Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
fashion (Page 70)
Well now here’s an odd little promotion. Japanese gamers planning to pick up a copy of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, one of the prequel chapters in Hideo Kojima’s convoluted-plot-’em-up/stealth espionage action game series, are now being offered a special edition bundle that comes with a track jacket emblazoned with the logo of in-game mercenary unit “Diamond Dogs”.
The mail order fashion brand, haco., has just released its second line of fairy tale inspired fashion items. They call these items cosplay, but not in the way that most Westerners might expect. Rather than recreate the characters from fairy tales as they would appear in real life, fashion designers asked themselves what these classic icons might wear if they were actually young human girls. The results are absolutely adorable.
In most countries, walking around the streets wearing a white surgical mask would likely draw stares from those around you. People may even cross the street to avoid whatever plague they think you’re harboring. However, in urban Japan it’s hard to walk down the street without seeing someone in such medical-looking garb, especially during peak allergy seasons.
Despite this, there seems to be an unwritten rule that all face masks should be white. You might see an occasional designer mask with a logo or floral print, but by and large seeing anyone wearing a surgical mask other than white is kind of rare. However, a new brand of mask with the unfortunate name of B.M is challenging this social convention by being pitch black.
Every dog owner has experienced it: you want your dog to sit, speak, roll over and maybe shake, but your pooch has other ambitions. Bigger dreams. He wants to join the fire brigade (you know this because you taught him to speak), but you’re worried about your little buddy’s safety.
Finally, though, you can let your doggy chase both his tail and his dreams with this adorable doggy flame-retardant suit. Join us after the jump for more adorable photos!
If the Japanese media hadn’t bothered to point it out, we never would have even realized the newest model for American fashion boot (that’s a thing?) manufacturer Luan is none other than comedian and former tasteless gay stereotype “Hard Gay”.
We’re still looking at the promotional photos and rubbing our eyes in disbelief. It turns out that, when he made the surprise announcement in June this year that he had decided to go into modelling, the former entertainer wasn’t kidding around.
If you visit a shrine in Japan, you’re sure to find a small shack somewhere on the shrine grounds selling Omamori, special amulets for good luck or protection. These small pieces of colored cloth come in many different designs and serve various purposes. Some are meant to protect the holder while traveling, others give good luck to those taking a test. They are almost always brightly colored and are works of art in themselves. Inspired by the beauty of Omamori, one design team from Japan has created beautiful pouches and notepads that are sure to impress.
Usually being called a witch is an insult, but a Japanese beauty magazine reclaimed the word a few years ago and declared a new category of woman: “Beautiful Witches.” To celebrate the women over 35 that possess an almost “magical beauty untouched by age,” the fourth annual National Beautiful Witch Contest was held last week, with a 39-year-old housewife from Aichi Prefecture taking home the top prize in a Halloween-themed pageant.
Interesting media can make for especially interesting art, as the pencil-tip carvings, hairy apples and damaged banana art we’ve covered before should attest, but when you go carving up some perfectly good brand-name lipsticks to celebrate strong women and fashion icons, you are bound to cause your intended audience a little heartache.
Female manga fans understand that there’s more to Japan’s comic industry than the schoolyard romances and shojo sparkles with which we are targeted. A lot of us really love the action, the fighting, and the hero adventure stuff too! Thankfully, there are at least a handful of manufacturers out there who understand where we’re coming from. One such company is catering to us girls with less feminine fandoms by bringing us tattoo tights from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure!
You may have resisted the appeal of our future feline overlords so far, but if their internet popularity is any indication, total world domination can’t be far off. If you don’t want to be first against the wall with the dogs and dog-lovers, you may want to invest in these super-cute cat tights. As the ad copy says, put them on and you’ll “transform into a devil-may-care cat!” You’ll be able to blend right in…
Beauty in Japan is serious business. This might be the explanation for why “beauty salon” in Japanese shares a kanji character with both “graduate school” and “hospital.”* The treatment you’re liable to get at a Japanese beauty salon often far outpaces that of Western salons; typically you can expect a thorough scalp massage and drink service at the very least, and shoulder and hand massages and in-depth style counseling are not uncommon either.
And that’s just scratching the surface. Here is a list of differences between Japanese and Western hair salons:
So let’s say you’re a high school girl growing up in Tokyo, the undisputed mecca of fashion and pop music in Japan. You want to break into the industry, but what can you do to make yourself stand out from all the other teens with the same ambitions, especially if you’ve got a fairly pedestrian name like Kiriko Takemura?
Simple: you slip on an outfit that’s as colorful as it is outlandish, adopt the stage name Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and bask in the adoration of fans both in Japan and abroad.
Of course, this didn’t happen overnight. Kyary’s success is the result of several years spent developing her persona and image, as we can see in a pair of pre-fame videos showing her as a high-schooler still at the midpoint of her path to stardom.
Grandchildren’s Day (Mago no Hi) was on 20 October this year, and is a date when grandparents may officially shower gifts upon their children’s children. However, you can’t have grandkids without grandparents, so a unique fashion event was held two days prior, bringing together models from both these generations, and aimed to celebrate and bring out the beauty in their relationship.
