Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo's fashion


Multimillion diamonds
Couple about to leave the hyper-chic Prada store in Ayama.
omotesando
Passersby pass in front of a window in the sophisticated neighborhood of Omotesando.
another fashion
Goth-androgen-looking teenager in Harajuku.
Nissan
Employees promote a new Nissan brand model.
Ginza-Shiseido
Casal strolls in front of the luxurious windows of Ginza, the most valuable neighborhood in the Japanese capital.
tinned t-shirts
Teenagers choose t-shirts packaged in a mirrored shop in Harajuku.
street models
Models promote a brand on one of the main streets in Tokyo's Ginza neighborhood.
Geek Fashion
Teenager dressed in fashion also known internationally for geek.
Criminal-Police Fashion
Passersby admire the creative window of a store in Ginza.
wedding fashion
Guests at a traditional Shinto wedding display expensive and sophisticated garments and bags.
street makeup
A woman improvises makeup on a street in Shibuya.
Prada by Herzog & De Meuron
An employee descends a staircase in the elegant building of the Prada store in the Ayama district.
Lolita
Lolita exhibits, in Harajuku, a look that is much appreciated by a layer of Japanese cosplay fans.
for cinderellas
Exquisite shoe showcase in the Omotesando district.
endless tokyo
Panoramic view of a seemingly endless Tokyo.
In ultra-populous and hyper-coded Japan, there is always room for more sophistication and creativity. Whether national or imported, it is in the capital that they begin to parade the new Japanese looks.

A small flag flutters over the clock tower of the Wako warehouses.

The dial reads 14.05 and clocks another sunny afternoon on the radiant Chuo-dori avenue.

We are in the heart of Ginza, the Tokyo neighborhood known, among other wonders, for having the most expensive real estate on the face of the Earth and second only to its neighbor Chiyoda, where the emperor resides.

From 1612 to 1800, this neighborhood housed the mint that produced part of the silver cash that circulated in Japan. The factory, in addition to invigorating the Japanese economy, ended up lending its name to the area and, today, more than ever, that name fits him perfectly.

couple, shop windows, ginza, Fashion, Tokyo, Japan

Casal strolls in front of the luxurious windows of Ginza, the most valuable neighborhood in the Japanese capital.

The Exquisite and Sophisticated Tokyo of Ginza

One square meter of land in the center of Ginza is worth around 100.000 euros (around 10 million yen). Virtually all the leading brands in the fashion and cosmetics world have a glamorous presence there.

They attract wealthy families driven by eager wives and groups of young people obsessed with the colors and shapes of the most famous logos. City authorities know how much this consumer fever can yield.

harajuku, t-shirt, tin, Fashion, Tokyo, Japan

Teenagers choose t-shirts packaged in a mirrored shop in Harajuku.

On weekends, they close the avenue to traffic, from early morning until almost dusk. They hand it over to a crowd that roams and re-walks from top to bottom under the smug gaze of Western models on the high billboards.

We leave Le Café Doutor, half-recovered from fatigue for a hot drink, and embark on the new adventure in this incorrigible realm of capitalism that a Buddhist monk in a yellow cape, a conical bamboo hat and white ankle boots seems to challenge, begging for alms from busy souls .

Across the street, an upscale Nissan booth is overcrowded. Inside, its new model Z Fairlady is displayed on a chrome and swivel platform and the space is not enough for so many interested parties.

Nissan, car, Fashion, Tokyo, Japan

Employees promote a new Nissan brand model.

Curious and occasional photographers compete for each piece of the vehicle and several lost heads follow the presentations of the car through the window.

The Japanese Fashion of Consumerism

We continue down Chuo-dori and, after passing countless idolized multinational stores, we find an orderly line of more than 100 meters that fills part of the avenue's sidewalk and serves as a pretext for a city policeman to pass the time, ordering them forward and step back who is misaligned, even if only 10 or 20 centimeters.

The store where the queue starts offers a short period of discounts and has been around since it opened its doors, forcing the last customers to have endless waits.

Other strategies serve the same attraction. We turn our backs and are faced with a formation of Japanese models that parade along the road at long paces and adapted to that asphalt catwalk.

In suggestive mini-skirts and high-heeled gladiator sandals, the teenagers stand out from the short passers-by and promote the irreverent design of such a new Esperanza collection.

models, Fashion, Tokyo, Japan

Models promote a brand on one of the main streets in Tokyo's Ginza neighborhood.

The predominant female dedication to appearance increasingly motivates the opposite sex to take care of themselves. To the point that, in Tokyo, and all over Japan, many men now walk around with suitcases, wallets and fanny packs as genuine as faces, made up, with eyebrows fixed.

On other occasions, we have investigated the phenomenon in commercial areas that compete with the metropolis and the truth is that, apart from one variable or another, the generalized consumerist tendency remains.

