Harajuku Fashion According to 3 Top Japanese Fashion Artists

Harajuku - How This Tokyo Neighborhood Became The Beating Heart of Japanese Fashion

The Humble Beginnings of Harajuku

Located on the Yamanote Line (Tokyo’s major train line) between Shibuya and Shinjuku, Harajuku is the area surrounding the homonymous station.

Known internationally as the home of Japan’s youth subcultures and a magnet for Tokyo’s many underground fashion scenes, Harajuku is a place where the future and past collide, creating a vivid blend of quirky shops, high-end boutiques, and traditional nooks. The diversity of this neighborhood can be explained by analyzing Harajuku's two main areas: Takeshita Street and Omotesando.

While Takeshita Street is lined with rainbow-hued trendy shops, “kawaii” (cute) character goods, and sweets stores, Omotesandoーwhich is the front approach to Meiji Jingu, one of the city's most famous shrinesーis lined with rows of elegant zelkova trees, exclusive flagship stores, and international luxury brands.

Despite its vibrant, cutting-edge atmosphere today, Harajuku was originally nothing more than a humble post town along the Kamakura Kaido Road. Early mentions of Harajuku, dating back to the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333), describe the area as a hamlet surrounded by wilderness which probably led to naming the area “Harajuku,” meaning “post town in the fields.” 

Turned into a residential area for wealthy samurai families in the Edo period (1603 - 1868) and aristocrats in the Meiji Period (1868 - 1912), part of Harajuku was finally acquired by the imperial household and used to build Meiji Jingu Shrine in 1920 where Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken were enshrined after their death. 

In the 1950s many American families moved to the area, introducing new trends from abroad to the people of Harajuku who, inspired by this fresh cultural influx, felt motivated to experiment with their own fashion sense.

Flourishing Into a Trendsetting Center of Fashion

It was just in the 1960s, when the Tokyo Olympic Village and Yoyogi National Stadium were built in the area for the 1964 Olympics, that Harajuku seriously started to develop into the youth-attracting town we know today.

In 1966, Mademoiselle Nonnon, Harajuku’s first full-scale boutique opened and modern coffee shops, restaurants, clothing stores, and luxury apartments followed.

As rent was low, many now-famous Japanese designers established their offices at Harajuku Central Apartments which acted as a rendezvous spot for creatives and contributed to establishing Harajuku’s reputation as a leading hub for fashion.

In the 70s and 80s, impromptu rock performances and groups of dancers dressed in flashy clothes known as “takenokozoku” (Harajuku’s first widely known fashion subculture) were a common sight that added to the neighborhood’s artistic atmosphere. 

The opening of Takeshita Street in 1974 and the establishment of the iconic department store Laforet in 1978, where local Harajuku brands were sold, further strengthened Harajuku’s role as the epicenter of creative youth fashion.

How Harajuku Fashion Came to Be

With the 90s and the development of Ura-Harajuku or Ura-Hara (meaning “Hidden Harajuku”), a variety of unusual street fashion select shops gathered in the maze of narrow backstreets spreading perpendicular to Omotesando, marking the start of the Harajuku street fashion movement. 

As during this fashion era individuality and inventiveness were valued above all, people started to express themselves through multiple, completely different fashion styles at the same time, leading to the birth of many of the Japanese fashion subcultures that we closely associate with Harajuku today.

Among Harajuku’s 90s-born subcultures is, for example, “decora” (which is an abbreviation for "decorative"), a style emphasizing excessive decoration, poppy and extremely bright colors, and playful (often cheap) accessories such as layers of quirky hair clips, necklaces, bracelets, and stickers. The rise of this Harajuku fashion subculture was highly influenced by the debut of Tomoe Shinohara, a Japanese TV personality and artist. Her fans started emulating her style, which was famous for the use of bright colors, glittery dollar store accessories, toy bracelets and rings, leading to the birth of the “Shinora Fashion,” which could be considered the precursor of decora.

“Lolita” is another example of extremely popular Harajuku fashion of the 90s and early 2000s. Featuring clothes reminiscent of those worn by a princess or a doll, lavishly decorated with lace, ribbons, frills, panniers, and heavily inspired by Victorian England and French Rococo fashion, lolita affirmed its role as a pillar of Harajuku fashion (despite being around since the 70s) only when it was introduced in several fashion magazines during the 90s and appeared in the cult Japanese movie "Shimotsuma Monogatari" in 2004, finally bringing this subculture public recognition.

