hakama

There are two types of hakama, divided and undivided. The divided type, called umanori (horse-riding hakama) are divided like trousers, but nearer the bottom of the garment. This type of hakama are often called “divided skirts”. Both types are identical in outside appearance.

Hakama are worn over a kimono. There are four straps, a long one on either side of the front of the garment, and a short one on either side of the rear. The rear of the garment has a rigid board-like section and a toggle which is tucked into the rear of the obi, and helps to keep the hakama in place.

Hakama were originally worn by samurai, and had the same function as chaps, the leather trouser protectors worn by cowboys in the west, that is, to protect the clothing.

Hakama have seven deep pleats, two on the back and five on the front. The pleats are supposed to represent the virtues considered essential by the samurai. Many martial artists continue this tradition, but different sources give different meaning to these pleats.

Men’s hakama

The most formal type of hakama are made of stiff, striped silk, usually black and white, or black and grey. These are worn with black montsuki kimono (kimono with one, three, or five family crests on the back, chest, and shoulders), white tabi (divided-toe socks), white under-kimono and woven straw sandals of various types. In colder weather a montsuki haori (long jacket) with a white haori-himo (haori-fastener) completes the outfit.

men hakama

Hakama can be worn with any type of kimono except yukata (light cotton summer kimono generally worn for relaxing, for sleeping, or at festivals or summer outings). While striped hakama are usually worn with formal kimono, stripes in colours other than black, grey and white may be worn with less formal wear. Solid and gradated colours are also common. A hakama makes any outfit a little more formal.

While hakama used to be a required part of men’s wear, nowadays men usually wear hakama only on extremely formal occasions, and at tea ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. Hakama are also regularly worn by practitioners of a variety of martial arts, such as kendo, aikido, kyudo, et cetera. It is said that the flowing fabric of the hakama can disguise the movements of the warrior giving him an advantage in combat.

Sumo wrestlers, who do not wear hakama in the context of their sport, are, however, required to wear traditional Japanese dress whenever they appear in public. As hakama are one of the most important parts of traditional male formal dress, sumo wrestlers are often seen wearing hakama when attending appropriately formal functions.

There are many ways for men to tie hakama. First, the obi is tied in a special knot (an “under-hakama knot”) at the rear; men start with the front section, bringing the ties around the back and crossing them over the top of the knot of the obi. The ties are brought to the front and crossed below the waist, then tied at the back, under the knot of the obi. The toggle is then tucked behind the obi, and the rear ties are brought to the front and tied in a variety of ways. The most formal method results in a knot that resembles two bow-ties in a cross shape.

Women’s hakama

Women’s hakama differ from men’s in a variety of ways, most notably fabric design and method of tying.

women hakama

While men’s hakama can be worn on both formal and informal occasions, women rarely wear hakama except at graduation ceremonies, though this is by no means a rule. While formal men’s hakama are made of striped fabric, women’s hakama tend to be of single-colour or gradated fabric.

Women wear hakama at the true waist, while men wear them slightly below. The method of tying the straps is also different, with women’s hakama being tied in a more simple knot.

Women also wear hakama as part of their martial arts uniforms, but only very rarely at tea ceremony.

Scarlet hakama are characteristic of miko, or female Shinto shrine attendants. Red hakama could be considered the Shinto equivalent of a Christian Nun’s habit. Monks also wear a garment that bears a small resemblance to hakama, though as it is shorter, tied differently, and made of lighter, usually orange silk, it more closely resembles an apron. Shinto shrine workers wear white kimono and white hakama.

yukata japanese

A yukata is a cooling garment to wear. It consists of one big piece of cloth with two wide sleeves. It’s not always obvious how to wear a yukata properly. An obi (belt) is used to keep the yukata from falling open. Also, a special type of sandal, geta, which only has one strap, is worn with the yukata.

Traditionally yukata were mostly made of blue-printed cotton but today there is a wide variety of colors and designs. Many young women wear yukata today, arranging them in various ways.