Omotesando, Aoyama, Shibuya – A Whole Urban Frenzy for Profit

In the upscale areas of Omotesando and Aoyama, some of the world's fashion gurus – Prada, Louis Vuitton, Channel, Empório Armani, Dior etc. – they have hired architectural gurus and built splendid branches that add value to their products and to the metropolis.

Prada, Ayama, Work, Fashion, Tokyo, Japan

An employee descends a staircase in the elegant building of the Prada store in the Ayama district.

Shibuya has become even more famous since “Lost in Translation” once again revealed his most crossed crossing in the world.

I didn't need the extra stimulus but, in competitive Tokyo, all outreach actions – planned or spontaneous – are welcome and many thousands of foreigners are known to visit the area every year just to admire the strange ebb and flow. urban people.

Those who do, reveal the creative freshness of Japanese youth and the fashions and countless sub-fashions of the street: the lolita, the gyaru (hyper-makeup and produced women in general), the kogal (which uses school uniforms), among so many others.

gothic, young, portrait, Fashion, Tokyo, Japan

Goth-androgen-looking teenager in Harajuku.

They also discover parallel manifestations of Japanese culture such as the cult of purikura (amazing digital photography and post-processing stores), the design of noisy halls of pashiko (game of chance based on a movement of spheres, to which many natives have become addicted) and the exotic vision of black rappers who call clients to the “Americanized” bars and clubs for which they work.

The Creative Stronghold and Outside the Harajuku Box

Nearby, the Harajuku district stretches the concept of creativity to the maximum tolerated by Japanese society and goes beyond the limits without major ceremonies.

The unprejudiced stores on Takeshita Street delight teenagers who find clothes and accessories there that allow them to build their exclusive styles, recycled or deprived after just a few days.

In such a way, brands use them as thermometers and testing centers for their most daring products.

Hundreds of trains a day stop at the Harajuku railway station and pass under the wide bridge that leads from the neighborhood to Yoyogi Forest Park and its Meiji Temple, a duo that continue to safeguard the city's Japanese Shinto honor.

Cosplay, Tokyobillies and a Count of Other Fashions

When we cross it, the bridge is handed over to Tokyo's most exotic urban clans. Shy Lolitas chat in the surroundings but it is the androgynous Visual key cosplay characters that stand out the most: those who wear striking makeup, hair and clothes, in a black way.

Besides them, the Dolly Key, inspired by the Japanese vision of the Middle Ages and fables, and the Fairy Key, an 80's variant of Lolitas that uses different tones and patterns.

lolita, portrait, Fashion, Tokyo, Japan

Lolita exhibits, in Harajuku, a look that is much appreciated by a layer of Japanese cosplay fans.

They are only a tiny part of the currents of the prolific street fashion of Tokyo.

Two rockablies and proud bikers to salarymen of black facts and the edoko geeks (from Tokyo), Japanese expressions intersect in the vast metropolis and compose a spectrum that does not stop renewing itself.

Opportunistic businessmen in the capital know how to exploit this wealth. Brands such as A Bathing Ape, Comme des Garçons, Evisu, Head Porter, Original Fake, Uniqlo, Visvim, W, TAPs and XLarge employ the best breeders and generate astronomical profits.

sandals, shoes, showcase, Fashion, Tokyo, Japan

Exquisite shoe showcase in the Omotesando district.

Not everyone is consensual. Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo have become the exponents of Japanese fashion and their pieces are displayed at the most renowned fashion events.

And yet, in many countries, all too often, their creations are considered impossible to wear.

Tokyo, Japan

The Endless Night of the Rising Sun Capital

Say that Tokyo do not sleep is an understatement. In one of the largest and most sophisticated cities on the face of the Earth, twilight marks only the renewal of the frenetic daily life. And there are millions of souls that either find no place in the sun, or make more sense in the “dark” and obscure turns that follow.
Tokyo, Japan

A Matchmaking Sanctuary

Tokyo's Meiji Temple was erected to honor the deified spirits of one of the most influential couples in Japanese history. Over time, it specialized in celebrating traditional weddings.
Tokyo, Japan

Japanese Style Passaport-Type Photography

In the late 80s, two Japanese multinationals already saw conventional photo booths as museum pieces. They turned them into revolutionary machines and Japan surrendered to the Purikura phenomenon.
Tokyo, Japan

The Emperor Without Empire

After the capitulation in World War II, Japan underwent a constitution that ended one of the longest empires in history. The Japanese emperor is, today, the only monarch to reign without empire.
Japan

The Beverage Machines Empire

There are more than 5 million ultra-tech light boxes spread across the country and many more exuberant cans and bottles of appealing drinks. The Japanese have long since stopped resisting them.
Tokyo, Japan

