1.
Japan
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Japan is a sovereign island nation in Eastern Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea, the kanji that make up Japans name mean sun origin. 日 can be read as ni and means sun while 本 can be read as hon, or pon, Japan is often referred to by the famous epithet Land of the Rising Sun in reference to its Japanese name. Japan is an archipelago consisting of about 6,852 islands. The four largest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, the country is divided into 47 prefectures in eight regions. Hokkaido being the northernmost prefecture and Okinawa being the southernmost one, the population of 127 million is the worlds tenth largest. Japanese people make up 98. 5% of Japans total population, approximately 9.1 million people live in the city of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Archaeological research indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period, the first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other regions, mainly China, followed by periods of isolation, from the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal military shoguns who ruled in the name of the Emperor. Japan entered into a period of isolation in the early 17th century. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan is a member of the UN, the OECD, the G7, the G8, the country has the worlds third-largest economy by nominal GDP and the worlds fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is also the worlds fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer, although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military with the worlds eighth-largest military budget, used for self-defense and peacekeeping roles. Japan is a country with a very high standard of living. Its population enjoys the highest life expectancy and the third lowest infant mortality rate in the world, in ancient China, Japan was called Wo 倭. It was mentioned in the third century Chinese historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms in the section for the Wei kingdom, Wa became disliked because it has the connotation of the character 矮, meaning dwarf. The 倭 kanji has been replaced with the homophone Wa, meaning harmony, the Japanese word for Japan is 日本, which is pronounced Nippon or Nihon and literally means the origin of the sun. The earliest record of the name Nihon appears in the Chinese historical records of the Tang dynasty, at the start of the seventh century, a delegation from Japan introduced their country as Nihon
2.
Avant-garde
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The avant-garde are people or works that are experimental, radical, or unorthodox, with respect to art, culture, and society. It may be characterized by nontraditional, aesthetic innovation and initial unacceptability, the avant-garde pushes the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or the status quo, primarily in the cultural realm. The avant-garde is considered by some to be a hallmark of modernism, the avant-garde also promotes radical social reforms. Several writers have attempted, with limited success, to map the parameters of avant-garde activity, the Italian essayist Renato Poggioli provides one of the best-known analyses of vanguardism as a cultural phenomenon in his 1962 book Teoria dellarte davanguardia. Other authors have attempted both to clarify and to extend Poggiolis study, bürgers essay also greatly influenced the work of contemporary American art-historians such as the German Benjamin H. D. Buchloh. Buchloh, in the collection of essays Neo-avantgarde and Culture Industry critically argues for an approach to these positions. Subsequent criticism theorized the limitations of these approaches, noting their circumscribed areas of analysis, including Eurocentric, chauvinist, and genre-specific definitions. The concept of avant-garde refers primarily to artists, writers, composers and thinkers whose work is opposed to cultural values. For Greenberg, these forms were therefore kitsch, phony, faked or mechanical culture, for instance, during the 1930s the advertising industry was quick to take visual mannerisms from surrealism, but this does not mean that 1930s advertising photographs are truly surreal. In this way the autonomous artistic merit so dear to the vanguardist was abandoned and sales became the measure. It has become common to describe successful rock musicians and celebrated film-makers as avant-garde, nevertheless, an incisive critique of vanguardism as against the views of mainstream society was offered by the New York critic Harold Rosenberg in the late 1960s. Since then it has been flanked by what he called avant-garde ghosts to the one side, and this has seen culture become, in his words, a profession one of whose aspects is the pretense of overthrowing it. Avant-garde in music can refer to any form of working within traditional structures while seeking to breach boundaries in some manner. The term is used loosely to describe the work of any musicians who radically depart from tradition altogether, although most avant-garde composers have been men, this is not exclusively the case. Women avant-gardists include Pauline Oliveros, Diamanda Galás, Meredith Monk, there are movements in theatre history that are characterized by their contributions to the avant-garde traditions in both the United States and Europe. Among these are Fluxus, Happenings, and Neo-Dada, Avant-garde – Wikipedia book Barron, Stephanie, and Maurice Tuchman. The Avant-garde in Russia, 1910–1930, New Perspectives, Los Angeles County Museum of Art Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art ISBN 0-87587-095-3, Cambridge, MA, ISBN 0-671-20422-X Berg, Hubert van den, and Walter Fähnders
3.
Haute couture
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Haute couture is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. A haute couture garment is made for a client, tailored specifically for the wearers measurements. Considering the amount of time, money, and skill allotted to each completed piece, haute couture garments are described as having no price tag. The term originally referred to Englishman Charles Frederick Worths work, produced in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century, in modern France, haute couture is a protected name that may not be used except by firms that meet certain well-defined standards. However, the term is used loosely to describe all high-fashion custom-fitted clothing whether it is produced in Paris or in other fashion capitals such as London, Milan. In either case, the term can refer to the houses or fashion designers that create exclusive. In France, the haute couture is protected by law and is defined by the Chambre de commerce et dindustrie de Paris based in Paris. The chambre syndicale de la haute couture is defined as the commission that determines which fashion houses are eligible to be true haute couture houses. Formation of the organization was brought about by Charles Frederick Worth, an affiliated school was organized in 1930 called LEcole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture. The school helps bring new designers to help the couture houses that are present today. Since 1975, this organization has worked within the Federation Francaise, de couture, more rigorous criteria for haute couture were established in 1945. g. With that of prêt-à-porter in the public perception, almost every haute couture house also markets prêt-à-porter collections, which typically deliver a higher return on investment than their custom clothing. Falling revenues have forced a few houses to abandon their less profitable haute couture division. These houses are no longer considered haute couture houses by the original, legal usage of the term. Many top designer fashion houses such as Chanel use the word for some of their special collections, as well, the term haute couture has taken on further popular meanings referring to non-dressmaking activities, such as production of fine art, music, etc. Haute couture can be referenced back as early as the 17th Century, rose Bertin, the French fashion designer to Queen Marie Antoinette, can be credited for bringing fashion and haute couture to French culture. Visitors to Paris brought back clothing that was copied by local dressmakers. Stylish women also ordered fashion d dressed in the latest Parisian fashion to serve as models, as railroads and steamships made European travel easier, it was increasingly common for wealthy women to travel to Paris to shop for clothing and accessories
4.
Catwalk
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In fashion jargon, whats on the catwalk or similar phrasing can refer to whatever is new and popular in fashion. A runway could be as basic as a space between rows of chairs or more elaborate setups with multiple catwalks. Most runway shows are held inside, for shelter against the weather, in the 2016 Paris Fashion Week, Chanel presented an elaborate setup by designing the hall as if it were an airport. The viewing guests sat as if they were awaiting their flights while the models walked around the airport approaching ticket counters, when a model scores an exclusive for a fashion label it means that they have been picked to walk for that particular designer only. This usually launches their career and elevates their status in the fashion industry, Fashion week Hanamichi Media related to Catwalk at Wikimedia Commons
5.
