Friday, April 23, 2010

Tokyo shops I love and meeting youtube idols

I've had a pretty bad asthma attack, which pretty much always happens to me in Japan. Its the mixture of pollution, change of weather, the fact they smoke indoors and various other things such as msg in a lot of the food. All of which are triggers for an attack, combining them all makes the attack rather bad and its meant I've been stuck in bed for the last 3 days, not fun at all. Before I got sick though I did head out to some of my fave stores here in Tokyo.

Wut Berlin
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Wut Berlin is in Harajuku and is run by the lovely Yann who hails from France. The store sells innovative European designers work such as Andrea Crews (who were meant to be coming to Tokyo this week for an exhibition party but due to the Iceland Volcano they had to cancel) as well as local Tokyo designers work too. I love the stores concept:

"In recent years, Berlin has become a place like the heaven for international creators: artists, musicians and fashion designers work hand in hand and constantly develop new trends.
"Wut berlin" will show a selection of young Berlin and international designers in a space which reflects the beauty and the chaos of Berlin city. It is a space that offers prospects, possibilities of change and rediscovery."

As well as the idea behind the amazing tiling which I thought was just for aesthetic purposes:

"Main material of the store is white ceramic squares that express neutrality of individuals. But, the deeper you enter into the store, the more those white ceramic squares start to crack, and they finally become completely broken. This meaning is to reveal inner complexity of individuals"

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You can see Yann and the shop girl hiding behind the tree.

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Shoe remodel by Yann. People in Melbourne were saying recently studs were dead, well I would have to say hell no to that because everywhere I look in Tokyo there is something studded.

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Candy
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Candy recently relocated from their out of the way Shinjuku Ni-chome basement store to the right in the heart of the action new 4 level building in Shibuya with them in the prime ground floor spot. In the same building is the famed vintage select store Sister and an exhibition space as well as a as yet unannounced store to open soon. One of the best things about this store is their awesome blog so that you can follow what they have been wearing and stocking from back home keeping up to date on Tokyo trends.

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Beckii Cruel
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Beckii Cruel is a youtube idol here in Japan (idol is the word used for celeb here). It was pretty random seeing her in Harajuku being filmed for tv and being swamped by fans as it was only the week before I somehow discovered her youtube channel while bored back home one day which lead to me watching nearly all of her videos (see I told you I was bored before I decided to come to Tokyo early!) She is popular with the Akiba otaku set and its all a little sleazy really as there is a slight pedo feel to the whole thing. But she wasn't to know when she started uploading her innocent dancing videos back in her home in the Isle of Mann that any of this would happen, its hard to understand the whole in Japan its ok for grown men to watch young women in school girl outfits dance and be cute to jpop in theatres and cafes in Akihabara and then read pedo rape manga on the train home. I actually bumped into her the next day, again in Harajuku, and spoke to her and her mum (in the background of this photo) and they are just kinda thrilled to be able to have fun with this new found fame in Japan and seeing what happens. It would be exciting to be on tv in Japan and have a dvd and all the other things Beckii now has. I just don't know if they understand the gross elements of it just yet? Or if they care? I don't even know why they should care, maybe it is all just innocent dancing fun.

22 comments:

  1. so much goodness! love living vicariously through you :)

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  2. wowwww tokyo looks so amazing. i love andrea crews too! and yehh that youtube idol young girl dancing thing is very creepy . I don't really know what to make of it, I suppose looking/imagining is one thing but acting upon it is another (in regards to the manga/cafes etc). And the virtual element detaches it from reality so hopefully it becomes just fantasy/entertainment. I guess old men have always enjoyed looking at young girls, it's just now taking on new forms especially in Japan where there seems to be an openness about it that we don't have in Australia. but still...creepy. also I could be wrong about the above, having never been to Japan.

    but anyway, really loving you Tokyo posts!!! hope your asthma gets better - I get it too and it is a bitch.

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  3. hay hay im so desperate to shop in JAPANN... need some new hot metallic shittt!!!! wish was there!!!
    and GAGA!!! far outtt!!!
    oxo

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  4. Love the Mario bling necklaces!

