Everyone can be Anyone in Japan

Everyone can be someone in Japan. Anyone can be someone.
It doesn’t matter who you are, you are someone in Japan.

Having stayed in Japan for 2 small weeks, one cannot give a full view of how life in Japan would be. And I don’t think I can fully understand life in Japan neither. For that, I think I’ll need to stay here a bit longer. But that’s not possible, so for now I’ll share my thoughts for Japan that has been accumulated for the past 2 weeks.

Japan, land of mix between ancient culture and high-tech society. Old shrines, temples, castles and high sky graspers. Kimono’s, Yukata’s, Jimbei’s and the latest fashion to cosplay. Formal etiquette manners to the small distance zone in metro’s, where it won’t be odd if someone fall asleep on your shoulder. (although I’ve never experience it to come this far.)

The upcoming few posts will be about Life in Japan as what I’ve experience about it. And of course the daily updates on our trip. (Don’t worry it won’t be long, I’ll keep it short. ‘Short-bites’ nicer to read =)

“Everyone can be someone in Japan”

That’s really true. The first time you set foot on Japan you will be shocked or at least surprised at how everyone looks. How everyone are dressed. A lot of youngsters wears the latest fashion (Asian fashion) or are just so fashionable it become an own style.You can truly wear whatever you like. If you like to have the most odd-looking style you can do that. Nobody will look weird at you. Maybe everyone is used to it. Maybe that’s true on one hand, but also I guess people won’t care too much. Frankly saying, I don’t know. All these youngsters with cosplay, gotchic clothing, maid dresses, I don’t know how the other Japanese people think about it. I guess they already had accepted this phenomenon but they’ll still look up from time to time.

So if you’re young, you can do whatever you like so it seems. Live while you’re young so it seems. Cause when you grow older, you’ll get a real job eventually. And when that happens, the fun time is over.

Still, even if you grow older, you still can do whatever you want. If you like anime, manga and games (one of the things where Japan is famous for) you’ll find your place in Japan.

Friday 14 August – Akihabara
A place famous for its many many electronics stores, but also for the many many anime, manga and games stuff. All the otaku, geeks, nerds or whatever you want to call them come here to ‘be themselves’. All the people who our ‘outcasts’ of the society, all those who live for fictional stories and characters gather here to live their interests. To live their lives. Nobody will judge them here. If they want to go to places like these they can. (See photo below: ‘Noone under the age of 18 permitted’)If they want to go to a maid café they can. If you ask me what a maid café is, I can give you a few answers. A normal objective one would be, a funny place where girls dressed up as maids serve you and can play games with you and take pictures with you. It sounds like fun, doesn’t matter whether you’re otaku/geek or not. An other answer is a rather depressing one: A place for the otaku’s to live out their fantasies of maids. Girls accompanying them, and talk to them and have fun. Cause in real life no girls would dress up and act like maids. And no girls would be as nice to them in real life.
I know it’s a rather harsh point of view, but in ‘some’ way it’s true. But it’s all good. It doesn’t matter. I’m not judging anyone. I mean it seems like a fun place to go to for me too =).

Photo below: Maids handing out leaflets to attract customers/ It's really hard to hand out leaflets, cause noone ever takes them.

This photo has 2 things. 1: The maid ofcourse, which you'll see alot in Akihabara. The 2nd is the couple on the photo. Are they a couple? The women looks like the mother of the guy?! It's so weird, I don't get it anymore...

Wonder what all the people are watching at? Some new game. They just all stand there in the middle of the street to watch it.

A maid cafe...photos were not allowed. I took them anyways...(afterwards being spoken to by the staff for: "Noo picture!" )

(No we did not went in any of these shops. Only anime/manga merchandise stores and game arcades.)

Saturday 15 August – Shibuya

Shibuya, the place for the young and the reckless. A place to be for the latest trends in fashion, music and all the important things of youth culture. Gold dyed hair? It’s not special. You got to try a bit harder. Now green or blue hair will stand out! Just wear whatever you want. Look at this kid with the green shirt. His shoes are like uber crazy. If you would wear those in the Netherlands, people will laugh at you. Over here in Japan? Well nobody would find it odd in Shibuya.

The Shibuya Crossing...

Mix of youngsters and the elder in both fashions. (well actually the 2 people wearing the traditional japanse clothes do it for promotional purposes)

In Shibuya.

A Shibuya store (same here, photos not allowed, I took them anyways.)

Shibuya at night.

Sunday 16 August – Harujuku

Yoyogi Koen/ Yoyogi Park. Feel free. Do what you want. Honto ni.Yoyogi park truly defies the ‘careless’ attitude of Japan. Dancing, singing, playing guitar, theater, sports, kendo, Frisbee, baseball, violin, flute, exercising, eating, chilling. Just a place to do your thing. Of course a lot of other parks around the world have people doing this stuff, but still, Yoyogi park has a different aura/feel.One notable thing is the group of middle-aged man and women who relive the 50’s of America in the time of the rockabilly era. They dance on the old-skool rock ‘n roll music (made big through the King of Rock ‘N Roll, Elvis Presley). They live their hobby.

Kendo.

Replace my head with some pretty face and this will be a perfect picture..."-___-

Making music!!

Harujuku shopping streets. Look at all those people...

Some indoor/outdoor shops

Road to the Meiji Shrine...

Sunlight...

‘Really anyone?’

Look anyone can be anyone all over the world. But in Japan, I feel that there’s a place for everyone. It doesn’t matter how you look like or how you act. Japan is odd enough to have a lot of different places/peoples. Of course it’s not like all the otaku are considered normal. People would still have these thought of: “Ow he’s an Otaku, he’s a geek who never goes out his room. And play games” . Or “ So, she’s a Shibuya Girl, always dress up, a lot of make-up, goes out at night”. This will always be the case. But the thing is, it’s just so extreme and normal at the same time.

(once again I'm sorry for the bad writings. I started out well, but it went bad to worse. I'll try to write better later on, sorry if it's hard to read)