Pachinko: The Video - Addiction That Depresses Japan

It started as a toy, but the Japanese appetite for profit quickly turned pachinko into a national obsession. Today, there are 30 million Japanese surrendered to these alienating gaming machines.
Tokyo, Japan

Disposable Purrs

Tokyo is the largest of the metropolises but, in its tiny apartments, there is no place for pets. Japanese entrepreneurs detected the gap and launched "catteries" in which the feline affections are paid by the hour.
Tokyo, Japan

The Fish Market That Lost its Freshness

In a year, each Japanese eats more than their weight in fish and shellfish. Since 1935, a considerable part was processed and sold in the largest fish market in the world. Tsukiji was terminated in October 2018, and replaced by Toyosu's.
Helsinki, Finland

The Design that Came from the Cold

With much of the territory above the Arctic Circle, Finns respond to the climate with efficient solutions and an obsession with art, aesthetics and modernism inspired by neighboring Scandinavia.
Masai Mara Reservation, Masai Land Travel, Kenya, Masai Convivial
Safari
Masai Mara, Kenya

A Journey Through the Masai Lands

The Mara savannah became famous for the confrontation between millions of herbivores and their predators. But, in a reckless communion with wildlife, it is the Masai humans who stand out there.
Braga or Braka or Brakra in Nepal
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 6th – Braga, Nepal

The Ancient Nepal of Braga

Four days of walking later, we slept at 3.519 meters from Braga (Braka). Upon arrival, only the name is familiar to us. Faced with the mystical charm of the town, arranged around one of the oldest and most revered Buddhist monasteries on the Annapurna circuit, we continued our journey there. acclimatization with ascent to Ice Lake (4620m).
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Architecture & Design
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Adventure
Volcanoes

Mountains of Fire

More or less prominent ruptures in the earth's crust, volcanoes can prove to be as exuberant as they are capricious. Some of its eruptions are gentle, others prove annihilating.
Ice cream, Moriones Festival, Marinduque, Philippines
Ceremonies and Festivities
Marinduque, Philippines

When the Romans Invade the Philippines

Even the Eastern Empire didn't get that far. In Holy Week, thousands of centurions seize Marinduque. There, the last days of Longinus, a legionary converted to Christianity, are re-enacted.
Emma
Cities
Melbourne, Australia

An "Asienated" Australia

Cultural capital aussie, Melbourne is also frequently voted the best quality of life city in the world. Nearly a million eastern emigrants took advantage of this immaculate welcome.
young saleswoman, nation, bread, uzbekistan
Meal
Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, The Nation That Does Not Lack Bread

Few countries employ cereals like Uzbekistan. In this republic of Central Asia, bread plays a vital and social role. The Uzbeks produce it and consume it with devotion and in abundance.
Kigurumi Satoko, Hachiman Temple, Ogimashi, Japan
Culture
Ogimashi, Japan

An Historical-Virtual Japan

"Higurashi no Naku Koro never” was a highly successful Japanese animation and computer game series. In Ogimashi, Shirakawa-Go village, we live with a group of kigurumi of their characters.
Sport
Competitions

Man: an Ever Tested Species

It's in our genes. For the pleasure of participating, for titles, honor or money, competitions give meaning to the world. Some are more eccentric than others.
Mount Lamjung Kailas Himal, Nepal, altitude sickness, mountain prevent treat, travel
Traveling
Annapurna Circuit: 2th - Chame a Upper BananaNepal

(I) Eminent Annapurnas

We woke up in Chame, still below 3000m. There we saw, for the first time, the snowy and highest peaks of the Himalayas. From there, we set off for another walk along the Annapurna Circuit through the foothills and slopes of the great mountain range. towards Upper Banana.
San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Zapatismo, Mexico, San Nicolau Cathedral
Ethnic
San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico

The Home Sweet Home of Mexican Social Conscience

Mayan, mestizo and Hispanic, Zapatista and tourist, country and cosmopolitan, San Cristobal has no hands to measure. In it, Mexican and expatriate backpacker visitors and political activists share a common ideological demand.
View of Fa Island, Tonga, Last Polynesian Monarchy
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Got2Globe Portfolio

Exotic Signs of Life

Kirkjubour, Streymoy, Faroe Islands
History
Kirkjubour, streymoy, Faroe Islands

Where the Faroese Christianity Washed Ashore

A mere year into the first millennium, a Viking missionary named Sigmundur Brestisson brought the Christian faith to the Faroe Islands. Kirkjubour became the shelter and episcopal seat of the new religion.
Montserrat island, Plymouth, Soufriere volcano, path to volcano
Islands
Montserrat, Lesser Antilles

