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HaraJuku History

HARAJUKU is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan. Harajuku is known for the patrons that visit the area every Sunday. Every Sunday, many young people dress in a variety of styles that include gothic lolita, visual kei, and cosplay, among others and spend the day in Harajuku socializing. The fashion styles of these young people frequently vary and are rarely conformist to one particle style and are usually a mesh of many. Most young people gather on Jingu Bridge, which is a pedestrian bridge that connects Harajuku to the neighboring Meiji Shrine Area. However, Harajuku is not just known for its Sunday visitors. It is also a well-respected fashion capital of the world renowned for its unique street fashion. Harajuku street style is promoted in Japanese and international publications such as Kera, Tune, Gothic & Lolita Bible and Fruits. Many prominent designers and fashion ideals have sprung from Harajuku and incorporated themselves in to other fashions throughout the world. Harajuku is also a vast shopping district that includes luxury western designers like Louis Vuitton, Harajuku native designers, and affordable shops catered to youths.
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The HaraJuku Style

Harajuku Style varies considerably and there are many different looks ranging from elegant gothic lolita to punky modern looking Visual Kei - which is inspired by japanese rock group (jrock).

Too see the japanese teen culture at its most intense, go to Harajuku on a Sunday, when many teens congregate around Harajuku Station and take part in costume play (cosplay), dressed up in outlandish costumes to appear like anime characters, punk rock musicians, and various harajuku gothic styles.

Tokyo is a huge fashion epicentere around the world. Youths in Japan dress in vibrant clothing. They mix and match different clothing styles and create their own style, sometimes with big coloured hair and cute accsessories.

While many people from all around the world are influenced by Harajuku, the real Harajuku style fashion stays where it originated from - in the area itself.

Lolita History

The Lolita style began in the 1970's with brands such as Milk and Pink House making outfits that resembled Canada's Anne of Green Gables (which is widely loved in Japan) and, to a lesser extent, Little House on the Prairie. Angelic Pretty opened in 1979, Baby, The Stars Shine Bright opened in the 80's, and Moi-meme-Moitie opened in 1999.
Mana, ex-Malice Mizer (co-founded with Kozi, also guitar), is widely credited for having helped popularize Gothic Lolita, though he is not a founder of the style. He coined the terms "Elegant Gothic Lolita" (EGL) and "Elegant Gothic Aristocrat" (EGA) to describe the style of his own fashion label Moi-même-Moitié, which was founded in 1999. Other influential figures in the scene include the singer Kana, who often modeled for Lolita related fashion magazines, and Mitsukazu Mihara, who drew the first eight covers of the Gothic & Lolita Bible.

Goth & Lolita

Lolita as a fashion is not as strongly associated with a particular style of music or outside interests as Goth, and individual followers of Lolita fashion may listen to a wide variety of music, from Classic music to pop and rock.

In Japan, Goth is a minor subculture with few followers, partly because the emphasis upon visual identity in Japanese youth culture makes other factors such as music and literature less important signifiers, and perhaps partly because Christianity is a minor religion here. In Japan, people who have heard the term "Goth" usually assume that it is simply a contraction of "Gothic Lolita" except for the Goths themselves, who strongly emphasize the differences. Likewise, some non-Japanese observers assume that "Gothic Lolita" is the Japanese version of "Goth", purely on the similarities in fashion.

Previously in Tokyo, the largest "goth" club events, such as "Tokyo Dark Castle", would also attract a noticeable proportion of Gothic Lolita customers. However, since 2005 their numbers have dwindled and such events now primarily attract more typical goth, industrial and metal music fans.Concerts of visual kei themed bands are often attended by many Lolitas, but conversely, few goths.

The Lolita Style

Lolita fashion draws much of its inspiration from Rococo, Victorian-style and Edwardian fashion and often aims to imitate the look of Victorian children or porcelain dolls. Gothic Lolita applies the aesthetics of Gothic fashion to the childlike, pretty Lolita fashion. The word Gothloli comes, quite naturally, from a combination of Lolita and Gothic fashion.

Gothic Lolita is the best-known of the various "Lolita" looks. Other categories include "Classic Lolita", which is often more mature-looking and contains more muted colors and floral prints and "Sweet Lolita" which is identified by childish pastel colors and cute prints.

Gothic Lolita style is usually a combination of black and white, often black with white lace and typically decorated with ribbons and lace trims. Skirts are knee length and may have a crinoline or petticoat to add volume. As in mainstream Japanese fashion, over-knee socks or stockings are popular. White or black tights are also common. Boots, rocking horse shoes, or child-like shoes such as Mary Janes complete the look. Frilly, ruffled or lace-trimmed Victorian blouses are also popular with Gothic Lolitas and designs are usually modest, sometimes with long lace-capped sleeves and/or high-necked blouses.

Some additions may include mini top hats, parasols, and lace headdresses, which resemble wide, elegantly decorated headbands. Other popular Lolita headgear are ribbons, lace or bows, an alice band with a bow or sometimes even a bonnet. Hair is sometimes curled, or a curled wig is worn to complete the porcelain doll look. Blonde and black are the most popular hair colors, though as the fashion continues to develop, other colors (such as brown and red and other vivid colors) are increasing in popularity.

Lolita outfits may be accessorized with other props like handbags, small backpacks and purses, sometimes in the shape of bats, coffins, and crucifixes, as well as conspicuous pocket books, pocket watches, and hat boxes. Teddy bears and other stuffed animals are also common, and some brands make special "gothic" teddy bears out of black leather or PVC.

Some Lolitas own Super Dollfie or other ball-jointed dolls and carry them when wearing the style, often going so far as to dress them to match. Gothic Lolita is extremely common in Japan.

Gothic Lolita Culture

In Japan it is mass-marketed, though not widely worn, but has visibility particularly in the streets of Tokyo and Osaka, on television, in manga and computer games. The fashion is being picked up worldwide, thanks to the foreign publication of Japanese magazine anthology FRUiTS, where the outstanding style actually blends in with the other quirky teen trends in Japan. More "faithful" adherents to the style take many influences from the Rococo and Victorian periods of European history, believing it to be in the nature of a Lolita to be respectful, polite, and demure at all times; even more extreme adherents are often known to attempt to cultivate interest in hobbies or activities considered appropriate to high-society ladies during these periods, such as needlework, opera, classical and baroque styles of music, painting, sewing, and the traditional observance of high tea. For the most part, however, most Lolitas live a day-to-day life very similar to any average person.