Crazy Kawaii: Kyary Pamyu Pamyuseum

Kawaii means "cute" in Japanese, and that one word embodies almost everything about popular culture. Fashion, accessories, mascots, style - it's all kawaii here. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is a J-Pop star who got her start in the heart of kawaii, Harajuku, and has gone on to become quite successful. Her songs are catchy and fun, and the music videos are fun and relatively unique. But beyond that, Kyary's fashion style is essentially the Japanese equivalent of Lady Gaga - outrageous, cutting edge, and one of a kind.

 There are enough music videos, performances, and live appearances where Kyary has worn or included amazing fashion that an entire temporary exhibition was created. Originally displayed in 2013 in Roppongi, it returned this summer at Koshigaya Laketown mall, the largest mall in Japan. I can't find any details right now about any other locations, past or present.

 After paying your admission fee, you're given a plastic lollipop that can cause exhibits to light up or interact. And in you go!

 There are dozens of costumes on display, worn by Kyary and other performers on stage and in the music videos. The purple-top costume has a skirt made out of snack wrappers.

 Yes, photography was allowed, and encouraged. There was even a Twitter hashtag for people to share their photos.

 Most of the costumes are on stands that slowly spin around so you can see them at all angles.

 I mentioned interactive exhibits. The thing on the right is inside a box; you stick your face through the hole and your smartphone on a small stand and you can take a picture that makes it look like you are wearing the costume. There were a couple costumes like this, and were some of the "interactive" exhibits that required use of the lollipop.

 The dress on the right comes from Candy Candy, the first video I ever saw.How she ran in those heels I'll never know.

 This dress was just awesome.

 I haven't seen so much of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's music videos to know where all the costumes come from. But that pink dress mannequin is a zombie!

 I believe these are stage costumes worn by her backup performers, though I couldn't be sure. If you watched that Candy video then you might recognize some from that as well.

Behind the backup costumes was a projected stream of music videos - I timed my photo just right to catch the Candy Candy video being shown, by chance.

The exhibit was certainly packed with pastel, and I think I got enough kawaii during my visit to last a good month or more. As I mentioned before, I don't know if the museum is headed for a new location, but it certainly was a fun way to spend an hour or so!

(You Can't Really) Strike a Pose at the Kobe Fashion Museum

 I don't claim to know a whole lot about fashion, but I enjoy looking at it. I think it would be fun to dress up in period costumes and reenact old customs sometime. You know, historical cosplay. (I'm not talking about Civil War reenactments. Those might be fun too, though.) And while I don't put much thought into my personal fashion choices, I'm admiring or critiquing fashion trends I see on the streets.

image from Kobe Fashion Museum. Note that the museum's layout can change based on the special exhibition content.

The Kobe Fashion Museum's permanent collection display is a sort of Fashion 101, starting with a "History of Fashion" line of clothing along one long wall, with the remaining space divided up into techniques, designers, materials, colors, and structures. A final area has reproductions of the clothing worn at Napoleon I's coronation ceremony. Most of the clothing in this display is modern reproductions, but seem to be authentically constructed... at least, as far as a layman can tell.

Before entering the permanent exhibition, you see the special exhibition hall. On my visit, it was was packed with shoes designed by Takada Kisa. I don't know who that is, but the collection was fairly complete and showed shoes ranging from simple sandals and work shoes to high heels and boots. The museum's website shows other special exhibitions which look like they would have been/are/will be pretty interesting for those who admire clothing.

The museum might be a pilgrimage point for fashion designers given their library of fashion-related holdings, but for average people, unless you're already in Kobe, as I was, you probably won't come out here for a visit.

The Kobe Fashion Museum is located in this spaceship-themed building on Rokko Island. Admission is 500 yen, including both the special and permanent exhibitions. Hours are 10:00-17:00 except Wednesdays. It's located a little out of the way. Take the JR line to Sumiyoshi Station or the Hanshin line to Uozaki Station, and transfer to the Rokko Liner. Get off at Island Center Station and head south-east toward the giant UFO.

