, being surrounded by some incredibly beautiful and intricately patterned fabric.

Yet none of it, not even the wonderful hospitality, in any way made up for the doll’s sinister, even downright satanic, stare.

Japanese silk doll

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iPad for everybody?

When the iPhone was first released in Japan, it really wasn’t that popular — apart from with fanboys and the foreign community that is. Then, a price drop coupled with an ‘iPhone for everybody‘ campaign changed everything, and ‘app’ was suddenly the new watchword. A noticeable shift that meant by the time the iPhone 4 came out, interest and orders were intense.

The iPad, on the other hand, seems to have been popular from the get-go, yet until the recent release of the iPad 2, they weren’t all that noticeable out in the wild as it were. Now, however, they seem to everywhere: in cafes, on the train and also on the street — blurring the line between function, and fashion.

Japanese woman with an iPad

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Takeshita Dori — not your typical type?

Harajuku’s famous Takeshita Dori is almost infamous for its outlandish fashion. An area where the young and hip happily walk from shop to shop, and people like me wander about wondering what the bloody hell everyone is wearing.

So based on an initial first glance, this older bloke looked like a kindred spirit of sorts — someone who could appreciate my raised eyebrows and bewildered looks.

Takeshita Dori

But as he approached, his skull-emblazoned top suggested otherwise, and his countenance more than likely said I could keep my confused feelings to myself.

Takeshita Dori

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Tokyo rainy season style

Rainy season in Tokyo may well have begun, but the damp, really quite dreary conditions in no way mean that fashion has to be neglected. Quite the opposite it in fact. It’s simply another season, and as such, one to be celebrated.

Shibuya fashion in the rain