046/ Style On The Streets Of Japan
Walk with me through the streets of Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo.
I hadn’t planned on snapping street fashion on my trip to Japan, but from the minute I stepped onto the streets of Osaka, it captured my attention.
We talk a lot about personal style on here — discovering it, expressing it, refining it — and in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, the outfits themselves were indeed fascinating. At the same time, observing the street style with fresh eyes at an individual level had me thinking about the culture and society in which these people live. What broader forces are influencing personal style here?
Just a note that these are not professional street style photos, just me hastily pulling out my camera when I spotted someone interesting…if I could catch them at all!
Without a doubt, the impact of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo (of Comme Des Garçons) — who have been shaping the Japanese fashion landscape since the 1980s — can be found all over the streets, whether it’s people wearing one of their actual designs, or some inspired iteration of it.
In line with their design philosophies, I saw a lot of clothes in exaggerated silhouettes which hide the human form — a departure from the conventions of traditional Western fashion that tend toward symmetrical and perfectly fitted garments which display the body. Many women wore voluminous dresses and generous blouses with equally spacious trousers and skirts…
…including some fantastic oversized shirt + trouser inspo.
As I noted in my packing primer, I knew that bare shoulders, back and chest were not the norm here (as is the case in Korea), but I hadn’t remembered that legs were also covered up too, even in such intensely hot and humid weather. (The last time I was in Japan was in 2010). My initial assumption was that it due to cultural norms of modesty, but I wonder if it’s also about protecting your skin from the sun and avoiding tanning because…
…I saw a lot of these (UV-protection) arm sleeves which I could not imagine wearing in the suffocating heat of Japanese summer!
Similarly, if you look closely, both these women are wearing leggings under their skirts — also, something I saw a lot. Modesty? Sun protection? Or is it a cooling technique I don’t know about?
For the most part, if someone was wearing shorts, it was a tourist or expat. While leg, shoulder and back coverage seems the norm here (for women, anyway — men are often in shorts), I did see a small minority pushing these boundaries, mostly within Tokyo.
Occasionally, I came across women dressed in the style of gyaru subcultures (e.g. lolita, kawaii, kei) which flourished here in the 1990s to 2010s, where mini skirts and short shorts are common.
(Interestingly, if you look through these Tokyo street fashion photos from 1980-2017, you’ll see that there were periods in the recent past where shorts and mini skirts were popular. Please do yourself a favour and look — and read! — through this article for a primer of the various fashion movements that took place in the last 40 years, and the incredible street style inspiration!)
On the opposite end of the spectrum, I spotted a fair number of women wearing yukatas, a simpler version of the kimono made of cotton and worn in the summer. I could tell many of the women were tourists playing dress up and immersing themselves in the whole Japanese experience (there was a kimono rental shop across from our inn in Kyoto), but others genuinely seemed like locals going about their daily business.
I enjoyed watching the co-ordinated family dressing per the osoroi code, where family members dress alike. We have this in Korea, too.
The osoroi code applies to friends and couples too!
This couple is interesting because they both have visible tattoos and he’s holding sunglasses. Because traditional Japanese tattoos have been associated with the yakuza, Japan’s mafia-like crime syndicate, a stigma against tattoos remains today (although is lessening). Many businesses still ban customers with tattoos and employers even prohibit them.
Similarly, I was surprised that barely anyone wore sunglasses in Japan, and a google search suggests that wearing them is also associated with the yakuza. That, or they’re considered too flashy, thus violating the cultural norm of discretion and modesty.
More outfits that caught my eye, in no particular order.
I hope you enjoyed your walk with me around the streets of Japan!
Coming up in In Moda Veritas:
My Tokyo shopping guide: all the shops I visited and recommend around the city, including the vast vintage and consignment shopping scene (for paid subscribers)
Notable Japanese brands — from the instantly recognizable to local brands — to put on your radar (for paid subscribers)
What I’m Wearing: Japan edition
Love and gratitude,
Irene
Fabulous post! I adore the oversized, asymmetrical silhouettes, but struggle a bit with how to wear them on my hourglass, 5’3” busty, size 18 frame.
But what inspiration! Thanks for sharing.
Loves this!!!! Will come back to it!!! I highly recommend the podcast and Substack articles of interest serie about ivy style - Japanese street style and designers has a great impact on it :)