Fruits (magazine)
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Fruits is a Japanese fashion magazine covering the fashions of the Harajuku district of Tokyo, established in 1997 by photographer Shoichi Aoki. Excerpts from the magazine were compiled to create the Phaidon Press books Fruits, an exhibition of Aokis photographs for the magazine, developed by the Powerhouse Museum, has toured museums in Australia and New Zealand. The photographs document the individualistic styles young people wear around the Harajuku district of Tokyo, if there are identifiable themes, they can broadly be described as fun, original, authentic, and the recording of emerging social trends and technology. The message seems to shout through the format of these photos. The fashion styles showcased in Fruits have a parallel concerning the disregard to conventions that punk takes to the extreme, however, unlike the punk movement, there is less, if any, of a political agenda expressed by Fruits. Fruits photographs styles which are distinct from Cosplay, which is a hobby where people dress like their favourite manga, anime, the inside contains very few ads, most of which are to advertise a shop in Harajuku. The back may include an interview with a member at the magazine. The very back shows reader-submitted pictures, street Fashion Official site Fruits Fan Community Fruits Exhibition at the Powerhouse in Sydney
6.
Japanese hip-hop
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Japanese hip hop is said to have begun when Hiroshi Fujiwara returned to Japan and started playing hip hop records in the early 1980s. As a result, hip hop stands as one of the most commercially viable mainstream music genres in Japan, although rather informal and small scale, the early days of Japanese hip-hop provide the history for the emergence of the cultural movement. Early hip-hop was not led by corporate interests, but rather was largely ignored by large record companies, in this respect, Japanese hip-hop offers a representation of cultural globalization, as it expanded despite criticism on the part of record companies and major media outlets. In Japan, this motivation to represent individuality was breakdancing, which was one of the edges of hip-hop at the time. The first known Japanese group to experiment with hip hop was Yellow Magic Orchestra, according to Takagi Kan, a first generation Japanese MC, I couldnt tell what was with the rap and the DJing. but with the breakdancing and graffiti art, you could understand it visually. Or rather, it wasnt understanding so much as, Whoa, with rap and DJing, I couldnt imagine what could be cool about it. Dancing has an impact that everyone can understand, when it comes to dance there is not a language barrier. Break dancing represented the foundation for the spread of Japanese hip-hop, as in Germany, much of Japan was introduced to hip hop in the fall of 1983 with the movie Wild Style. The popularity of the led to many of the artists involved in it to make a trip to Japan to promote the film. Shortly after, Japanese took up breakdancing in Tokyos Yoyogi Park, crazy-A, now the leader of Rock Steady Crew Japan, was one of the pioneers of break dancing in Yoyogi back in the early 1984. Crazy-A organizes the annual B-Boy Park, which happens every August and this was all considered the Old School Era of rap in Tokyo. There was much of what they called Soul Dancing, which helped the Japanese culture accept the dance culture. The rise of DJs was really the next step for the Japanese hip hop scene. Before 1985, there werent very many DJs on the radio, but despite the fact that DJing caught on rather quickly, it was initially thought that rapping wasnt going to have the same cache as it would be hard to rap in Japanese. Street musicians began to breakdance in Yoyogi Park, including DJ Krush who has become a world-renowned DJ after arising from the Yoyogi Park scene, in 1986 an all hip hop club opened in Shibuya. While interest in hip-hop in Japan grew some during the 1980s and early 1990s, ito Seiko, Chikado Haruo, Tinnie Punx and Takagi Kan were rappers that emerged from Japan at this time, and they proved to be rather successful. The years 1994 and 1995, marked the beginning of commercial success in Japan. The first hit was Schadaraparrs Konya wa būgi bakku by Scha Dara Parr and Ozawa Kenji, ne. and Maicca, which each sold a million copies
7.
Tokyo
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Tokyo, officially Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan and one of its 47 prefectures. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous area in the world. It is the seat of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government, Tokyo is in the Kantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Formerly known as Edo, it has been the de facto seat of government since 1603 when Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters. It officially became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from the old capital of Kyoto in 1868, Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture and the city of Tokyo. The Tokyo metropolitan government administers the 23 Special Wards of Tokyo, the metropolitan government also administers 39 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture and the two outlying island chains. The population of the wards is over 9 million people. The prefecture is part of the worlds most populous metropolitan area with upwards of 37.8 million people, the city hosts 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest number of any city in the world. Tokyo ranked third in the International Financial Centres Development IndexEdit, the city is also home to various television networks such as Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, Nippon Television, NHK and the Tokyo Broadcasting System. Tokyo ranked first in the Global Economic Power Index and fourth in the Global Cities Index. The city is considered a world city – as listed by the GaWCs 2008 inventory – and in 2014. In 2015, Tokyo was named the Most Liveable City in the world by the magazine Monocle, the Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world. Tokyo ranked first in the world in the Safe Cities Index, the 2016 edition of QS Best Student Cities ranked Tokyo as the 3rd-best city in the world to be a university student. Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics, the 1979 G-7 summit, the 1986 G-7 summit, and the 1993 G-7 summit, and will host the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tokyo was originally known as Edo, which means estuary. During the early Meiji period, the city was also called Tōkei, some surviving official English documents use the spelling Tokei. However, this pronunciation is now obsolete, the name Tokyo was first suggested in 1813 in the book Kondō Hisaku, written by Satō Nobuhiro. When Ōkubo Toshimichi proposed the renaming to the government during the Meiji Restoration, according to Oda Kanshi, Tokyo was originally a small fishing village named Edo, in what was formerly part of the old Musashi Province. Edo was first fortified by the Edo clan, in the twelfth century
8.
Harajuku
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Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Harajuku is the name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando. In popular reference Harajuku also encompasses many smaller backstreets such as Takeshita Street, Harajuku is known internationally as a center of Japanese youth culture and fashion. In the pre Edo period, the area came to be known as Harajuku was a small post town on the Kamakura Highway. It was said that in the Gosannen War, Minamoto no Yoshiie mustered his soldiers in this area, in the Edo period, an Iga clan residence was put in Harajuku to defend Edo, due to its strategic location south of the Koshu Road. Other than the mansion of the Hiroshima Domain feudal lord Asano, the livelihood of the farmers consisted mainly of rice cleaning and flour milling with the watermill at the Shibuya River. However, due to the quality of the land, production never succeeded. It is said that local farmers often performed rain-making invocations at local shrines in an attempt to improve their fortunes, there are also the tales Oyama-Afuri Shrine of Tanzawa and Worship on the day trip to Mt Haruna remaining. At the start of the Meiji period in 1868, the land around Harajuku Village was owned by the shogunate, in November of the same year, the towns and villages of Shibuya Ward, including Harajuku Village, were placed under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Prefecture. In 1906, Harajuku Station was opened as a part of the expansion of the Yamanote Line, in 1919, with the establishment of Meiji Shrine, Omotesando was widened and reordered as a formal approach route. In 1940, the Tōgō Shrine was built and consecrated in honor of Imperial Japanese Navy Marshal-Admiral Marquis Tōgō Heihachirō, in the final period of the Pacific War in 1945, much of the area was burned to the ground during the Great Tokyo Air Raid. During the postwar occupation, military housing in the area named Washington Heights was constructed on land now occupied by Yoyogi Park and the Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Shops that appealed to the US soldiers and their families, such as Kiddyland, Oriental Bazaar, in 1964, swimming, diving and basketball events for the Tokyo Olympics were held in the neighbouring Yoyogi National Gymnasium. In 1965, the name of the area in the Japanese address system was changed from Harajuku to Jingumae. The name Harajuku has persisted due to the naming of the nearby JR East Harajuku Station. The area from Harajuku station to the area surrounding Takeshita Street was called Takeshita-cho, coming into the 1970s, fashion-obsessed youth culture experienced a transition from Shinjuku to Harajuku, then to Shibuya. Palais France, a building that sold clothing and accessories, furniture. In 1978, the fashion building Laforet Harajuku was opened, in the 1980s, Takeshita Street became known for teenage street dancing groups called takenoko-zoku
9.
Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo
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Aoyama is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods of Tokyo, located in the northwest portion of Minato Ward. The area is known for its international fashion houses, cafes. During the Edo Period, Aoyama was home to temples, shrines. The name Aoyama derived from a samurai named Aoyama Tadanari who served the Tokugawa Shogunate, today, along with Shibuya and Harajuku, it is one of the most popular entertainment and shopping areas for young people in Tokyo. It is well known for its houses, restaurants. Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium is in the North part of Aoyama. also known as Nikken Avex Group Holdings, CSK Louis Vuitton Japan JCB Comme des Garçons RIAJ Hip Land Music Corp
10.
Ginza
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Ginza is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous internationally renowned department stores, boutiques, restaurants. Ginza is recognized by many as one of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world, Ginza was built upon a former swamp that was filled in during the 16th century. The name Ginza comes after the establishment of a mint established there in 1612. After a devastating fire in 1872 burnt down most of the area, the government planned the construction of fireproof brick buildings and larger, better streets connecting Shimbashi Station all the way to the foreign concession in Tsukiji. Designs for the area were provided by the Irish-born architect Thomas Waters and these bricktown buildings were initially offered for sale and later were leased, but the high rent prevented many of them from being permanently occupied. Moreover, the construction was not adapted to the climate, ironically, the new Ginza was not popular with visiting foreigners, who were looking for a more Edo-styled city. Isabella Bird visited in 1878 and in 1880 implied that Ginza was less like an Oriental city than like the outskirts of Chicago or Melbourne, philip Terry, the English writer of tour guides, likened it to Broadway, not in a positive sense. Nevertheless, the area flourished as a symbol of civilization and enlightenment thanks to the presence of newspapers and magazine companies, the area was also known for its window displays, an example of modern marketing techniques. Everyone visited so the custom of killing time in Ginza developed strongly between the two world wars, most of these European-style buildings disappeared, but some older buildings still remain, most famously the Wakō building with the now-iconic Hattori Clock Tower. The building and the tower were originally built by Kintarō Hattori. Its recent history has seen it as a prominent outpost of western luxury shops, Ginza is a popular destination on weekends, when the main north-south artery is closed to traffic since the 1960s, under governor Ryokichi Minobe. Many leading fashion houses flagship stores are located here, in the area with the highest concentration of shops in Tokyo. It is one of two locations in Tokyo considered by Chevalier and Mazzalovo to be the best locations for a goods store. Prominent are Chanel, Carolina Herrera, Dior, Gucci, flagship electronic retail stores like the Sony showroom and the Apple Store are also here. Ricoh is headquartered in the Ricoh Building in Ginza, the neighborhood is a major shopping district. It is home to Wako department store, which is located in a building dating from 1894, the building has a clock tower. There are many department stores in the area, including Hankyu, Seibu, each Saturday and Sunday, from 12,00 noon until 5,00 pm, the main street through Ginza is closed off to road traffic, allowing people to walk freely
11.
Odaiba
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Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. Odaiba, along with Minato Mirai 21 in Yokohama, are two of the places in the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area where the seashore is accessible. Daiba formally refers to one district of the development in Minato Ward. Daiba in Japanese refers to the batteries placed on the islands. In 1928, the Dai-San Daiba or No.3 Battery was refurbished and opened to the public as the Metropolitan Daiba Park, from the originally planned 11 batteries, only five were ever finished. The modern island of Odaiba began to shape when the Port of Tokyo opened in 1941. Until the mid-1960s all except two batteries were removed for unhindered passage of ships or incorporated into the Shinagawa port facilities. In 1979 the then called landfill no,13, was finished directly connecting with the old No.3 Battery. No.6 Battery was left to nature, the redevelopment was scheduled to be complete in time for a planned International Urban Exposition in spring 1996. Suzukis successor Yukio Aoshima halted the plan in 1995, by which point over JPY1 trillion had been spent on the project, many of the special companies set up to develop the island became practically bankrupt. The collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble was a major factor, the area started coming back to life in the late 1990s as a tourist and leisure zone, with several large hotels and shopping malls. Tokyo Big Sight, the convention center originally built to house Governor Suzukis planned intercity convention, Odaiba is one of the venue locations in the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics. The events to be there under the venue plan include beach volleyball at Shiokaze Park, triathlon and marathon swimming at Odaiba Marine Park. Todays Odaiba is a shopping and sightseeing destination for Tokyoites. By public transport Odaiba is accessible via the automated Yurikamome transit system from Shimbashi, the privately operated Rinkai Line runs between Shin-Kiba and Ōsaki but many trains connect directly to Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro. City buses provide cheaper if slower access, ferries connect Odaiba with Asakusa running along the Sumida River and the Kasai Rinkai Park in eastern Tokyo. Odaiba, The Rainbow Bridge, and other parts of the area are referenced in the Digimon Adventure franchise. The area is noted in many areas of the plot
12.
Shinjuku
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Shinjuku is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As of 2015, the ward has an population of 337,556. The total area is 18.23 km², Shinjuku is surrounded by Chiyoda to the east, Bunkyo and Toshima to the north, Nakano to the west, and Shibuya and Minato to the south. The current city of Shinjuku grew out of separate towns and villages. Golden Gai, An area of tiny shanty-style bars and clubs, musicians, artists, journalists, actors and directors gather here, and the ramshackle walls of the bars are literally plastered with film posters. Shinjuku Gyoen, A large park,58.3 hectares,3.5 km in circumference, blending Japanese traditional, English Landscape, Shinjuku Ni-chōme, Tokyos best-known gay district. Nishi-Shinjuku, The area west of Shinjuku Station, historically known as Yodobashi, is home to Tokyos largest concentration of skyscrapers, several of the tallest buildings in Tokyo are located in this area, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, KDDI Building and Park Tower. Ōkubo, The area surrounding Okubo Station, Shin-Okubo Station and Higashi-Shinjuku Station is best known as Tokyos historic ethnic Korean neighborhood, Totsuka, The northern portion of Shinjuku surrounding Takadanobaba Station and Waseda University. The Takadanobaba area is a residential and nightlife area for students. Ushigome, A largely residential area in the portion of the city. Ichigaya, A commercial area in eastern Shinjuku, site of the Ministry of Defense, kagurazaka, A hill descending to the Iidabashi Station area, once one of Tokyos last remaining hanamachi or geisha districts, and currently known for hosting a sizable French community. Yotsuya, An upscale residential and commercial district in the southeast corner of Shinjuku, the Arakichō area is well known for its many small restaurants, bars, and izakaya. Naturally, most of Shinjuku is occupied by the Yodobashi Plateau, the Kanda River runs through the Ochiai and Totsuka areas near sea level, but the Toshima Plateau also builds elevation in the northern extremities of Totsuka and Ochiai. The highest point in Shinjuku is Hakone-san in Toyama Park,44.6 m above sea level. In 1634, during the Edo period, as the moat of the Edo Castle was built. In 1698, Naitō-Shinjuku had developed as a new station on the Kōshū Kaidō, naitō was the family name of a daimyō whose mansion stood in the area, his land is now a public park, the Shinjuku Gyoen. In 1920, the town of Naitō-Shinjuku, which comprised large parts of present-day Shinjuku, parts of Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku began to develop into its current form after the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923, since the seismically stable area largely escaped the devastation. Consequently, West Shinjuku is one of the few areas in Tokyo with many skyscrapers, the Tokyo air raids from May to August 1945 destroyed almost 90% of the buildings in the area in and around Shinjuku Station
13.
