The Fall of Harajuku Fashion

Once upon a time, around the the mid-2000s - Ganguro, Hime and Decora girls littered the streets of Tokyo's fashionably notorious Harajuku district (a Tokyo neighborhood of roughly a square mile). Wielding their own candy-colored styles with flair- you can expect one or the other wild trademarks: the bleached hair, tanned skins, dramatic eye make up, plus the twirling parasols. They aren't hard to spot Harajuku kids would easily pose for a random photo op if asked nicely. But the creativity right up on the Harajuku streets is incredible.

However, the Harajuku movement is now being utterly killed by the emergence of fast fashion global chains H&M, Uniqlo and Forever 21. Setting up shop in the Harajuku district. These stores often showcased styles that are a huge contrast from the often bright, Kawaii eclectic styles found in the Harajuku streets. As Uniqlo's muted tones and minimalist clothing line took off, you can say the Japanese fashion scene got a bit tamer and less showy.

Sadly, the once wild frenetic energy and creativity of the fashionable wunderkind around Harajuku, known for greatly pushing the boundaries of Japanese fashion for years has now found its influence rapidly declining.