Ginza Afternoon

One recent Sunday I spent walking around Ginza and enjoying the few car free hours where the main street is closed down for traffic. This place is great in the summer but even in the winter it’s a little bit crowded and fun to watch people enjoying their Sunday afternoons off. Ginza is the luxury center of Japan and quite a few people are very well dressed, the best one I saw this time was the little boy in the jeans overall and cap! Too cute. But winning the cute prize were the two little kids who took the opportunity to hug a promotional mascot character. I saw it out of the corner of my eye and had my camera up to catch the hug, being sure it was going to be over in a second or two, but the hug just went on and on, the kids wouldn’t let go and the guys doing the promotion almost seemed embarrassed by it! I don’t think I’ve seen that much public affection in a long time! There was also a wonderfully cute pair of sisters having a good time in the wide street, and a wonderfully fluffy Japanese spitz that seemed interested in my camera. If you have a free Sunday afternoon in Tokyo, going people watching in Ginza might be a good way to spend it! Oh, and that man with his daughter is going into my “Handsome men with their kids” folder!

This Winter’s Fashion Item?

I’ve been searching for months what the fashion item most popular here in Tokyo this autumn is but there doesn’t seem to be anything, not like the stockings of two years ago or the fur boots of last year’s. But I think I have a clue: the slouch hat! I see maybe once a day on the streets of Tokyo’s more fashionable areas, more so than any other headwear, so although it is not much of a trend, it’s certainly something! I am a little bit miffed that my deer stalker prediction hasn’t come true yet though! I saw this young lady in Shinjuku early this month.

More Shibuya Fashion Check – November

A few more of the November edition of the Fashion check! I think the guys win in this round, for once. Ladies fashion seems a little bit more subdued this year, and people seem to be dressing warmer to prepare for a colder winter. Still, I love taking these kinds of photos. The only problem is that it takes a lot of time! Enjoy!

Shibuya Fashion Check – November

It’s been a long time since I did any proper fashion checks, mostly because there hasn’t been any definitive trends for this season yet. As hard as I look I can’t find any common thread or theme in the autumn styles! So instead of trying to pick up on any one theme I decided to be much more democratic and just show you some of the cool looking people, no matter what their style is, passing me in Shibuya last weekend.

The government has asked people to dress up warmly for the coming winter, in an effort to save on electricity for heating, and the fashion magazines are vague on what will be the big thing this autumn and winter. It also seems that people are deliberately consuming less new fashion, which is good for the cheaper low cost brands that are currently taking over Japan, but not so good for the usually vibrant domestic fashion industry. Still, one of the best ways to spend an evening in Shibuya is just to hang out and watch people!

The only slight trend that I was able to pick up on is this summer’s big item, the empty frames glasses! A pair of thick plastic glasses without the glass has been seen on many blogs around the world lately and debate rages whether it started in South Korea and got really famous when brave tourists brought it to Tokyo last spring. Or it is a completely Japanese thing. The new thing for the summer/autumn though, is that some guys have picked up on the fashion, and it looks just as crazily cool on guys as on girls. See photos 3 and 4 in this post!