Shibuya
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Shibuya is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As of May 1,2016, it has an population of 221,801. The total area is 15.11 km², the name Shibuya is also used to refer to the shopping district which surrounds Shibuya Station, one of Tokyos busiest railway stations. This area is known as one of the centers of Japan, particularly for young people. Shibuya was historically the site of a castle in which the Shibuya family resided from the 11th century through the Edo period. Following the opening of the Yamanote Line in 1885, Shibuya began to emerge as a terminal for southwestern Tokyo and eventually as a major commercial. The village of Shibuya was incorporated in 1889 by the merger of the villages of Kami-Shibuya, Naka-Shibuya and Shimo-Shibuya within Minami-Toshima County, the village covered the territory of modern-day Shibuya Station area as well as the Hiroo, Daikanyama, Aoyama and Ebisu areas. Shibuya became a town in 1909, the town of Shibuya merged with the neighboring towns of Sendagaya and Yoyohata to form Shibuya Ward of Tokyo City in 1932. Tokyo City became Tokyo Metropolis in 1943, and the special ward was established on March 15,1947. A statue of Hachikō was built adjacent to the station, during the occupation of Japan, Yoyogi Park was used as a housing compound for U. S. personnel known as Washington Heights. The U. S. military left in 1964, and much of the park was repurposed as venues for the 1964 Summer Olympics, the ward itself served as part of the athletics 50 km walk and marathon course during the 1964 games. Shibuya has achieved popularity among young people since the early 1980s. There are several famous fashion department stores in Shibuya, Shibuya 109 is a major shopping center near Shibuya Station, particularly famous as the origin of the kogal subculture. Called Ichi-Maru-kyū, which translates as 1–0–9 in Japanese, the name is actually a pun on that of the corporation that owns it — Tōkyū, during the late 1990s, Shibuya also became known as the center of the IT industry in Japan. It was often called Bit Valley in English, a pun on both Bitter Valley, the translation of Shibuya, as well as bit, the computer term for binary digits. Shibuya includes many commercial and residential districts such as Daikanyama, Ebisu, Harajuku, Hiroo, Higashi, Omotesandō, Sendagaya. The mayor is Toshitake Kuwahara, an independent backed by the Liberal Democratic Party, Shibuya mayoral election,2003 Meiji Shrine, Shinto shrine dedicated to the souls of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken, surrounded by a 700, 000-square-meter forest. Shinjuku Gyoen, former Imperial gardens now open to the public as a park, Yoyogi Park, once a training base for the Imperial Japanese Army, later the Washington Heights housing area for the Occupation of Japan, then the lodgings for contestants in the Tokyo Olympics
14.
Lolita fashion
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Lolita is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian and Edwardian clothing. The origin of the meaning is complex, and remains unclear. The movement probably started in the late 1970s when famous labels including Pink House, Milk, in the 1990s, brands such as Princess Princess began to rise in popularity which prompted the style to become popularized in Tokyo with Japanese youth. Gothic Lolita, sometimes shortened to GothLoli, is a combination of gothic, the fashion originated in the late 1990s in Harajuku. The magazine Gothic & Lolita Bible was founded in 2001
15.
Gothic Lolita
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Lolita is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian and Edwardian clothing. The origin of the meaning is complex, and remains unclear. The movement probably started in the late 1970s when famous labels including Pink House, Milk, in the 1990s, brands such as Princess Princess began to rise in popularity which prompted the style to become popularized in Tokyo with Japanese youth. Gothic Lolita, sometimes shortened to GothLoli, is a combination of gothic, the fashion originated in the late 1990s in Harajuku. The magazine Gothic & Lolita Bible was founded in 2001
16.
Sweet Lolita
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Lolita is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian and Edwardian clothing. The origin of the meaning is complex, and remains unclear. The movement probably started in the late 1970s when famous labels including Pink House, Milk, in the 1990s, brands such as Princess Princess began to rise in popularity which prompted the style to become popularized in Tokyo with Japanese youth. Gothic Lolita, sometimes shortened to GothLoli, is a combination of gothic, the fashion originated in the late 1990s in Harajuku. The magazine Gothic & Lolita Bible was founded in 2001
17.
Punk Lolita
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Lolita is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian and Edwardian clothing. The origin of the meaning is complex, and remains unclear. The movement probably started in the late 1970s when famous labels including Pink House, Milk, in the 1990s, brands such as Princess Princess began to rise in popularity which prompted the style to become popularized in Tokyo with Japanese youth. Gothic Lolita, sometimes shortened to GothLoli, is a combination of gothic, the fashion originated in the late 1990s in Harajuku. The magazine Gothic & Lolita Bible was founded in 2001
18.
Classic Lolita
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Lolita is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian and Edwardian clothing. The origin of the meaning is complex, and remains unclear. The movement probably started in the late 1970s when famous labels including Pink House, Milk, in the 1990s, brands such as Princess Princess began to rise in popularity which prompted the style to become popularized in Tokyo with Japanese youth. Gothic Lolita, sometimes shortened to GothLoli, is a combination of gothic, the fashion originated in the late 1990s in Harajuku. The magazine Gothic & Lolita Bible was founded in 2001
19.
Kodona
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Lolita is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian and Edwardian clothing. The origin of the meaning is complex, and remains unclear. The movement probably started in the late 1970s when famous labels including Pink House, Milk, in the 1990s, brands such as Princess Princess began to rise in popularity which prompted the style to become popularized in Tokyo with Japanese youth. Gothic Lolita, sometimes shortened to GothLoli, is a combination of gothic, the fashion originated in the late 1990s in Harajuku. The magazine Gothic & Lolita Bible was founded in 2001
20.
Ikebukuro
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Ikebukuro is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, at the center of Ikebukuro is the train and subway station, a huge urban gathering shared by the JR East lines, the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and the Tōbu Tōjō Line. It is one of the main hubs in the western Yamanote area of Tokyo. Ikebukuro Station is the third busiest station in Japan, and the world, around the station are the Seibu and Tōbu department stores. Seibu, written with the characters for West and Musashi 西武, is on the east end of the station and Tōbu, written with the characters for East and Musashi 東武, is on the west end. East of the station, on the site of Sugamo Prison, stands Sunshine 60, the Sunshine 60 contains a large and popular shopping mall, which contains various attractions including an aquarium, a Pokémon Center, and cat cafes. Adjacent to Sunshine City, on Meiji-Dori, is the Toyota Amlux Building which houses the Toyota showroom, otome Road, a leading shopping area for otaku products aimed at women, is located nearby. Marui and Don Quijote also have department stores in the area, the principal electronics retailer in Ikebukuro is Bic Camera. There is a pleasure district located in Nishi-Ikebukuro, similar to Shinjukus Kabukichō. The old village of Ikebukuro stood to the northwest of the station, most of the area on which modern Ikebukuro is built was historically known as Sugamo. In the Taishō and Shōwa periods, the low land prices attracted artists and foreign workers. Until October 1,1932 when Toshima ward was established, the area was an independent municipality of Ikebukuro-mura, the kanji for Ikebukuro literally means pond bag. Outside the west exit of Ikebukuro station near an entrance to the Fukutoshin Line is a plaque explaining how the area used to have multiple lakes. There is a statue of an owl located near the center of the city called Ikefukurō-zō. It is a play on words from the meaning of fukuro as owl. The owl statue has become a meeting place along the lines of the statue of Hachikō located outside of Shibuya Station. However, the Ikebukuro Chinatown is smaller and less populous than Yokohamas Chinatown just to the south of Tokyo, public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the Toshima Ward. Public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education, rikkyo Ikebukuro Junior and Senior High School is in the area
21.