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  5. Yea, the whole Akihabara/otaku/manga/pedo thing really creeps me out. I've heard a little about it, but I guess I don't know enough to really understand.

    But the shops are awesome. I've seen Wut Berlin and Candy both a lot through street snap sites and magazines I own, but have never been to either one! I really don't know how I missed Wut Berlin considering how much I've walked all over the back streets of Harajuku! Keep the good posts coming, and I hope you feel better soon! It must suck feeling crappy when in Japan!

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  7. hiya hayley, was great to meet you the other day!

    As for the pedo element- my demographics are 50-50 male and female, not as bad as everyone thinks. We're working on a more teenage market, I'm not as far out as to think that being watched by old men is okay you know. However, considering that in Shibuya and Harajuku people know who I am, I really hope I can get my dream :)

    But yeah, I looove your blog! I'll have to check out some of the places you mentioned, and I hope your asthma is better soon!

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  8. Wow! These Tokyo shops are so cool. I love their interiors and of course all the funky designs they have.
    Guess it's a stylist's paradise.

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  9. Saw a doco on the tele last night about the anime industry and how they are turning to anime porn to make ends meet; kinda sad and disturbing.


    Sleekit x

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  10. Harajuku is amazing that way isn't it? I ran into Adam Lambert while I was there! There's a few stores you mention that I don't know - must check them out.

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  11. I don't know if you've noticed (probably have as you may have taken the subway out to farther burbs of japan) but there are signs on some passenger cars that say "women only" due to non consensual petting...

    Its true there is a ton of MSG in the food, especially the cheaper/faster eats which is what I've enjoyed the last time I went there....So jealous you get to be in Japan!! Hope the asthma attacks have gone away by now.

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  12. i checked out beckii cruel from your link!
    it is very interesting.
    i totally agree on the creepy perv thing being weird in japan.
    its like they dont think its odd or something!
    i even feel those maid cafes are really weird.
    ive never been but i imagine it'd be weird seeing fake maids spoon feed old men.

    thanks for your shopping tips for tokyo.
    i will check them out next time i am there.
    i was only in ginza for a couple of hours to have lunch at laduree and check out hermes.
    (laduree do a vegetarian club sandwhich)
    and also
    good news,
    disneyland has replaces their ultra bad "vegie burger" with a reall nice pasta dish at the "east side cafe" it was 1900 yen for salad ( nice salad) pasta bread roll and unlimited drinks.
    so thats a good deal !

    also one of my fav vegie places in tokyo
    is momonoki house
    http://www2.odn.ne.jp/mominoki_house/map_eigo.htm
    its about a 5 minute walk from lotteria in harajuku.

    hope you have a lovely trip!

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  13. Hope you are feeling better...those window displays are fabulous! And I'm loving those studded trainers.
    Very snappy!
    snappy x
    www.snappylifestyle.blogspot.com

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  14. Are you allergic to MSG? It always gives me asthma attacks and I find it's often in japanese food unfortunately...

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  15. I'm worried about you (husband and youngest kid have asthma)! I wish you had a nebulizer to travel with!

    Let everyone know when you're up and about, xo

    ps I hope you bump into Sea and run off with some of her shoes.

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  16. Ohhhhh how I miss shopping in Tokyo! I havent seen the new Candy location, but am pretty sure there is magic going on in there!
    And as for the youtube star, wowza! I can only imagine just how much they love her over there. Hilarious!
    Looks like you had some fun darling! Next time we really need to schedule to be there together!

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  17. Hi!!

    I've awarded you the Beautiful Blogger Award over at my blog --> http://extralargeaslife.com/

    xox Nat

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  18. I love how you say - maybe it is all just innocent dancing fun.

    It made me GRIN.

    Great photos. I am loving your Japan trip! xxx.

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  19. This is insane.. I lived in Tokyo for 9 years, worked in fashion and speak fluent Japanese but your knowledge is just crazy! Well done! Makes me so homesick for Tokyo though...

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  20. yeah i've always wondered whether beckii knows old men salivate over her...she has young fans too though right?

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  21. tokyo looks like it was absolutely amazing!

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