The Kobe Fashion Mart is nearby but has limited shopping as far as clothing goes. It seems like there are several stores for interior designers and a few stores for tailor-made suits. There's an art museum, the Koiso Memorial Museum, which mainly has works by Ryohei Koiso, a local artist. I haven't visited it, but there are some very good reviews online.

Summer Festivals in Japan: A Quick Primer

Once the rainy season officially ends, Japanese people dress up in kimonos and costumes and celebrate the season with a bunch of local festivals. Last year, I took a bunch of pictures of the Koshigaya festival. It takes place over two days in front of the Minamikoshigaya/Shinkoshigaya Station complex.

 A large stage is set up in the taxi stand where performers dance and drummers bang on taiko drums. Meanwhile, a massive parade winds its way through the streets all around the station. I'm not really sure how big it actually is, but it takes over large area around the station (not just on this side!).

 Generally, the parade and stage performances are very similar. The dance is fairly simple at its most basic, basically involving stepping/walking while posing arms.

 There are dozens of groups participating in the parade with their own colors and styles of costumes, but they all do similar dances. I'm guessing there are differences to people in the know.

 Usually, groups are all women or all men.

 Sometimes kids are in on it. You can see a basic crossover step that seems to be common in all the dances, along with a bowed/hunched posture.

 There are drummers for each group and chanting.

 The hats and costumes are certainly worth seeing!

And finally, as with any event in Japan, there are stands set up selling goods. Some stands sell toys or have carnival-style games for kids, while plenty of stands sell food or drinks. And despite there being hundreds of stands there always seem to be long lines. But just as good as the costumes are the yukatas. It's pretty cool seeing all the ladies (and some of the guys) wearing yukatas - the women wear very bright, colorful yukatas and frequently wear flowers in their hair.

This year's festival is still about a month away, but now that I know what to expect I'll enjoy it even more and probably be able to learn more about it! But even without any knowledge of what's going on, visitors to Japan should try to see a festival while they're here.

Location: Opening Ceremony

 Shibuya is where Tokyo's in-style ladies and gentlemen head to shop for clothing, while the rich buy couture in Ginza and teenagers get their threads in Harajuku. One of the biggest (though not the busiest) clothing stores in Shibuya is Opening Ceremony.

 The store feels almost empty. Unlike most stores in Tokyo, wide open spaces and attention to decoration gives the feeling that you're less in a clothing store and more in a gallery of wearable art. Perhaps that's the idea here?

 Each of the eight floors is unique and tells its own story, with different styles of clothing or, in the case of the above picture, a collection of accessories and home decorations (wait, what?).

 As you enter each floor, a new world emerges. I wish I could take pictures of all the fantastic displays to show you how fun this store is. More photos and details are available on their website.

Someone signed the wall, though the signature isn't quite in the photo.

Opening Ceremony is located on the same street as the Disney Store. If you're facing the store, head to the right, and look for the giant entry. To get there from Shibuya Station, use the scramble to cross over toward Starbucks, and walk with Starbucks on your left. After crossing Inokashira Dori, follow the fork/curve to the left; you should quickly pass the Disney Store on your left. Keep walking about two more buildings and you're there! The store is open from 10-9 (8 on Sundays). I'm not sure if you'll find something to buy, but you'll certainly enjoy the experience.

What to bring to Japan!

For those of you thinking of moving to Japan or some other Asian country, there are some dos and don'ts when it comes to packing. While everybody has their own preferences for some things, here are my thoughts based on my first six months in Japan.

Toothpaste in Japan is good for whitening and cleaning, but some of it isn't very effective. The cheapest Japanese toothpaste does almost nothing at all. However, there is good toothpaste here. I really prefer US toothpaste, so I asked for it in a recent care package from America. But if you aren't attached to anything (and I will probably give it up when my current stock runs out), you can find Aquafresh and other Japanese brands with active, meaningful ingredients. Here's an article on types of toothpaste in Japan.