Gyaru
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Gyaru is a Japanese transliteration of the English word girl. Its usage peaked in the 2000s and has gradually declined, the term gradually drifted to apply to an older group, whose seeming lack of interest in work or marriage gained the word a childish image. It is now used almost interchangeably with kogal, Gyaru subculture is still a large influence in Japans fashion economy with gyaru brands branching out and becoming more accessible in rural areas. In Tokyo, more often not, a shopping center at each main train station is dedicated to offering the newest and trendiest items from popular Gal brands. Some brands are also reaching overseas by having their items easily accessible in webshops offering world-wide shipping services, a Gal Circle is a meet up of gals to hang out together. Gyaru fashion and style varies greatly dependent on the subcategory, although in general the term describes the fashion and glamour reminiscent of Brigitte Bardot with tanned skin and blonde hair. The term is often applied to those imitating the bihaku glamour style created by Ayumi Hamasaki. Styles derived from gyaru are often referred to by their subcategory name, Gyaru fashion is a type of Japanese street fashion that originated in the 1970s. Its popularity peaked in the 1990s and early 2000s, Gyaru fashion is typically characterized by having heavily bleached or dyed hair, highly decorated nails, and dramatic makeup. The makeup typically consists of dark eyeliner and fake eyelashes used in ways intended to make the eyes appear larger, clothing pieces for gyaru fashion differ depending on which gyaru style the individual chooses. Popular gyaru models, icons and idols include Tsubasa Masuwaka, Kumiko Funayama, Rie Matsuoka, Hikari Shiina, Satomi Yakuwa, Sayoko Ozaki, there are various subcategories of gals depending on the choice of fashion, and also gender. Gyaru-kei, Basically the default gyaru style and it is an umbrella term for the many subcategories or themes of gal styles. Bibinba, This look usually includes a lot of gold, and it was said to be a joke in Egg magazine about this style, and was not a serious style. Banba, Banba is a form of manba. Banbas wear less white makeup than manbas, they use more glitter. Banbas wear more extreme-looking types of false eyelashes, and colored contact lenses, banbas wear darker colors than manbas, and sometimes dress in club wear. Hime gyaru, Also known as Hime-kei and it is one of the more over the top and also one of the most expensive style of dress of all of the categories. The hime style is based on the Rococo era
22.
Ganguro
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Ganguro is an alternative fashion trend among young Japanese women that started in the mid-1990s, distinguished by a dark tan and contrasting make-up liberally applied by fashionistas. Ganguro instead tanned their skin, bleached their hair and used a lot of makeup in unusual ways. Ganguro has a connection to Japanese folklore of ghosts and demons who are depicted with a similar such as those in kabuki. This connection is further underlined by the offshoot style yamanba, named after a witch in Japanese folklore. The ganguro trend faded out afterwards, although its influence can be observed in yamanba and manba styles, ganguro appeared as a new fashion style in Japan in the early 1990s and was prevalent mostly among young women. In ganguro fashion, a deep tan is combined with hair dyed in shades of orange to blonde, black ink is used as eye-liner and white concealer is used as lipstick and eyeshadow. False eyelashes, plastic facial gems, and pearl powder are added to this. Platform shoes and brightly coloured outfits complete the ganguro look, also typical of ganguro fashion are tie-dyed sarongs, miniskirts, stickers on the face, and many bracelets, rings, and necklaces. Ganguro falls into the subculture of gyaru, a slang term used for various groups of young women. This is their attempt at individuality, self-expression, and freedom, in defiance of school standards. Fashion magazines like Egg and Ageha have had a influence on the ganguro. Other popular ganguro magazines include Popteen and Ego System, the ganguro culture is often linked with para para, a Japanese dance style. However, most para para dancers are not ganguro, and most ganguro are not para para dancers, though there are many who are ganguro or gal and dance para para. One of the most famous early ganguro girls was known as Buriteri, Egg made her a star by frequently featuring her in its pages during the height of the ganguro craze. After modelling and advertising for the Shibuya tanning salon Blacky, social pressure, yamanba and manba are styles which developed from ganguro. Stickers on the face died out shortly after 2004 and, for a while, manba then became more extreme, with multicoloured and usually synthetic hair. Manba in 2008 saw a darker tan, and no facial stickers, hair was usually neon/bright colours, with pink being a favourite. Wool emulating dreadlocks, extensions, and clips were worn to make hair appear longer, clothing remained the same, although leis were worn less frequently
23.
Sarong
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A sarong or sarung is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often has woven plaid or checkered patterns, or may be colored by means of batik or ikat dyeing. Many modern sarongs have printed designs, often depicting animals or plants, the sarong is similar to or synonymous with the lungi of South India and the izaar of the Arabian Peninsula. Sarong or sarung denotes the lower garment worn by the Indonesian men and this consists of length of fabric about a yard wide and two-and-a-half yards long. This sheet is stitched at the edges to form a tube. Malay men wear sarongs woven in a pattern, women wear sarongs dyed in the batik method, with, for example, flower motifs. However, in Javanese culture, the wearing of batik sarung is not restricted to women on formal occasions such as weddings, the sarong is common wear for women, in formal settings with a kebaya blouse. Sarongs known under a variety of names are traditionally worn by the people of Yemen. Local names for the garment include fūṭah, izaar, wizār, in Hadhramawt sarong is called ṣārūn in the interior and ṣārūm in the coastal region. In Oman, sarongs are called wizār and are white in color, similar to the Keralan mundu of South Asia. In Saudi Arabia, sarongs are known as izaar, designs can be checkered or striped as well floral or arabesque, but double plaid designs from Indonesia are also very popular. In southwestern Saudi Arabia, tribal groups have their own style of unstitched izaar and this is also worn in northern Yemen. However, the groups in Yemen each have their own design for their fūṭah. It is thought that these tribal futah resemble the original izaar as worn on the Arabian Peninsula since pre-Islamic times such as the Shendyt and they are generally worn open and unstitched in such a way that the garment does not reach over ones ankles. Other izaars, often imported from Bangladesh, are the clothing of Arab fishermen of the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean. It was the garment for men before the introduction of pant-like pyjamas and kaftans during the Turkish. Tube-stitched as well as open sarongs are worn, even in formal dishdasha-wearing countries, as casual sleep wear and at home. A standard lungi measures 2.12 by 1.2 metres, unlike the brightly coloured Southeast Asian sarongs, the Kerala variety is more often plain white and is worn for ceremonial or religious purposes
24.
Loose socks
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Loose socks are a style of baggy sock worn by Japanese high school girls, as part of kogal culture. This style of socks has also become popular among American teens and college students who are fans of Japanese anime and these socks come in a variety of styles—defined by the knitting pattern of the upper. The two most popular styles are the traditional 2×2 rib knit and tube-style loose socks, which are thigh-high length tube socks worn pushed down around the ankles. They were adopted as a fashion which flattered plump calves and also expressed rebellious deviation from Japans strict dress code for school uniforms and it is used as an inspiration for photography by Akira Gomi. They are also used in Japanese fashions like Kogal and Fairy Kei
25.