What Is Harajuku Fashion Today?

Minori00mon - cybr.grl - hang_oroshi

To fully grasp the complexity and significance of Harajuku fashion in Japanese society today, we reached out to three different Harajuku fashion experts: Minori (Minori00mon), Kristina (cybr.grl), and Arai (hang_oroshi).

Minori00mon - Creating Living Art Through Shironuri and Fashion

With a face painted in mysterious white makeup and clothes that speak for themselves, Minori is the ethereal Harajuku icon who follows no specific style other than her own creativity. Minori became interested in gothic and lolita fashion when she was in high school, but felt something wasn’t quite right: “Every time I was wearing those styles, I was worried about the energy of the clothes being too strong, with my face looking out of place." She was searching for a solution, when a friend introduced her to “shironuri” white makeup. 

Highly popular with nobles in the Heian period (794 - 1185) and today synonymous with geisha, kabuki actors, and other traditional performers, white makeup has a history of over 1,000 years in Japan. Despite being somewhat common in Japanese culture, the way Minori utilizes it has no precedent. Influenced by her hometown in the countryside and by the personification of natural elements often seen in anime and manga, Minori found herself thinking of the shinto concept of "yaoyorozu no kami” (eight million gods) and the idea that the divine resides in all things, including the nature around us.

“Because of that, I decided to create works that combine shironuri and nature, and that's how I got to where I am now.” She ended up inventing a new fashion style that blends intricate white makeup and quirky pieces of clothing, followed now by almost 130,000 people on Instagram.

Cybr.grl - Sharing the Charms of Decora With International Enthusiasts

Colorful, chaotic, and fun, Kristina works both offline and online on her Instagramーa true explosion of colors that you can’t help but smile at whenever you scroll through itー to raise awareness about Harajuku fashion. Her account is a source of inspiration for almost 370,000 decora and fashion enthusiasts around the world!

Kristina experimented with different styles between 2014 and  2018, coming into touch with decora fashion during a trip to Japan in 2018: “The moment I finally tried decora, I felt the most like myself.”

She ended up choosing decora for the creative freedom she feels you get from this specific fashion subculture, as layering each outfit and crafting your own pieces is a deeply personal process: “Whenever I create an outfit, I like to base it off of a specific theme. From there, I slowly start building the outfit with each individual piece until I’m fully decorated. It’s like a mood ring to me, because I always dress based on how I’m feeling that day.”

Hang_Oroshi - Reinterpreting Traditional Japanese Culture Through Contemporary Yamato Fashion

Rooted in Japanese folklore and history, Arai’s style is a striking, contemporary interpretation of the Yamato culture, showcasing the beauty of Japanese antiques, traditional garments, and vintage accessories in atypical yet awe-inspiring ways. 

As she values expressing the allure of Japanese heritage, all of Arai’s outfits are fashion statements aiming to rediscover the charms of often-forgotten traditions. “As I am Japanese, I advocate for Japanese culture, but through my work I also want to encourage people around the world to find beauty in their own traditional culture and protect it.”

She first became interested in incorporating this sort of narrative into her fashion when she learned about the tale of "Binbougami," a Japanese deity that embodies the idea that good and bad fortune are two sides of the same coin. Deeply touched by the story, she thought she wanted to be part of those fascinating ancient tales herself and came up with her current style. 

Answer 1: A Powerful Means to Fully and Freely Express Yourself

Despite coming from completely different fashion backgrounds, they all agree on one thing: Harajuku fashion is synonymous with a free-spirited fashion experience. It is not simply a precise way of wearing an outfit or combining clothes together, but more a powerful outlet to express oneself. 

To Kristina, Harajuku fashion is equivalent to using your body as a canvas to create whatever you want without any limits or boundaries: “You are able to show who you are without having to say a single word.” 

 

Arai referred to it as a kind of fashion that allows you to wear whatever you want and lets you be completely, unapologetically free. 

Thanks to the spirit of Harajuku fashion, she gets to introduce traditional Japanese concepts she particularly cares for into the modern fashion scene, such as “tsukumogami,” the belief that tools that have been around for a long time can acquire a soul. 

