Rebels on the Bridge?

A week before my scheduled departure from japan, i decided to treat myself and visit places i longed to see while i still have the time and chance.

One of the must-see places in my list is Harajuku...

Harajuku had been popularly known worldwide with its out of this world and extra ordinary teenagers flocking its bridge on sundays. Even Gwen Stefani had this in one of her song.

Armed with my Point and Shoot camera, i marked Harajuku as one of my destination that sunday afternoon.

It was almost 2pm when i got out of Harajuku JR Station and the crowd is overwhelming.The famous Takeshita-Dori on the adjacent street is teeming with teens and not so young people in its narrow quarter mile long (400 meter) strip lined with shops, cafes and fast food outlets catering to the young and hip in Tokyo. This ‘back alley’ in the Harajuku neighborhood has a distinctive entrance and is one of the symbols of the Harajuku area and has been known to spawn many fashion trends in Japan.
About 300m to the south of Takeshita Dori is Omotesando a street lined with international brand shops such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Ralph Lauren and other expensive fashion stores. The avenue is sometimes referred to as "Tokyo's Cham-Elysees". I just contented myself with watching from the outside since i know that my one month salary will only get me only an item in one of the stores and the money in my pocket is just enough to buy me a takuyaki meal and my train ticket on the way home."w

The most interesting part of my trip is found on the brigde Above the JR Yamanote Line Track leading to the Meiji Shrine entrance and Yoyogi Park.

The world known "Harajuku Bridge".

The bridge is teeming with people both local and foreign and seems to be enjoying with the scene. I was excited to see the main purpose of my trip...... the "Girls of Harajuku Bridge".

Joining the crowd (of mostly foreigners and Ojisans), i took out my camera and tried my best to get the best shot i can even without asking permission from my subjects. Some willingly poses while some are quite alloof seems not minding the flashes fired upon their faces while busily chatting with friends.


For decades, teens in Cosplay (costume playing their favorite anime, movie or manga character), Lolita, Gothic, Ganguro flock this bridge on sundays and become a Japanese subculture over time. Most of the girls are middle or high school students, aged between twelve and nineteen. Many seems to make their own costumes, although some ot the more ornate designs are maybe bought in specialty boutiques around Harajuku. Their hai colorings come in brilliant hues, anywhere from fiery red to canary yellow.
Not far from the bridge i can hear rock and roll music. i went further and it directs me to the nearby Yoyogi Park entrance.

I was surprised with what i saw. It looks like a Sunday Carnival cum rock concert cum comedy show by Elvis wannabes strutting their stuff, twisting their sole-less electrical tape bound shoes, tight leather jeans, quiff flying and grease dripping hair. Most of them seemed to be drunk and dance with gusto with eardrum breaking rock and roll music from portable boomboxes. Their audience looks with awe and amusement.
I even witnessed one guy attacking a member of the other group fro reasons i dont know. Maybe because of drunkenness and group rivalry.
With all these displays and drama, i cant help myself from asking WHY? What on earth they are doing in this place on a Sunday afternoon dressed up like some sort of punk-retro-elvis-anime carnival act? Some will say the are "Just Hanging out."

Is this just a normal way of "just hanging out?" Surely when two fifteen year old girls feel the need to dress up like dolls and put on black make up and these long past puberty males do the Elvis and strut in deafening rock and roll sounds till they drop with drunkennes on a weekly basis, one should not hesitate to ask why and probe deeper. Along with crazy TV, rampant drunkenness and karaoke, Nintendo and PSP addiction even with youngsters, is it an escape from the Japanese routine of work, or study, and no sleep?

Is it a cry of individuality in a society which doesnt encourage difference?

In truth, this is just another area of life in Japan where it is futile to ask questions. It just happens. Someone starts something and someone follows. This is Tokyo and ours is not to reason why. Anyhow, if they just want to be different, they are certainly succeeding. And if nothing else, they certainly brighten up their day and certainly mine!