Kogal
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Kogal is a Japanese fashion culture that involves schoolgirls wearing an outfit based on their uniform, but with very short skirts. The short skirts are worn irrespective of the season, the girls may also wear loose socks, scarves and have dyed hair. The word kogal is anglicized from kogyaru, a contraction of kōkōsei gyaru, the girls refer to themselves as gyaru, although this word is applied to several other fashion looks as well. Aside from the miniskirt or microskirt, and the socks, kogals favor platform boots, makeup. They may also dye their hair brown and get artificial suntans and they have a distinctive slang peppered with English words. They are often, but not necessarily, enrolled students, centers of kogal culture include the Harajuku and Shibuya districts of Tokyo, in particular Shibuyas 109 Building. Pop singer Namie Amuro promoted the style, Kogals are avid users of photo booths, with most visiting at least once a week, according to non-scientific polls. While critics condemned the gyaru as shallow, materialistic, and devoted to conspicuous consumption, admirers describe them as kindhearted, active women in exuberant health. The word kogal is a contraction of kōkōsei gyaru and it originated as a code used by disco bouncers to distinguish adults from minors. The term is not used by the girls it refers to and they call themselves gyaru, a Japanese pronunciation of the English word gal. The term gyaru was first popularized in 1972 by an ad for a brand of jeans. In the 1980s, a gyaru was a dressed woman. When written 子, ko means young woman, so kogyaru is sometimes understood in the sense of young gal, however, if this was the meaning originally intended, wakai gyaru would be more logical. Kogals have been accused of conspicuous consumption, living off their parents, critics decry their materialism as reflecting a larger psychological or spiritual emptiness in modern Japanese life. Some kogals support their lifestyle with allowances from wealthy parents, living a parasite single existence that grates against traditional principles of duty and industry. Others have charged that the phenomenon is less about the girls and their fashions than a media practice to fetishize school uniforms. I wish that I were in school at a different time. Now, with kogal being such an issue in Japan, nobody can see me for me and they only see me as kogal, like the ones they see on TV
26.
Cosplayer
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Cosplay, a contraction of the words costume play, is a performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture and a use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role-playing in venues apart from the stage. Any entity that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as a subject, favorite sources include manga and anime, comic books and cartoons, video games, and live-action films and television series. The term cosplay is a Japanese portmanteau of the English terms costume, the term was coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi of Studio Hard while attending the 1984 World Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles. He was impressed by the hall and the fans and reported on both in Japanese magazine My Anime. The coinage reflects a common Japanese method of abbreviation in which the first two moras of a pair of words are used to form an independent compound, costume becomes kosu, Costume parties or fancy dress parties were popular from the 19th century onwards. Most specific costumes described therein are for historical figures although some are sourced from fiction, one of the earliest recorded examples of costuming based on an existing character from popular media were costumes based on A. D. Condos science fiction comic character Mr. Skygack, from Mars, in 1908, a Mr. and Mrs. William Fell attended a masquerade at a skating rink in Cincinnati, Ohio wearing Mr. Skygack and Miss Dillpickles costumes. Shortly after, in 1910, a woman won first prize at masquerade ball in Tacoma. The first people to wear costumes to attend a convention were science fiction fans Forrest J Ackerman, paul and the 1936 film Things to Come, designed and created by Douglas. Ackerman later stated that he thought everyone was supposed to wear a costume at a science fiction convention, although only he and Douglas did. Fan costuming caught on, however, and the 2nd Worldcon, david Kyle won the masquerade wearing a Ming the Merciless costume created by Leslie Perri, while Robert A. W. Lowndes received second place with a Bar Senestro costume. Other costumed attendees included guest of honor E. E. Smith as Northwest Smith and both Ackerman and Douglas wearing their futuristicostumes again, masquerades and costume balls continued to be part of World Science Fiction Convention tradition thereafter. Early Worldcon masquerade balls featured a band, dancing, food, contestants either walked across a stage or a cleared area of the dance floor. Ackerman wore a Hunchbackerman of Notre Dame costume to the 3rd Worldcon in 1941, which included a designed and created by Ray Harryhausen. Douglas wore an Akka costume, the mask made by Harryhausen, to the 3rd Worldcon. Rules governing costumes became established in response to specific costumes and costuming trends, the first nude contestant at a Worldcon masquerade was in 1952 but the height of this trend was in the 1970s and early 1980s, with a few every year. This eventually led to No Costume is No Costume rule, which banned full nudity, mike Resnick describes the best of the nude costumes as Kris Lundi wearing a harpy costume to the 32nd Worldcon in 1974
27.
Jumpsuit
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Jumpsuit is a piece of clothing, originally referred to the functional one-piece garments used by parachuters/skydivers. More recently, it has come to be used as a term for any one-piece garment with sleeves and legs and typically, though not always, without integral coverings for feet. The original skydivers jumpsuits were simple garments designed to insulate the body from the cold of high altitudes and minimize risk of covering important handles, today, however, the garment has found other uses. Jumpsuits are generally regarded as a garment of convenience, as they are simpler to launder, put on, unless the jumpsuit has a drop seat, however, it is necessary to remove it entirely for bathroom use. Drivers in motor racing wear jumpsuits for protection against fire and leather suits for abrasion, skiers wear insulated jumpsuits or ski suits to protect themselves from cold. Competitive skiers and speed skaters wear skin-tight jumpsuits to provide freedom of movement while minimising air resistance, skydivers wear technical jumpsuits as main sport equipment for todays sport skydiving. The jumpsuit has sometimes been mandated as a uniform, as it can be a unisex garment. Prisons in the United States and sometimes in Canada use bright orange jumpsuit uniforms for inmates for ease of identification, like other forms of distinctive prison uniforms, such clothing is easily distinguishable from that of civilians in the case of escape, thus aiding in escapees identification and recapture. University and polytechnic students in Finland and Sweden often wear jumpsuits colored according to their school or field of study at student parties, in countries with colder climates, snowsuits, or jumpsuits quilted or padded for warmth, are popular during the wintertime. Starting in the 1960s, the jumpsuit has made appearances in common. They retain connotations of the future because they have frequently featured in popular science fiction. Jumpsuits have often used as stage costumes in stage productions and by various singers. A black leather jumpsuit is part of Suzi Quatros image, catsuits, or skin-tight jumpsuits of shiny fabric, have also been popular on stage. On the original 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series, the news TV reporter April ONeil is well known for wearing a yellow jumpsuit. The shop owner promises Sam that this Parisian nightsuit will make him look like a man of distinction, david Sugalski, also known as The Polish Ambassador, is an electronic music artist that makes use of a vintage neon-yellow Swiss jumpsuit during his live shows. In the Portal video game series, the playable protagonist, Chell, wears an orange jumpsuit. In the British TV Series, Misfits, all of the ASBO characters wear orange jumpsuits, curtis notably wears his tied off at the waist. In the Fallout video game series, humans who live in the series of fallout shelters wear blue and yellow jumpsuits with the number of the particular vault on the back
28.
