Harajuku (原宿) is a district in Tokyo widely known for its outrageous youth fashion. Visual Kei is the term used for the fashion in Harajuku. Visual Kei is characterized by elaborate costumes, unusual hairstyles, and eccentric makeup. Visual Kei has become even more than a fashion style, it has developed into its own JRock (Japanese rock) genre. Some styles you might see in Harajuku are Gothic Lolita, Sweet Lolita and Oshare Kei. All of these are considered part of Visual Kei.
The Gothic Lolita look is similar to Victorian style clothing and consists of very dark colors with Gothic influences. Gothic Lolita is characterized by puffy sleeves, lots of lace, petticoats, stockings, and chunky high heeled shoes. Sweet Lolita clothing looks the same except that it is pastel colored. Both Gothic and Sweet Lolita make the wearers look like dolls.
Oshare Kei still consists of elaborate costumes, unusual hairstyles, and eccentric makeup but these outfits are more brightly colored and a modern style of Tokyo street cloth
ing. The Visual Kei bands have different sounds. Oshare Kei bands usually sing about love and have a lively beat, where as other Visual Kei bands have a darker sound.
ing. The Visual Kei bands have different sounds. Oshare Kei bands usually sing about love and have a lively beat, where as other Visual Kei bands have a darker sound. 
An interesting fact about Visual Kei is that it involves a lot of cross-dressing. Many men pose as women. Most members of Visual Kei bands are men and true to the genre, participate in dressing like women.
Harajuku is a popular meeting place for people who share similar taste in fashion and music. Harajuku and its 
Visual Kei style is my favorite thing about Japan. I love how wild the style is and that the people who wear it are not afraid to take a risk and be outrageous.
Here are a few of my favorite songs by some Visual Kei bands:
Antic Cafe - Smile Ichiban Ii Onna
Psycho le Cemu - Yume Kazaguruma
Alice Nine - Rainbows
Dir En Grey - Yokan
Visual Kei style is my favorite thing about Japan. I love how wild the style is and that the people who wear it are not afraid to take a risk and be outrageous. Here are a few of my favorite songs by some Visual Kei bands:
Antic Cafe - Smile Ichiban Ii Onna
Psycho le Cemu - Yume Kazaguruma
Alice Nine - Rainbows
Dir En Grey - Yokan
Now,that you are finished reading, take another look at the pictures I have posted in this blog entry. If you can tell me how many women there are in the all pictures combined then I will bring you a special treat on Thursday!
(don't forget to click on a picture to get a larger view!)
日本、愛してる！
7 comments:
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Wow. This is some wild stuff. I think it would be total extra bonus points if on the last day of the semester you came to class in Visual kei. Just suggesting...
Seriously, though, this blog is almost overwhelming the senses. The visuals are tight and the sounds really fit the topics. You have done a lot of great research here...but I'd like to see you continue to reference outside sources (even if you know this stuff inside-out) so that your readers can dig into the data, too.
Julie,
I have already had a few ideas going through my brain about what I will wear the last day of class! It will be a suprise!
I think I mentioned before in one of your earlier post about the Japanese fashion style. This was pretty cool to read and actually see where this came from.
When I lived in Hawaii, majority of the tourist were all from Japan and I just loved their sense of style. It was all different and unique, just like like the ones your referenced in your post.
Good job and looking forward to reading some more.
Oh yeah, that would be cool if you came to class in Visual kei :)
I like your topic it is very interesting and very different. I like how you went in details about everything like what is Harajuku. Also you made it very visual by adding pictures so we know what a Gothic and innocent Lolita looks like. I actually like the dresses they are so different can you include a link to a website where they sell those dresses?
Overall it was very unique so keep up the good work and I am looking forward to reading more. Thank you
One of my hobbies since I was a kid is learning about different cultures of the world. My focus was usually embedded in ancient culture and one of my favorites was old world Japan. However, your blog has made me interested today's Japan. Keep it up!
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