What Is Japanese Pop Culture and Street Fashion?

Japanese pop culture is a term that has come to represent the modern Japanese culture rather than the traditional one. Of course most modern trends have roots in traditional Japan society.

Pop culture and street fashion include manga, anime, cosplay, movies, television, JPop, JRock and visual kei.
Even certain neighborhoods in Tokyo are part of the scene especially Harajuku and Shibuya.

Magna, Anime and Cosplay

To understand what Japanese pop culture and street fashion is, you need to understand manga, anime, and cosplay.

Magna

Manga is a term for comics and graphic novels of Japan that began in the 18th century and has just recently spread all over the world.
The best manga artist, or mangaka, was Osamu Tzuka.
Manga is written from top to bottom but is read from right to left as is the Japanese language.
Manga is written for every age group; but, most target older teens and adults.

Anime

Anime is an abbreviation for “animated” and came from manga.
It refers to any animation in Japan; but, in other countries, it refers to Japanese animation.
You can find anime in television programs, movies, and video games.

Cosplay

Cosplay is an activity where you dress up like one of your favorite characters from movies or television. This is a part of Japanese street fashion.
This, like manga and anime, is being enjoyed by people in other countries, usually at conventions, exhibitions, or nightclubs.
Tokyo hosts the Comiket convention twice a year which is attended by people from all over the world.

Japanese Music

Popular music plays a big role in understanding Japanese pop culture and street fashion:

JRock was the name used to distinguish Japanese rock from Western rock.
Since many rock stars were drug users, the Japanese wanted their rock music to be more conservative and drug free. It may have started out that way, but today, many musicians wear dark clothing and are distant, depressed, or just eccentric.
JPop is the abbreviation for Japanese pop music that can trace its roots to the influence of Western music in the 1950s.
Over the years it integrated jazz and R&B elements and of course had love ballads and dance music.
Visual kei emerged in the 1980s and is characterized by extravagant use of makeup and costuming. Their hairstyles and behavior is also wild and flamboyant. It is similar in some ways to punk rock and metal.

Street Fashion

A teenager in Tokyo would want to hang out in the neighborhoods with other teens. Two of these popular places are Harajuku and Shibuya, which are the centers for youth fashion and culture. There you can not only wear your most outlandish clothes, but shop for them as well.

Some of the best spots in Harajuku are Harajuku Bridge and Yoyogi Park.
Good places to go in Shibuya are the National Yoyogi Stadium, Hachiko Statue, Shoto Museum of Art, Shibuya Crossing, and Shibuya Center Street.

One of the trends in Japanese street fashion is “Lolita” which is simply cute and cute is popular in Japan. There are different types of Lolita fashion:

Punk Lolita: This will blend “sweet” with punk styles and can look a little on the crazy side.

Classic Lolita: This look is traditional and mature, with lighter colors like reds, blues, and greens.
Gothic Lolita: This has your typical Gothic icons, like crosses, spiders, and dark colors, and many Victorian elements, like petticoats, parasols, and lace-trimmed clothing.
Sweet Lolita: This is child-like and innocent, with themes like fairy tales, animals (Hello Kitty for one), and pastel or muted colors. Accessories include big hair bows, stuffed animals, fancy parasols, and cute purses.

So, now you know about Japanese pop culture and street fashion and are better informed about what is going on in Japanese youth culture today.