Kanji
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Kanji, or kanji, are the adopted logographic Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana and katakana. The Japanese term kanji for the Chinese characters literally means Han characters and is using the same characters as the Chinese word hànzì. Chinese characters first came to Japan on official seals, letters, swords, coins, mirrors, the earliest known instance of such an import was the King of Na gold seal given by Emperor Guangwu of Han to a Yamato emissary in 57 AD. Chinese coins from the first century AD have been found in Yayoi-period archaeological sites, however, the Japanese of that era probably had no comprehension of the script, and would remain illiterate until the fifth century AD. The earliest Japanese documents were written by bilingual Chinese or Korean officials employed at the Yamato court. For example, the correspondence from King Bu of Wa to Emperor Shun of Liu Song in 478 has been praised for its skillful use of allusion. Later, groups of people called fuhito were organized under the monarch to read, during the reign of Empress Suiko, the Yamato court began sending full-scale diplomatic missions to China, which resulted in a large increase in Chinese literacy at the Japanese court. The Japanese language had no form at the time Chinese characters were introduced. Chinese characters also came to be used to write Japanese words, around 650 CE, a writing system called manyōgana evolved that used a number of Chinese characters for their sound, rather than for their meaning. Manyōgana written in cursive style evolved into hiragana, or onna-de, that is, ladies hand, major works of Heian-era literature by women were written in hiragana. Katakana emerged via a path, monastery students simplified manyōgana to a single constituent element. Thus the two writing systems, hiragana and katakana, referred to collectively as kana, are descended from kanji. Katakana are mostly used for representing onomatopoeia, non-Japanese loanwords, the names of plants and animals, and for emphasis on certain words. In 1946, following World War II and under the Allied Occupation of Japan and this was done with the goal of facilitating learning for children and simplifying kanji use in literature and periodicals. The number of characters in circulation was reduced, and formal lists of characters to be learned during each grade of school were established, some characters were given simplified glyphs, called shinjitai. Many variant forms of characters and obscure alternatives for common characters were officially discouraged and these are simply guidelines, so many characters outside these standards are still widely known and commonly used, these are known as hyōgaiji. The kyōiku kanji are 1,006 characters that Japanese children learn in elementary school, originally the list only contained 881 characters. This was expanded to 996 characters in 1977 and it was not until 1982 the list was expanded to its current size
29.
Tutu (clothing)
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The modern tutu is a dress worn as a costume in a ballet performance, often with attached bodice. It may be made of tarlatan, muslin, silk, tulle, gauze, modern tutus have two basic types, the Romantic tutu is soft and bell-shaped, reaching the calf or ankle, the Classical tutu is short and stiff, projecting horizontally from the waist and hip. The derivation of the word tutu is unknown, the word was not recorded anywhere until 1881. One theory is that it is derived from the word tulle. Another theory is that it derives from French babytalk for bottom, during that era, the abonnés were encouraged to mix with the girls in the foyer. It is suggested the expression came from the abonnés playfully patting the back of the dress with the saying pan-pan cucul. A third, related theory suggests a derivation from the more vulgar French word, during this era, women wore pantalettes as underwear, which were open at the crotch. The abonnés favoured the very front rows in the hope of a view. This is supported by the description by nineteenth-century balletomane, Charles Nuitter, fashion designers have often been involved in design for ballet. Fashion designers Cecil Beaton in England, Christian Lacroix in France, the Romantic tutu is still based on Marie Taglionis original costume, though modern materials mean it is lighter and may be more transparent. The hem falls between the knee and ankle, the Inverted Bell tutu is midway between the classical tutu and the Romantic tutu. It is made of layers of tulle which jut out similar to a classical tutu. There are several versions of the modern tutu, Classical tutu, the lower, short layers of tulle support the top layers, making them jut out from the hip. Pancake tutu, this tutu is supported by a hoop and is very flat, platter tutu, similar to the pancake tutu but sitting at the waist instead of the hip. American tutu, Very short ruffles of tulle are loosely sewn on to a pantie to give a soft effect, the story of a Swan Lake tutu. Dancewear Through the Ages An Inside Look at the Costumes of the New York City Ballet Pictures of tutus tulle skirt
30.
Leopard print
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Animal print is also used for room decoration, handbags and footwear and even some jewelry. A major difference between animal prints and fur clothing is that animal prints today very often use fake fur instead of animal coat, animal prints have long been a popular style for many reasons. For one, they are expensive and considered rather exotic, hence they are a symbol of wealth. Throughout history, kings and other people have used animal print rugs. Animal print became popular for women in the United States in the late 1960s during the Bohemian movement, besides a distinctive natural animal pattern on clothing, animal prints may also refer to art prints of animals, printed on canvas or paper. The art prints may replicate the skin or fur pattern found on the animal. The prints are not limited to just the skin or fur pattern. Animal print applications extend beyond clothing and art prints and are used for other decorations, including rugs, wallpaper. In addition, animal prints may be used in designs for cars, airplanes, signage, building exteriors, or safety gear such as helmets the NFL team, Cincinnati Bengals. Other companies like Kate Spade New York have begun incorporating the animal print design into accessories such as iPad hard cases and folios
31.
Dental mask
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Surgical masks are popularly worn by the general public in East Asian countries to reduce the chance of spreading airborne diseases. Its first recorded use was by the French surgeon Paul Berger during an 1897 operation in Paris, modern surgical masks are made from paper or other non-woven material and should be discarded after each use. A surgical mask is not to be confused with a respirator and is not certified as such, surgical masks are not designed to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne bacteria or virus particles and are less effective than respirators, which are designed for this purpose. Simple surgical masks protect wearers from being splashed in the mouth with body fluids and they also remind wearers not to touch their mouth or nose, which could otherwise transfer viruses and bacteria after having touched a contaminated surface. They can also reduce the spread of infectious liquid droplets that are created when the wearer coughs or sneezes, there is no clear evidence that disposable face masks worn by members of the surgical team would reduce the risk of wound infections after clean surgical procedures. Cotton and gauze masks do not serve as surgical masks as they do not offer adequate filtration of microbes, evidence supports the effectiveness of surgical masks in reducing the risk of infection among other healthcare workers and in the community. The U. S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information on products. A printable factsheet has been designed for issue to those unaccustomed to respirator use, in Japan and Taiwan, it is common to see these masks worn while ill, as a show of consideration for others and social responsibility. They are also worn by people in dusty environments such as sanitation workers, the mask is used in Japan to prevent allergic rhinitis from inhaling the pollen of Cryptomeria japonica in spring. The mythological figure Kuchisake Onna is commonly seen with a mask to hide the scars on her mouth. Pop star Michael Jackson often wore a mask when in public to conceal his identity. The design of the surgical masks depends on the mode, usually the masks are 3 ply/3 layers and this 3 ply material is made up from a melt-blown material placed between non-woven fabric. The melt-blown material acts as the filter that stops microbes from entering or exiting the mask, most surgical masks feature pleats or folds. Commonly,3 pleats are used allowing the user to expand the mask so it covers the area from the nose to the chin, there are 3 different ways to secure the masks. The most popular is the ear loop, where a string like material is attached to the mask, the other is the tie-on and the head band. The tie-on straps consist of four non-woven straps that are tied behind the head, the head band is an elastic strap that is placed behind the head. Surgical masks with decorative designs are popular in countries in which they are worn in public
32.