Amongst men, the most common use of yukata in public is when it is worn by sumo wrestlers. Junior ranked sumo wrestlers are expected to wear yukata when out in public, irrespective of the weather conditions or time of year. During the summer all wrestlers tend to wear this attire.

japanese cosplay character

The term cosplay (pronounced kosupure in Japanese) is a contraction combining the words “costume” and “play” which accurately describes the hobby of having fun by dressing up as one’s favorite characters. Besides dressing up for public events such as anime conventions, it is not unusual for teens in Japan to gather with like-minded friends just to do cosplay. Since 1998 in Tokyo Akihabara district there is a large number of cosplay cafes, catering to otaku – anime and cosplay fans. The waitresses there dress as game or anime characters. Maid costumes are particularly popular.

Cosplay has spread across the world in recent years, joining with costuming at science fiction conventions in North America and Europe. The main difference between cosplay and costuming in the United States and Europe is that in Japan people typically dress up as characters from Japanese animated films (anime), Japanese comics (manga), or Japanese video games, as compared to dressing up as Star Trek characters or in Renaissance-era costumes. The other difference is that most costuming in the United States and Europe is centered on particular events such as conventions or festivals.

One such small niche of this field are dollers, the term for an amateur kigurumi player. These cosplayer wear masks to fully transform into their characters.

Cosplayers are often called “layers” and the otaku who photograph the layers are called cameko, short for “Camera Kozo” or “Camera Boy”. The cameko give prints of their photos to the layers as gifts.

In North American otaku culture, cosplayers at conventions often find themselves on the receiving ends of glomps, a type of high-powered hug.

japanese geta

Geta are most often seen these days on the feet of sumo wrestlers. One will most likely hear them before you see them as they make a distinctive clacking noise as the wearer walks. This is sometimes mentioned as one of the sounds that older Japanese miss most in modern life. (It can also be regarded as the sound that a sumo wrestler will miss least, as only those ranked in the lowest two divisions must wear them.)

In Japan, there is a saying, “You don’t know until you have worn a geta.” This means, you can’t tell the results until the game is over.

Because wearing geta makes one look taller, the figurative meaning of wearing geta is to show something to have more amount than it actually has.

Ganguro

The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo are the center of ganguro fashion. It goes against the grain of the usual Japanese standard of female beauty, which calls for skin as white as possible. The roots of the trend are said to be in the mid-1990s, starting with a popular tanned Okinawan singer named Amuro Namie and black British fashion model Naomi Campbell.

Some sources say that the “gan” syllable in ganguro is actually from the term “gan-gan”, a vulgar emphasis word somewhat like the British use of “bloody.”

Ganguro taken to the next level is called yamanba. The Gothic lolita style can be seen as a counter-reaction to ganguro style.

gothloli

Variations of the Gothic Lolita look include “Classic Lolita” (more traditional clothing) and “Elegant Gothic Lolita” (EGL, which is heavily influenced by gothic fashion). The male analog to this fashion is “Elegant Gothic Aristocrat” (EGA) which shares EGL’s emphasis on the Victorian era, though not on children’s clothing. Gothic Lolita is also influenced by the imagery of more feminine Visual Kei (or “visual rock”) bands. Visual Kei is a Japanese form of pop music where the musical style may vary but defined by bands featuring performers in elaborate costumes.

gothloli 2

Mana, the crossdressing former leader and guitarist of the Visual Kei band Malice Mizer, is widely credited for popularizing the Gothic Lolita movement. In 1999, he founded his own fashion label, Moi-même-Moitié, for which he coined the terms Elegant Gothic Lolita and Elegant Gothic Aristocrat. Mana, a male, regularly appears in the Gothic & Lolita Bible, modelling his own Victorian-inspired designs with heavy gothic makeup and big hair. After the breakup of Malice Mizer, Mana founded his solo project, Moi Dix Mois.

The style

Typically voluminous with ribbons, lace trims and frilly knee-length skirts. Usually a combination of black and white, often black with white lace, is worn. Skirts often have a concealed crinoline. In the past, some dresses were adorned by an “Alice in Wonderland”-style apron, but this is no longer common. Skirts are usually worn with knee-high stockings. Black fishnet stockings (often with intentional holes) and white or black tights are also common. Clunky shoes, typically boots or Mary-Janes, complete the look.

