111123-0285.jpg

Harajuku, Tokyo, guild, UNIQLO, eatable, keisuke kanda, muji, nadia, frapbois, MACARONIC

Friday December 23, 2011

Kazuhei

harajuku, tokyo
AUTUMN 2011, guys
Kjeld Duits

STUDENT, 18

Shirt – UNIQLO
Jacket – eatable
Pants – keisuke kanda
Leggings – muji
Sneakers – nadia

kazhelin @ twitter

111123-0292-111123-0295: Japanese street fashion in Harajuku, Tokyo

Gloves – frapbois – JPY 5,000 | Jacket – eatable – JPY 25,000

111123-0297: Japanese street fashion in Harajuku, Tokyo

Elephant – N/A – N/A

111123-0302-111123-0321: Japanese street fashion in Harajuku, Tokyo

Shorts – keisuke kanda – JPY 20,000 | Leggings – muji – JPY 1,000

111123-0307: Japanese street fashion in Harajuku, Tokyo

Hair – guild – JPY 10,000 | Earrings – yoshiko – JPY 5,000 | Mask – keisuke kanda – JPY 1,200

111123-0310: Japanese street fashion in Harajuku, Tokyo

Earrings – yoshiko – JPY 5,000 | Mask – keisuke kanda – JPY 1,200

111123-0313: Japanese street fashion in Harajuku, Tokyo

Bow Tie – MACARONIC – JPY 3,000 | Shirt – UNIQLO – JPY 1,000 | Jacket – eatable – JPY 25,000

111123-0326-111123-0328: Japanese street fashion in Harajuku, Tokyo

Sneakers – nadia – JPY 15,000 | Bag – keisuke kanda – (present)

Twitter: ＠kazhelin

More photos of Kazuhei

撮影された方へ

About the Photographer

Inspired by the stunningly creative street fashion that exploded on the streets of Tokyo and Osaka in the late 1990’s, photo-journalist Kjeld Duits launched JAPANESE STREETS in 2002. This makes JS one of the first fashion blogs on the net, and the very first to cover Japanese street fashion.

Recent photos by Kjeld Duits:

Comment （日本語もOK）

kanda fan, cool~
I like his gloves, his bow tie and his earring n_n
I want that elephant! Reminds me of some cute stuff I’ve seen at Portico (shop) :3

Maria
Dec 23, 2011 (2980 days ago)

@Maria: I just find that elephant adorable. You probably have noticed that lots of people walk around with stuffed animals as accessories these days.

Kjeld Duits (photographer)
Dec 23, 2011 (2980 days ago)

@KD: Yes! Erika, Mami, Chinami… n_n I think it is the holidays that makes the stuffed animals trending. These holidays are days that remind me of childhood and good things.

Maria
Dec 23, 2011 (2979 days ago)

Unique look! Very interesting to notice how the Japanese really love to layer their clothing and generally seem to show less skin than Americans.

ela
Jan 1, 2012 (2971 days ago)

@ela: Great observations. Layering and hiding skin are two defining aspects of Japanese fashion, I think. Together with the enormous attention to detail.

Kjeld Duits (photographer)
Jan 1, 2012 (2971 days ago)

@Kjeld: I wonder why that is? A cultural ideal about modesty? Yes, I think you have a great point about the Japanese attention to detail. That seems particularly true with the decora fashion, but just about every other genre, as well.

ela
Jan 4, 2012 (2967 days ago)

@ela: We can also ask why it is that in Western Europe and the US people want to show so much skin these days. It used to be the opposite. And actually, it was the opposite in Japan, too.

Until about a hundred some years ago, most lower level Japanese walked around half naked in Summer. Country women were often bare breasted during the hot months. Many men only wore loincloths. Men and women used to bath together publicly. Modesty was forced upon them by Westerners who considered the nudity an outrage and a clear sign of vulgar uncivilizedness.

Have a look at this wonderfully cheerful and uninhibited Japanese woman from the 1890s.

Kjeld Duits (photographer)
Jan 4, 2012 (2967 days ago)

@Kjeld: Yes, that is a good questions as well! I never knew that about Japan, thanks for the information. That is pretty surprising for me to learn, but I can understand with the Western influence affecting them. I’ve read about some of the ways the Western world changed Japan before, but hadn’t heard about the nudity. That’s also odd to me that they would encourage covering up because it seems that nudity is more accepted in Europe (especially compared to America). This is a great discussion topic, for sure. :)

ela
Jan 4, 2012 (2967 days ago)

@ela: Nudity is more accepted in Europe now, but during the 19th century that was quite different. Especially among people of the higher classes—who were the ones able to travel to Japan—showing skin was frowned upon.

Kjeld Duits (photographer)
Jan 4, 2012 (2967 days ago)

I love his style, and I think I am starting to see a new trend of unnatural hair color over black/dark hair. For example, usually people bleach the hair then add the color, so you notice it more..But I’ve seen a few shots recently where it appears the unnatural color (green or blue for instance) is added on top of the black. REALLY cool!

And about the showing skin, that is interesting. What’s interesting now is you also find a sort of a Japanese “western take” on showing skin. For example, lots of the extreme gyaru girls who sometimes behave much differently publicly as far as what they show, than many of the heavily layered girls in Harajuku and other vintage/high fashion places. I noticed lots of Japanese girls wear sexy lingerie-esque tops with even prostitute looking tights and super mini skirts and high heeled boots. I’m not saying this is what is cool in Tokyo now at all, especially with the fashion crowd but it is definitely still there.

Lactose Intoler-Art
Jan 5, 2012 (2966 days ago)

@Kjeld: Yes, that’s a good point about the culture changing in Europe regarding nudity. Something else for me to research! :)

@Lactose Intoler-Art: Yes, I’ve noticed that, too. I think it goes along with the newer trend of having more pastel or muted colors in one’s hair, as opposed to the shocking, neon colors that were popular before. I’ve been seeing a ton of faded colors in fashion blogs everywhere lately.

I’ve also noticed the “western take” on showing skin, particularly with gyaru girls. But it seems like girls in Japan try to balance it out. For instance, they may wear a short skirt, but won’t show cleavage. Though, each person is different, of course.

ela
Jan 5, 2012 (2966 days ago)

@Lactose Intoler-Art & ela: I think that many of the gyaru are from a different stratum of Japanese society, where displaying skin is not as taboo as among the higher and middle classes. Incidentally, Japanese prostitutes don’t dress like Western ones, so what you describe as “prostitute looking tights and super mini skirts and high heeled boots,” Brandon, would interestingly not bring a prostitute to mind to many Japanese.

Kjeld Duits (photographer)
Jan 5, 2012 (2966 days ago)

@Kjeld: That’s an interesting point and it makes sense. Things like thigh high socks do seem more accepted in Japan as normal fashion than they are in the USA. What do the Japanese prostitutes wear that sets them apart from Western ones?

ela
Jan 7, 2012 (2965 days ago)

@ela: Few prostitutes work the streets in Japan. They usually work at a so called soap lands or get their clients through internet sites, so they don’t need to signal their availability through clothing. Many look just like a typical housewife.

Kjeld Duits (photographer)
Jan 7, 2012 (2965 days ago)

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