Deodorant should be the other major concern for foreigners. Stick deodorant can be tough to find. Some familiar western brands that work decently can be found. Costco, Loft, Tokyu Hands, and a large number of websites sell it. Again, if you are attached to a certain deodorant (I've found only one particular brand that truly works for me) you will want to bring it. Otherwise, do a little research. (Your favorite brand could be available here.) You can start with this webpage.

As far as clothing goes for guys, your size will determine your luck in finding clothes. When I arrived, I was a US size XL, with a 38" pant size. I have since lost weight, and am now down to around a US-Large, 35-36" pant size (real pant size, not the baggy jean size). Japanese guys are skinny and short. My dress shirt size is 3L here in Japan, and for a comfortable fit on regular shirts LL or 3L usually works. Pants are easily available up to 36". For those of you bigger than a Japanese size L or XL, you might need to do a little hunting. I found Cool Biz dress shirts in the mall up to size 3L. There's a Big-and-Tall section in the guy's clothing floor of my local Daiei department store which has up to 6L shirts and quite large pants. You just need to look around. For Americans 2X or larger, bring everything you'll need. If you have big feet (I've heard over size 10) you might want to bring plenty of shoes, too.

For women, I've heard that nothing can fit right if you're truly American or European. Bras fit smaller, jeans have no butts, and skirts are sometimes super-short. Casual shirts seem to be pretty large, though! Since I have no first-hand experience shopping for women's clothing (other than accompanying a couple friends to some stores) I can't offer too much advice.

That said, bringing lots of clothes (like I did, UGH) isn't the answer. I recently bought an almost entirely new wardrobe for the hot, humid summer right down to the underwear (also to go along with losing some weight) - Cool Biz has no equivalent in America. Here, it's easy to buy clothing that dries within an hour in the sun, while even Old Navy's basic T-shirts sold in the States take much, much longer. Depending on when you arrive and your monetary situation, it's best if you can buy your summer wardrobe (and majority of your clothes) here. Underwear can be found at Don Quixote (though basic casual clothing is fairly expensive). Dress clothing can be found on sale if you shop around, for as low as 1000 yen per shirt (the dress shirts I have were 3/4000 yen and seem to be pretty good quality). If you're US-Large or smaller and can afford it, bring the smallest amount of clothes you can live with and buy a new wardrobe. Three shirts, two pairs of pants, and a week's worth of t-shirts, boxers, and socks should cost you about 10,000 yen on the low end. Cool Biz underwear is good year-round, and Cool Biz dress pants will be fine year-round for indoor work.

What about medicine? That's a crazy story. A lot of medication easily available in the US is banned here. Other medicine is difficult to find or weaker. I brought my own large stash of Immodium, acetaminophen, and heartburn chewables. You might want to bring some medicine for colds and flus, or allergies, but those are the ones most likely to be banned due to the ingredients. Be careful and check with the embassy or another source, and then bring anything you feel you need to be comfortable. Nothing sucks more than going into a pharmacy with no language ability and needing to find some medicine with no English instructions or labels when you're really sick. Pharmacy attendants can be very helpful, and if you're in the Tokyo area or somewhere else with lots of foreigners, you will have decent luck finding an English-speaking pharmacist to recommend medicine for your symptoms.

Finally, comfort items will take up at least a small part of your suitcase. What are they? Your security blanket to remind you of home and help you get through those lonely days. You will feel completely alone at times, depressed and/or bored. What are you going to do? What can you look at and smile? I love peanut butter candies, so I have a stash (thanks to my family!) of Reese's cups, peanut butter Twix, and peanut butter MnMs.  I brought my XBox, games, and DVDs to pass the time if I ever want to stay in and need some entertainment. I also brought some pictures, a map of San Francisco, and a couple other trinkets to remind me of America. I brought my iPod Touch for music and entertainment. I only use it as an alarm clock right now because I have an iPhone.

What should you NOT bring to Japan? Let me reiterate, be careful about things like medicine. And if you're dumb enough to try to bring in illegal drugs for substance abuse, and you get caught, then you're just that much dumber.

