Just in time for Tokyo Fashion Week, we ventured to the ancient land of the centennials in a quest to discover all the little joys that make the life of Japanese an aspiration for us, overworked self-indulgent Westerners.
Inherently, Japanese are extremely ritualistic. This is evident in the way they make their traditional green tea, how they eat, greet each other but also in the way they design and produce clothing. Maybe because the country is void of trash bins, it allows no excess. Everything is made and consumed intentionally, patterns cut sparingly, meals: enjoyed for their scarcity, life is absorbed sip by sip like the most delicious miso soup.
Because of the country’s self-created framework, there seems to be plenty of headspace, which is often used to think up magical worlds in the shape of the famous Japanese manga, dating back to the 12th century, the lavish structural patterns, rich earthy nuances, grandiose minimalist architecture, and unique pottery creations.
Devouring the wabi-sabiness of Japanese life, we sailed through places and experiences, shopping the streets of Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku and Akihabara, strolling Tokyo’s crazy Shinsekai and diving into the rich samurai culture of Kanazawa and Shirakawa-go. Noticing every detail, sensing every small piece of tuna melt on the tip of my tongue and savoring every gorgeous sunset and sip of sake, I moved in a dream-like state, drifting from the narrow streets of Osaka through the magnificent temples of Kyoto to the fresh sun kissed slopes of Mt Fuji. I felt like one of the jellyfish in the Kyoto aquarium: present, slow, floating through time and space.
And those two concepts precisely appear a bit elusive in the lifestyle of natives. The Japanese notion of both time and space seems to be controversial, to say the least. Time, as widely known, is finite, there is never enough of it. Nonetheless, when lived deliberately, sparingly and enjoyably, it has no measure. The lacking spatial capacity is also quite common on the Japanese islands. Small living areas, however, are designed with the intent for widespread cohabitation: lack of chunky furniture, measure in consumption, and planned arrangement all play a role.
Another strong belief, held by Japanese, is the concept of the perfect storm: a moment, created by past experiences, decisions and timing, which has lead one to the exact here and now. This particular moment is to be valued and devoured because it is unique and inimitable.
There is a particular consumer behavior, linked to this notion, and this are product collaborations: they are only available in the now and mark a historical moment of brands teaming up. For a non-consumerist society, Japanese display an odd commitment to collabs, sleeping in six-blocks-lines for the sake of getting their hands on a particular drop. Being the aestheticians that they are, however, it is only rightful to assume that these island folk would exhibit such oddities.
Speaking of oddities, the anime in the room is screaming to be addressed. For us a mere cartoon, anime plays an extraordinary role in the life of the Japanese. It is not only an escape, but also an expression, consolation (artistic and, yes, sexual), a connection, self-reflection and a cultural phenomenon. There are not only video game rooms, dedicated to anime, but whole streets, hell, whole neighborhoods, studded with the blinking lights of arcade rooms, lit by gigantic screens, welcoming any local or tourist into its establishment for some fun with animated or very real manga girls.
Aside from the opportunity to cuddle with strangers, a few things left my heart in a state of desire. One of them is called Hare, a grunge high fashion brand with the aftertaste of steampunk, and whimsical prints, another one is named after its creator, Kanako Saki, and bewitches with flowy materials and bold contrasting colours. And lastly, Shinyakozuka. It is difficult to pronounce but incredibly easy to fall in love with: artisanal cuts, impeccable chromatic scheme, iridescent accents and phenomenal abstract prints grab every fashion-literate observer’s attention with an heavy-duty lasso and will not let go.
As my lucid dream was to be followed by a 15h flight back to reality, I forgot all of it and was left with one single thought in my pre-jetlag mind: okonomiyaki!