Tokyo Fashion City – A Guide to Tokyo’s Trendiest Fashion Districts by Philomena Keet, with photography by Yuri Manabe (Tuttle, 2016) is a fantastically detailed fashion bible, perfect for anyone with an interest in Japanese fashion, street fashion and Japanese culture. It is packed with colourful pictures of young fashionistas on the streets of Tokyo, reminding … Continue reading
I don’t think I have ever been as giddy with excitement as I was when I stepped into the Kawaii Monster Cafe with my friend Adam on Saturday 5th December last year. I just couldn’t stop smiling and giggling. The Kawaii Monster Cafe was everything I hoped it would be! It’s a place like no … Continue reading
I don’t have many words today, other than to say that I’m incredibly sad about the passing of the wonderful musician and actor David Bowie. You might be wondering what that has to do with Japan? Well, actually quite a lot. Bowie had a lot of connections with Japan and some of his fashion was … Continue reading
10th – 12th July 2015 saw the HYPER JAPAN Festival, dubbed ‘the UK’s biggest J-culture event’ come to the O2 in London. Having previously been held at venues such as Olympia and Earls Court, the O2 was a new home for this ever-popular event. I went along on the Saturday and Sunday to get my … Continue reading
Good news for Japan lovers in the UK – the HYPER JAPAN Festival is this weekend! This summer event will be taking place at the O2 in London from 10th – 12th July, and tickets are on sale now! Find out more about HYPER JAPAN Festival 2015 on the official HYPER JAPAN website, and get your tickets … Continue reading
Good news for Japan lovers in the UK – it’s only one month now until HYPER JAPAN Festival. This summer event will be taking place at the O2 in London from 10th – 12th July, and tickets are on sale now! The full timetable of what’s on hasn’t yet been announced, but judging by what … Continue reading
At HYPER JAPAN last weekend there was a lot of publicity for the new Moshi Moshi Nippon campaign, which aims to share Japanese pop-culture with other countries. Here’s an introduction: The Moshi Moshi Nippon Facebook page says: What is the project “moshimoshi nippon”? This project will send out Japanese pop culture to overseas. It will be … Continue reading
It’s time for Word of the Week again! Last week we looked at a Japanese word or phrase beginning with ‘o’ (お), and focussed on the phrase お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu); a useful phrase said at the end of the day or after completing a task. This week I’m looking for a word or phrase beginning with ‘ka’ (か). A big … Continue reading
I love to wear bows in my hair, especially when I’m dressed up for an event, so I was delighted to receive this fabulous Hello Kitty hair bow from my friend for Christmas: I know what I’ll be wearing at the next Hyper Japan! The bow seems to be made by a company called Moon … Continue reading
What happens when the two quirkiest queens of pop try to out-kawaii each other? Japan found out this week when Lady Gaga appeared on the TV show Music Station (ミュージックステーション) and was sat in the same studio as Harajuku’s own Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ). Both wearing colourful outfits and pink bows in their hair, Lady Gaga … Continue reading
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