• Do NOT bring a cell phone. You could bring your US phone, but don't plan on using it. It's expensive. Tell your family you'll make contact by the weekend via Facebook or other social networks. Social networks are your friend - Skype, Facebook, or your other favorite (web-based) contact site should be your main means of contacting folks in America. Seriously, DON'T plan on using a phone you brought from outside Japan here, even if it works. Once you sign up for your alien registration card, you can get a cell phone fairly easily, especially if you're working full-time for a reputable company.
• Do NOT bring tons of clothes unless you're XL+. If you are XL+, bring enough outer clothing (dress/casual shirts, dress/casual pants) to keep you happy. You can wear the same pair of pants for a LONG time without needing much maintenance. And you can buy more (faster-drying, cooler) underwear here pretty cheaply, even for larger sizes.
• Do NOT bring heavyweight clothes that you plan to wear often. Most homes don't have dryers. It takes a full afternoon to dry most American clothing items I brought with me. Just buy your underclothes here.
• Do NOT bring housewares, office supplies, or anything else normal. You can get cheap, great-quality products for your bathroom (brushes/combs, nail clippers), kitchen (utensils, storage containers), and the rest of your home (more storage containers, nice hangers, shelves, office supplies like pens and notepads) for 100 yen each. In fact, if you're really smart and thrifty, you can buy a decent starter wardrobe and everything you would need in your apartment for about 20,000-30,000 yen.

You're leaving soon, so what do you bring? Here's your handy-dandy packing guide: what I would bring if I was leaving today.

• Just enough clothing. Even though I was told to bring up to four dress suits, I have only used one jacket so far, two pairs of pants, and for a while I was switching between only two dress shirts once the heat reached Tokyo but Cool Biz had yet to begin (Cool Biz dress shirts are short sleeve; the rest of the year I have to wear long-sleeve shirts). In fact, during training, I wore the same shirt, dress pants, and jacket for 10 days straight. Don't worry, I changed my undies and kept my clothing clean as needed. I wish I had brought far less clothing. If you're not XL or bigger, you can shop fairly easily in the major cities. Note: if you're on a program like JET, and you fly right into a tiny town with difficult access to a major city, you might want to bring a bit more clothing. You can buy winter jackets, long john underwear, and such when the season arrives (unless you're coming during the cold season, when you can wear it off the plane).
• Only bring toiletries and medicine you can't live without. Unless you desperately need a specific kind of shampoo or soap, just buy it here. (Bring enough to last you a couple weeks to a month or so.)
• Let me stress: if you need some specific brand or type of soap or shampoo (I.E. Cetaphil), bring plenty. One of my friends uses Cetaphil, and you can not easily buy it in Japan.
• Bring a digital camera that uses SD memory cards and rechargeable batteries. And bring an extra rechargeable battery or two. SD cards are the standard around the world, and most cameras use them already. You should plan on taking lots of pictures.
• If you want a laptop computer, bring it with you (carry-on, not checked luggage). Japanese keyboards take a lot of adjustment, and Japanese OS's are difficult to manage unless you're fluent in the written language. English operating system computers are available in Akihabara, at a decent markup. It's better just to carry one across the pond.
• Bring one or two guide books. I recommend Lonely Planet Japan, as it's pretty comprehensive for the whole nation. If you will be living near a major city, pick up a detailed guide book for that area as well for more ideas for day trips.
• If you have large feet, bring at least a couple pairs of casual shoes, and a couple pairs of dress shoes. I've worn through one pair of each already. You walk a LOT in Japan.
• You should have only one large suitcase, plus your carry-on with your electronics and such. You have some space, so toss in your comfort items. Most travelers can bring in two large suitcases, a carry-on, and a personal bag (like a laptop bag). Make use of the space available if you need it. Just remember: apartments in Japan are tiny, and you'll need to store all those clothes when you're not wearing them (UGH, again).
• Money. The easiest and possibly cheapest (depending on your bank) way to get yen is to use your ATM card at a 7-11 convenience store. Bring some cash to get you started, especially if you get a great rate at home. I started with about 50,000 yen in cash plus plenty available in my bank account. In the end, you should try to budget at least 20,000 a week for basic expenses, shopping for new household items, and a bit of fun. 