Frilly, ruffled or lace-trimmed Victorian blouses are also popular especially with “EGL” types. Typically black or white is worn but grey, red, blue and pastels are occasionally accenting colors. Designs are modest, sometimes with long lace-capped sleeves. A flat chest is preferred. Cleavage and breasts are de-emphasized to preserve a child-like look. Sometimes blouses have “Peter Pan” collars and sleeves.

Headpieces often complement the outfit. Mostly black or white, headgear might consist of a headband with ruffles, ribbons, lace or bows. Sometimes even bonnets or askew top hats (also seen in EGA) are worn. Hair may be curled to complete the porcelain doll look. The naturally dark Japanese hair color is often lightened but rarely to blonde.

Makeup is used sparingly and is seen more often with EGL styles than with other GothLoli styles. Black eyeliner is typical. A pale complexion is preferred, so white foundation might be used. Red or black lipstick is seen but lighter makeup is the rule.

Gothic Lolita outfits may be accessorized with other props like conspicuous pocketbooks, hatboxes, handbags and other bags, sometimes in the shape of bats, coffins, and crucifixes. Parasols are also common as are lace gloves.

Typically, this is not everyday clothing for adherents. Worn primarily in public for concerts and on weekends, the style is mostly for show and not a practical fashion.

“Lolita”

Although “Lolita” is apparently a reference to Vladimir Nabokov’s famous novel, and GothLoli is often worn by teens, most followers of the style do not consider it overtly sexual. Adherents present themselves as Victorian children or baby dolls and prefer to look “cute” rather than “sexy”.

Goth Loli Culture

In Japan it is mass-marketed and has wide visibility particulary in the street in Tokyo, on television, in manga and computer games. Outside of Japan it is still a fringe fashion although it has slowly begun to spread to Europe and the United States. Gothic Lolita, along with Cosplay and other Japanese cultural phenomena, can be seen at concerts and anime conventions throughout Europe and the United States. The style has not yet been mass marketed outside of Japan and probably never will be. However, there are plenty of dedicated fans filling the gap. Gothic Lolita magazines are widely available for purchase on the internet and at Japanese bookstores, which also deal in anime and manga. Adherents in Europe and the United States often sew their own homemade Gothic Lolita outfits, sometimes offering them for sale to make up for the difficulty of acquiring them from Japan.

In Japan, you don’t say “make up”, but “make”. And in Japan, before you put colour on your eyes, you change the shape of your eyelids to have a “fold” over the eyes, therefore making them bigger. Via Taro (at the news section of 3Yen), you can now see what it’s like to be a Japanese woman, on a daily basis.

Kawaii Style - eye makeup

The most popular plastic surgery procedure for Japanese and Asians the so-called “double eyelid” surgery to make slanted eyes rounder. Here’s a “Makeup Lesson” for eye gluing and taping to simulate round eyes.

Watch the video here.

Kawaii Style - eye torture strip steps

 Ha ~~~  the video is quite scary, right ? I think that would be more make sense to do a one time cosmetic surgery  than doing something like that all the time….

japanese girls style

Japan iscaptivating,alluring, and holds usprisonerwith it’s endless amounts of eccentric cultural gifts; gorgeous fashions such as Gothic Lolita Style, FRUiTS style, Decora style, and the more generalized style term of:Harajuku Style.  Fashions that could either leave you in an awe-inspired wonder, or a state of bewilderment, depending on your taste and tolerance for eccentricity. 

How is Japan able to hold the attention of the world captive  Within the vast array of Asian countries, Japan’s culture has always dominated the scene, setting trends and spreading their cultural phenomenon worldwide. Citizens of the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Russia, and countless other countries find themselves infatuated withBuro Buro Dogs, Hello Kitty, or kawaii stationary. They find themselves clamoring overexpensive Japanese goods at rare Japanese import storesusually located only in major cities. We are all held prisoner by this strange charm.

So, which Japanese girls’ sub-culture(s) is / are your favorite?