The Island of the Volcano that Refuses to Sleep

In the Antilles, volcanoes called Soufrière abound. That of Montserrat, re-awakened in 1995, and remains one of the most active. Upon discovery of the island, we re-enter the exclusion area and explore the areas still untouched by the eruptions.  
Passengers on the frozen surface of the Gulf of Bothnia, at the base of the "Sampo" icebreaker, Finland
Winter White
Kemi, Finland

It's No "Love Boat". Breaks the Ice since 1961

Built to maintain waterways through the most extreme arctic winter, the icebreaker Sampo” fulfilled its mission between Finland and Sweden for 30 years. In 1988, he reformed and dedicated himself to shorter trips that allow passengers to float in a newly opened channel in the Gulf of Bothnia, in clothes that, more than special, seem spacey.
Cove, Big Sur, California, United States
Literature
Big Sur, USA

The Coast of All Refuges

Over 150km, the Californian coast is subjected to a vastness of mountains, ocean and fog. In this epic setting, hundreds of tormented souls follow in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and Henri Miller.
kings canyon, red centre, heart, australia
Nature
Red Center, Australia

Australia's Broken Heart

The Red Center is home to some of Australia's must-see natural landmarks. We are impressed by the grandeur of the scenarios but also by the renewed incompatibility of its two civilizations.
Sheki, Autumn in the Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Autumn Homes
Autumn
Sheki, Azerbaijan

autumn in the caucasus

Lost among the snowy mountains that separate Europe from Asia, Sheki is one of Azerbaijan's most iconic towns. Its largely silky history includes periods of great harshness. When we visited it, autumn pastels added color to a peculiar post-Soviet and Muslim life.
Esteros del Iberá, Pantanal Argentina, Alligator
Natural Parks
Iberá Wetlands, Argentina

The Pantanal of the Pampas

On the world map, south of the famous brazilian wetland, a little-known flooded region appears, but almost as vast and rich in biodiversity. the Guarani expression Y bera defines it as “shining waters”. The adjective fits more than its strong luminance.
Conflicted Way
UNESCO World Heritage
Jerusalem, Israel

Through the Belicious Streets of Via Dolorosa

In Jerusalem, while traveling the Via Dolorosa, the most sensitive believers realize how difficult the peace of the Lord is to achieve in the most disputed streets on the face of the earth.
In elevator kimono, Osaka, Japan
Characters
Osaka, Japan

In the Company of Mayu

Japanese nightlife is a multi-faceted, multi-billion business. In Osaka, an enigmatic couchsurfing hostess welcomes us, somewhere between the geisha and the luxury escort.
Bather, The Baths, Devil's Bay (The Baths) National Park, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Beaches
Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Virgin Gorda's Divine “Caribbaths”

Discovering the Virgin Islands, we disembark on a tropical and seductive seaside dotted with huge granite boulders. The Baths seem straight out of the Seychelles but they are one of the most exuberant marine scenery in the Caribbean.
Promise?
Religion
Goa, India

To Goa, Quickly and in Strength

A sudden longing for Indo-Portuguese tropical heritage makes us travel in various transports but almost non-stop, from Lisbon to the famous Anjuna beach. Only there, at great cost, were we able to rest.
On Rails
On Rails

Train Travel: The World Best on Rails

No way to travel is as repetitive and enriching as going on rails. Climb aboard these disparate carriages and trains and enjoy the best scenery in the world on Rails.
Ditching, Alaska Fashion Life, Talkeetna
Society
Talkeetna, Alaska

Talkeetna's Alaska-Style Life

Once a mere mining outpost, Talkeetna rejuvenated in 1950 to serve Mt. McKinley climbers. The town is by far the most alternative and most captivating town between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Visitors at Talisay Ruins, Negros Island, Philippines
Daily life
Talisay City, Philippines

Monument to a Luso-Philippine Love

At the end of the 11th century, Mariano Lacson, a Filipino farmer, and Maria Braga, a Portuguese woman from Macau, fell in love and got married. During the pregnancy of what would be her 2th child, Maria succumbed to a fall. Destroyed, Mariano built a mansion in his honor. In the midst of World War II, the mansion was set on fire, but the elegant ruins that endured perpetuate their tragic relationship.
São João Farm, Pantanal, Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul, sunset
Wildlife
Fazenda São João, Miranda, Brazil

Pantanal with Paraguay in Sight

When the Fazenda Passo do Lontra decided to expand its ecotourism, it recruited the other family farm, the São João. Further away from the Miranda River, this second property reveals a remote Pantanal, on the verge of Paraguay. The country and the homonymous river.
Passengers, scenic flights-Southern Alps, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand

The Aeronautical Conquest of the Southern Alps

In 1955, pilot Harry Wigley created a system for taking off and landing on asphalt or snow. Since then, his company has unveiled, from the air, some of the greatest scenery in Oceania.