“I use accessories that I've personally selected from antique shops all over Japan. I buy things that not only look nice, but that feel like they have a spirit of their own.” These used items are battered by the time they reach her but, for this reason, full of spirit. 

 

It is especially exciting for Arai when she gets to show them on the streets of Harajuku, as she feels like she has finally truly become one with the tsukumogami that reside in those antiques.

“By painting my face with shironuri, I can freely recreate my features from scratch, like a canvas. It helps me incorporate colors and patterns that match the themes of my artworks and fully express the artistic presence I aim for,” confirmed Minori, who deeply loves Harajuku’s fashion scene for this unique characteristic: a freedom of expression that lets creators like her exhibit their craft and tackle each and every of her outfits as if she was working on a new piece of art! 

Answer 2: A Strong Sense of Community

Harajuku fashion is also not so much about the fashion born in Harajuku, but rather it’s about the people. “In Harajuku no matter how flashy your clothes are, you’ll always be accepted,” added Arai when explaining the importance of the Harajuku community in supporting this sort of energetic creativity.

“Creators meet up in Harajuku to make their own fashion and enjoy it. And I think it’s because completely different people gather there at the same time and their individual personalities chaotically mix together that the Harajuku fashion scene is possible,” confirmed Minori.

The Creativity of Harajuku Fashion Has the Power to Surpass All Borders

Over the past decades, social media has promoted Harajuku fashion, helping it further gain recognition worldwide. Many international enthusiasts, who simply used to be watchers of Harajuku fashion, have now turned into active players, bringing new life into these Japanese fashion subcultures; proving it's possible to enjoy Harajuku fashion anywhere. “People should wear whatever they want and have fun! I think that's the way fashion should be,” encouraged Minori.

Kristina, who is active as an international decora creator, confirmed: “Not only do people share their outfits on social media and through that make friends with each other, but we have days like International Decora Day which was started 3 years ago and International Lolita Day which happens biannually every year. There are also fashion shows, tea parties, and panels at anime conventions where people share Harajuku culture. There are a lot of communities all over the world, and many Harajuku icons have spoken up about how this culture is for everyone regardless of where they are from.”

Harajuku artists such as Arai, Minori, and Kristina have also been working to make Harajuku fashion enjoyable and accessible for everyone.   

Arai, for example, loves brands that are dedicated to preserving Japanese culture, but she noticed that they are usually not good at communicating their own uniqueness. “I decided to start my own company to support them from behind the scenes by helping them spread their presence and communicate the charms of Japanese heritage.”

By shopping at secondhand shops and from indie brands, Kristina also soon realized a problem: how hard it is to find colorful clothing and accessories that aren't just for kids. So, she decided to set up her own fashion brand CANDY☆TRAP which, together with her social media activities, she uses to help make decora culture accessible all over the globe.

Harajuku Fashion - Future and Hopes

While Harajuku fashion seems to have become more prevalent among the general public compared to the past, both Minori and Arai revealed how the pandemic heavily impacted many of Harajuku’s unique fashion stores. 

“Harajuku is still a community that allows those who like fashion to wear whatever they want and feel accepted. In this sense, the spirit of Harajuku hasn’t changed much since the old days. But there are fewer unique shops now and more stores from large companies. An increasing number of Harajuku brands are moving online and utilize e-commerce sites instead. On the other hand, this makes it easier to share the Harajuku subculture not only in Harajuku, but anywhere in Japan and even overseas,” explained Arai. 

At the same time, she hopes for more people to feel Japanese culture firsthand and actually go to antique markets and visit antique shops when in Japan: “I think social media often creates a gap between reality and what can be perceived from photos.”

Moving forward, they are sure that Harajuku will continue to evolve and new fashion styles will emerge along the way. “As long as there is even just one person who loves and embodies the Harajuku fashion scene, Harajuku will never die,” assured Kristina. 

Minori also strongly believes in the power of Harajuku fashion and its capability to keep people’s originality thriving: "We have a saying in Japan, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. But my hope is for Harajuku fashion to become once again a nail that sticks out so much that it breaks through!" she said - as that has always been, and always will be, the true spirit of Harajuku fashion!