As you pack your suitcase for Japan, ask yourself when you'll really use it. Also ask yourself if you can find it cheap once you arrive. Anything can be bought here using websites such as Amazon and Foreign Buyers Club, and a suitable substitute for nearly anything can be found with a bit of effort. As far as clothes are concerned (which take up most of your space and are the most important items you have in your possession in Japan), I'm happier with local products. They dry faster, look nice, and aren't too expensive.

Remember, your mileage may vary. It depends on your personal preferences and your access in Japan. But with patience, you will be much happier bringing a lighter suitcase and buying things that suit your needs as you discover them.

What do you think? Is there something you couldn't live without? Do you want to know if something is available here? Leave a comment!

Let's go clothes shopping in Japan!

I brought a lot of clothing from America to Japan. But I very quickly realized that the clothes I carried across the ocean wouldn't suit me for a full year.

Most people living in Japan don't have dryers, and the washing machines certainly aren't as effective as the ones back in the States - many of them only use cold water. While my clothes are clean enough, drying is certainly an issue. My simple standard-weight t-shirts from Old Navy, etc take nearly a full day to dry. Staples such as pants, dress shirts, and cottom boxers take quite some time too. Jeans can be even worse! Right now is the rainy season, so I can't leave my clothes out all day. I did laundry this morning, and I need those clothes dry in about an hour.

My other problem is with the clothes I brought over. I didn't bring a summer work wardrobe. Just wearing a standard cotton t-shirt under a dress shirt was stifling! And most of my dress shirts are heavyweight - great for the cooler months but certainly no fun once the weather turns warm.

So this past month I've been trying to build a collection of clothing to be my summer wardrobe.

Those of you who know me in person know I'm not exactly fit. I've lost a good bit of weight since I arrived but I still have work to be done. Plus, at 5'9"-5'10", I'm a little taller than most Japanese men. I knew finding clothes would be difficult, so for those of you who might have to go through the same, here's my story.

In US sizes, I'm somewhere between a large and an XL - more like a large now. Japanese sizes are smaller than US sizes, though, and XL in America translates to 3L here. Luckily, I found a great store in the Koshigaya Laketown mall called Shirts Code. They carry dress shirts in sizes up to 3L that look pretty nice. They come in a range of prices - I picked up six nice bargain cool-biz shirts for 8000 yen. This way I won't have to worry about laundry too often!

As for underwear, Don Quijote (the Japanese version of K-Mart) carries a broad selection. I found packs of four cool-biz undershirts for about 700 yen each, plus some comfortable summer boxer-briefs. (Note: I would stay away from the long-john looking things. Unless you like wearing long-johns in the summer.) The undershirts are up to size 2L (but I usually wear a size smaller on undershirts so they fit better). The bottoms I bought were about 500 yen each but they're designed for athletics, so I can wear them on my active days at work or on the weekends when I'm running about. Don Quijote isn't too great a place for shirts and pants for larger people, though their sizes could run large.

UNIQLO is an inexpensive clothing chain, but they don't really carry larger sizes in most stores. You might have better luck in Tokyo. The Gap can be found around Japan, and their sizes are larger - I would probably fit in a Gap size XL shirt. But those clothes are expensive!

For those living in Saitama or willing to make the trip, the Daiei in Shin-Koshigaya/Minami-Koshigaya carries plus-size guys clothing.

100-yen shops like Daiso will carry cheap undershirts, socks, ties, belts, even dress shirts. The undershirts are good in a pinch, though the one I bought as a "tester" is unraveling at an armpit seam after only the second wash. I've had better luck with a pair of socks and several ties I've picked up.

I still need to buy a pair of dress pants (thanks to weight loss, I can only wear two pairs of dress pants that I brought), some casual shorts and a couple casual shirts. I'll let you know how that goes... I'm planning on visiting a couple Tokyo-area flea markets this weekend and next and I'll be keeping my eye out for casual clothing. Though I may be buying all the rest of my clothes from Daiei!