Anyway, I checked out of my hotel the next morning and on a whim decided to go to a famous mall called HEP-5, which was listed in my guidebook as attracting more visitors than Tokyo Disneyland. Maybe I'm a snobby Tokyoite now, or maybe Tokyo Disneyland really sucks, or possibly this place is just more convenient to hang out in, but I didn't find it particularly special.
Perhaps it's more impressive when it's not raining. Since it was kind of miserable outside, the ferris wheel, probably the main attraction of the mall, wasn't running. It's pretty cool looking though.
Ok, fine, I GUESS a giant ferris wheel in a mall is pretty impressive. And the first thing I saw upon entering was a gigantic red whale. O_o Interesting choice of decor...
Anyway, the rest of this entry is going to be some rambling on Japanese street fashion, so you can see later how it relates to the high-end fashion I'll be working with. ^^
Like I said before, girls are pretty feminine around here. Skirts are a lot more common (and easier to use the traditional Japanese squat-toilets in, which were also the only kind they had in the mall), heels are worn all the time, and fluffy lacy girly things are all the rage. But this store takes the little girl thing to the extreme. O_o I have never seen no much concentrated pink and white and lace and ruffles.... The fact that such a place exists is pretty awesome though. ^^ The anti-Hot Topic, perhaps?
Also, the layering is very popular. I call this particular look 'hobo chic.' My theory is that they had to think of a gimmick to get an already crazy consumer market to maintain growth, and someone said, "I know! They can wear several outfits at the same time!" There was a stunned pause, then someone started a slow clap, and the person was heralded as a marketing genius. Or at least that's how it happens in my head. :p
And here's some more layering. Though sleeveless clothes are available in Japan, hardly anyone wears them alone - it's always paired as a layer with something that has sleeves. Which in my mind, defeats the purpose of owning sleeveless things, but oh well... it can look cool sometimes. I'm really liking the sleeveless hoodie/vest thing that's really popular right now.
It's also really popular among guys fashion. A lot of the guys walking around don't restrict themselves to wearing just one shirt at a time. That's far too plebian. And useless. I bet the moms doing the laundry are secretly cursing whoever thought this up.
A close up of a shirt in the same store: you don't need two shirts if it's warm enough outside to wear short sleeves, but I must admit that it looks pretty cool here. By the way, I was wearing the shirt/hoodie thing I got yesterday, and the attendant at the store said my shirt was cute. ^^
More guys clothes, pretty normal looking actually.
And EWWWW pointy-toed guys shoes. SNEAKER-INSPIRED, punked-up, pointy-toed guys shoes. It's like a pair of converses had illicit affairs with a pair of cowboy boots, and this was the shameful result. A horror to rival super-high-waisted pants.... I'll post a picture later from the Guts Dynamite Caberet show at last season's Tokyo collection, and you'll understand the true extent of their terror.
The jean selection however, it awesome. If your waist is 28 inches or under, of course.
And SHOES. Like, every female in Tokyo wears heels. I totally saw a girl at the subway station today that couldn't have been more than 7 years old, and she was sandals with maybe a 1 inch plastic heel. O_o Anyway, the point is that Japan has the cutest shoes ever - but they only make them up to size 8! ::sighs:: Stupid Japanese girls and their dainty feet... ::grumble::
But the elevator system was designed to be like a piece of modern art. ^_^ This is the view from one of them. ^^
Also, I think it's hilarious how there's no euphanism for this - it's just 'black music'. -_-;;
Likewise, my section is 'loud' music. I just got excited about this section cause I listen to every single band on this display case. Though, it was depressing to note with surprise that not only had the Used released another CD without my knowing, but it had made it all the way to JAPAN without my knowing. Gone are the carefree days of high school, when I could follow CD releases...
And Snoopytown! You'd think this would be a novelty store, but it's actually a chain - they're one in Harajuku too. O_o I never knew there was enough demand for plush Snoopy toys to support an entire chain of stores, but I guess economics continues to baffle me. Like how in perfectly competitive markets price is equal to average total cost, and the net profit is zero. When I found that out, I had a mathematical existential crisis brought on by a sudden acute understanding of the meaningless struggle of commerce. Unluckily there was also problem in my homework dealing with comparative advantage in a closed system, so that made me feel better. ::goes back and reads this sentence:: And this my friends, is why you should never mix pseudo-science and philosophy with blogging...
Anyway, after the mall I decided to go to Kyoto. ^_^ Theres usually a bullet train leaving every fifteen minutes or so, so I can leave pretty much any time I want. ^^ I bought lunch at the station, but they put wasabi in the MAKI (roll)!! So hot. >_< The reason for this picture though, is so you can see my soy-sauce packet, which is in the shape of a fish! Cute. ^_^
So then it was a quick ride to Kyoto, where I finally found my hotel after a bit of a search. And let me tell you, it's the most luxurious 25$ hotel I've ever stayed in. I'll put on pictures in the next entry so you can see what I'm talking about. But anyway, above you can see the girls' dormitory (there are 6 beds, but only 4 were occupied), which was full of a bunch of Korean girls, and me. All the beds have curtains that you can pull around, so it's like having your own little capsule hotel, and there's also free internet, free laundry machines, outlets embedded in the bed frame, fluffy down comforters, and really nice bathrooms. The only catch is that it's in a residential area and the owner is really Japanese, so you kind of have to follow all the customs pretty strictly, be very tidy, and speak Japanese somewhat (qualifications which discourage rowdy American backpackers, I'm assuming). But seriously, that place was creepily spotless. I once came in later while they were cleaning, and it was insanity! The place was still very neat, but they were scrubbing the floor until I could see my reflection in it almost. O_o
Also, here's a picture of the fridge and tea kettle. ^^ Note the shiny floor. My hair's really long, so it kind of gets everywhere, but every night when I came back, there was not a hair to be seen. O_o Best lone/Japan-savvy traveler deal in Kyoto, hands down.
Anyway, I'm gonna go to sleep now, it's a busy weekend. O_o But I'll try to put up another entry in the next couple days....
In unrelated news, the Harry Potter 5 comes out in America in the next couple days, but doesn't come out in Japan for another week. :( I'll be there in spirit though - waiting outside the movie theater in Mira Mesa for the midnight showing.... in costume.... It didn't occur to me that I could probably just do the same thing here a week later though, so I left my slytherin tie at home. :/
Eh, oh well, just means I won't get shown up by Japanese cosplayers. ^^
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