We’re so jealous of cats. They get virtually all of the attention on the Internet, they’re allowed to lounge around convenience stores day and night like they own the place, drinking cat wine, and generally being doted on.
Finally, though, Japan’s obsession with cats and cat paraphernalia is making it possible for us to become the cat. Behold, the hooded cat blanket from online retailer Felissimo.
Currently underway at the new Shisedo Ginza Building in Tokyo is the Japan Original Beauty event which features a live talk with beauty professional Tadashi Harada. Harada, who works with Shisedo as one of their “Top Beauty Specialists” was the genius behind a series of portraits with models depicting characters from Hirohiko Araki’s manga masterpiece JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Tired of the same old hairstyles? Twin tails just not rocking your socks any more? Well how about hairdo that could also be used as a weapon or a means of catching your next meal?
Fashion can be…confusing at times. Especially for those of us whose wardrobe consists of a black T-shirt and a white T-shirt, in case a fancy event comes up.
But there’s no denying that fashion, as an art form, takes its inspiration from the world around us. While not every design will become a permanent fixture or even necessarily work really well, we have to respect the creativity and thought that goes into making fashionable clothes. Though maybe this particular concept should have stayed on the drawing board…or in the dog park!
We’ve no doubt all seen some horrendous fashion crimes out on the streets before now, perpetrated by people of all ages, but older people in particular seem to get a bad rap when it comes to dressing themselves for the times, with endless jokes made about things like mom jeans, grannie panties and middle-aged men in sandals and socks.
The creators of the Japanese fashion blog L’idéal, however, decided that it was time to take a stand and right the wrongs unintentionally done to the country’s elderly. Showcasing some of the coolest and most beautifully dressed older Japanese women we’ve ever seen, L’idéal challenges stereotypes and hopes to change our outlook on this estranged generation.
So let’s talk about breasts. From a statistical and linguistic standpoint, of course.
Romi Mizukami, a fashion designer for popular Japanese clothing brand BEAMS, is without a doubt one of Japan’s biggest Hello Kitty fans, or rather “Kittylers.” Her home is a veritable shrine to the little kitty that could, with blacks, whites, and reds as far as the eye can see, and for the past few years she has slowly incorporated the uniquely kawaii Hello Kitty style into not just her design work but her very own wardrobe.
Come on in and meet the real-life Kitty-chan!
Cup Noodle maker’s super-easy recipe turns instant noodles into quick okonomiyaki【Recipe】
New Hello Kitty and friends summer kimono are perfect for Sanrio-loving parents, kids, and sisters
Japan’s first-ever Yakult cafe serves a rare probiotic ice cream in the shadow of a famous castle
Practical Zelda Tears of the Kingdom merch is here to be Hyrule-helpful in your daily life【Pics】
Ultra-cheap, convenient Tokyo hotel is a great place to stay…if you pay extra for earplugs
Starbucks releases an official green tea chai latte with special Japanese ingredients
Japanese Lolita fashion designers create amazing Madoka Magica dresses
Japanese Mame Shiba Inu banknote design pays homage to nation’s beloved dog
“Grand sponsor Tokyo day OH Christmas” — say what?
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
2nd line of Casio watch rings hits Japanese capsule machines and we got the secret one!Practical Zelda Tears of the Kingdom merch is here to be Hyrule-helpful in your daily life【Pics】
Starbucks releases special matcha Frappuccino made with Japan’s first matcha leaves of the yearStarbucks releases an official green tea chai latte with special Japanese ingredients
Japanese man tells friend to wear suit to wedding party, so he comes as Mobile Suit Gundam
Mt. Fuji-blocking screen installed as response to bad tourist manners to be in place by next week
Yes, our new smartphone looks like at least two Studio Ghibli anime characters, Sharp says
Tokyo’s beckoning cat temple asks foreign tourists to stop writing on the beckoning cats they buy
Kyoto study finds nearly 500 translation errors for foreign tourists, new guidelines released
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of societyLife-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】Yes, our new smartphone looks like at least two Studio Ghibli anime characters, Sharp says
New Tokyo restaurant charges higher prices to foreign tourists than Japanese locals
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
“Mt. Fuji convenience store” issues apology for bad tourist manners, adds multilingual signs2nd line of Casio watch rings hits Japanese capsule machines and we got the secret one!
Tokyo’s famous Lost in Translation hotel is closed
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screensMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950sForeigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closedDoraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Starbucks releases an official green tea chai latte with special Japanese ingredients
Japanese Lolita fashion designers create amazing Madoka Magica dresses
Japanese Mame Shiba Inu banknote design pays homage to nation’s beloved dog
“Grand sponsor Tokyo day OH Christmas” — say what?
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
It’s like the samurai era never ended at this beautiful Japanese mountain town
Genuine Muramasa blade and Muromachi katana on display at Tokyo’s Touken Ranbu store【Photos】
Father and son dissect a gachapon capsule toy machine to show us its magical insides【Video】
“I’m glad I’m Japanese” posters in Kyoto spark outrage among Japanese Twitter users
3 reasons why all Starbucks fans should visit a Starbucks Tea & Cafe in Japan
Shiratani Unsuikyo: The breathtaking anime setting where Princess Mononoke was born
Is Japan’s massive Shizuoka steak sandwich really as delicious as it looks in promo photos?