Visual kei
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Some Western sources consider that visual kei refers to a music genre, with its sound usually related to glam rock, punk rock and heavy metal. However, second generation visual kei acts play various genres, including those considered by some as unrelated to rock such as electronic, pop, Visual kei emerged in the 1980s underground scene, pioneered by bands such as X Japan, Dead End, Derlanger, Buck-Tick and Color. The term visual kei is believed to come one of X Japans slogans, Psychedelic Violence-Crime of Visual Shock. The movement is divided into two generations, with the first in three transitional eras, of which the first lasted almost a decade. In the late 1980s and until the mid 1990s, visual kei received increasing popularity throughout Japan, the most notable bands to achieve success during this period included X Japan, Buck-Tick and Luna Sea, however, a drastic change in their appearance accompanied their success. In 1992, X Japan tried to launch an attempt to enter the American market, even signing with Atlantic Records for a US album, two record labels, Extasy Records and Free-Will, were instrumental in promoting the visual kei scene. Luna Sea and Glay, who went on to sell millions of records, Free-Will was founded by Color vocalist and leader Dynamite Tommy, while at the time not as popular as Extasy, it had many moderately successful acts, such as By-Sexual and Kamaitachi. The second transition era began in 1993 by bands such as LArc-en-Ciel, Glay, Kuroyume, Malice Mizer, around 1995 the visual kei bands experienced a booming success in the general population. It lasted four years, when began the transition era by bands such as Lacryma Christi, Penicillin, Shazna. During the 1990s emerged some subgenres, local Nagoya kei, and several conceptual like Eroguro kei, Angura kei, and Ouji kei or Kodona kei. In 1998, Billboards Steve McClure commented that To a certain extent, hides death means the end of an era, X were the first generation of visual kei bands, for the next generation of bands, its like, Thats it. The torch has been passed to us, a second generation emerged in visual kei-specific live houses managed by record companies like PS Company and Maverick DC Group. Notable newer visual kei bands include The Gazette, Nightmare, Alice Nine, An Cafe, Sug, Mucc, DespairsRay, who have all performed overseas. Veterans of the scene have also established new acts, such as Malice Mizers Mana with his band Moi dix Mois, in 2007, visual kei was revitalized as Luna Sea performed a one-off performance and X Japan officially reunited with a new single and a world tour. With these developments, visual kei bands enjoyed a boost in public awareness, from this generation emerged subgenre Oshare kei which changed the sound and look of the genre, producing pop-rock type with bright attire. In the first five years Dir en Grey was especially well received, in 2007 was held first international exclusive festival, Jrock Revolution, in Los Angeles. Although recently some bands like The Gazette played at Tokyo Dome, in 2009 at Makuhari Messe, and 2011 at Saitama Super Arena, was held V-Rock Festival which gathered over 50 visual kei rock bands. As an epilogue to their 25th anniversary, Luna Sea hosted a festival titled Lunatic Fest on 27 and 28 June 2015
33.
Glam rock
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Glam artists drew on diverse sources ranging from bubblegum pop and 50s rock and roll to cabaret theatrics, science fiction, and complex art rock. The flamboyant clothing and visual styles of performers were often camp or androgynous, the UK charts were inundated with glam rock acts from 1971 to 1975, with glam also manifesting in all areas of British popular culture during this period. British glam rock artists include Marc Bolan and T. Rex, David Bowie, Sweet, Slade, Mud, Roxy Music, in the US the scene was much less prevalent, with Alice Cooper and Lou Reed the only American artists to score a hit. Other US glam artists include New York Dolls, Iggy Pop and it declined after the mid-1970s, but influenced other musical genres including punk rock, glam metal, New Romanticism, and gothic rock and has sporadically revived since the 1990s. Glam rock can be seen as a fashion as well as musical subgenre, Glam artists rejected the revolutionary principles of the late 1960s rock scene, instead glorifying decadence, superficiality, and the simple structures of earlier pop music. Musically it was diverse, varying between the simple rock and roll revivalism of figures like Alvin Stardust to the complex art rock of Roxy Music. Glam is most noted for its sexual and gender ambiguity and representations of androgyny and it was prefigured by the showmanship and gender identity manipulation of American acts such as the Cockettes and Alice Cooper, the latter of which combined glam with shock rock. Glam rock emerged from the English psychedelic and art scenes of the late 1960s. Its origins are associated with Marc Bolan, who had renamed his folk duo T, Rex and taken up electric instruments by the end of the 1960s. Often cited as the moment of inception is his appearance on the UK TV programme Top of the Pops in March 1971 wearing glitter and satins, to perform what would be his second UK Top 10 hit, Hot Love. In 1973, a few months after the release of the album Tanx, from late 1971, already a minor star, David Bowie developed his Ziggy Stardust persona, incorporating elements of professional makeup, mime and performance into his act. These performers were soon followed in the style by acts including Roxy Music, Sweet, Slade, Mott the Hoople, Mud, Glam was not only a highly successful trend in UK popular music, it became dominant in all other aspects of British popular culture during the 1970s. In the UK, the glitter rock was most often used to refer to the extreme version of glam pursued by Gary Glitter. The Glitter Band and Gary Glitter had between them eighteen top ten singles in the UK between 1972 and 1976, a second wave of glam rock acts, including Suzi Quatro, Roy Woods Wizzard and Sparks, dominated the British single charts from about 1974 to 1976. Quatro directly inspired the pioneering Los Angeles based all-girl group the Runaways. Existing acts, some not usually considered central to the genre, also adopted glam styles, including Rod Stewart, Elton John, Queen and, for a time, in Japan in the 1980s, visual kei was strongly influenced by glam rock aesthetics. Glam has since enjoyed continued influence and sporadic modest revivals in R&B crossover act Prince, and bands such as Marilyn Manson, Suede, Placebo, Chainsaw Kittens, Spacehog, movies that reflect glam rock aesthetics include, T. D. An Eyewitness Account Omnibus Press,2005 ISBN 1-84609-149-7 A Biased History of UK Glam Rock
34.
Glam metal
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Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal which features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, and borrows from the fashion of 1970s glam rock. Glam metal can be traced back to acts like Alice Cooper, Boston, Cheap Trick, Kiss, The New York Dolls. It was popular throughout the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, bringing to prominence bands including Poison, Skid Row, Cinderella, Glam metal was associated with flashy clothing and makeup. Poison, for example, had long shaggy or backcombed hair, accessories, metal studs, leather, Glam metal lost mainstream interest in the early 1990s as the perceived excesses of glam metal created a backlash against the genre. A factor in the decline of metal was the rise of grunge in the early 1990s, which had a stripped-down aesthetic. Musically, glam metal combines a traditional metal sound with elements of hard rock and punk rock, adding pop-influenced catchy hooks. Like other heavy metal songs of the 1980s, they often feature shred guitar solos and they also include extensive use of harmonies, particularly in the characteristic power ballads – slow, emotional songs that gradually build to a strong finale. These were among the most commercially successful singles in the genre, lyrical themes often deal with love and lust, with songs often directed at a particular woman. Aesthetically glam metal draws heavily on the rock or glitter rock of the 1970s, often with very long backcombed hair, use of make-up, gaudy clothing. The visual aspects of glam metal appealed to television producers, particularly MTV. Glam metal performers became infamous for their debauched lifestyles of drugs, strippers and late-night parties, sociologist Deena Weinstein points to the large number of terms used to describe more commercial forms of heavy metal, which she groups together as lite metal. Use of the derogatory term hair metal started in the early 1990s, Music journalist Stephen Davis claims the influences of the style can be traced back to acts like Aerosmith, Kiss, Boston, Cheap Trick, and The New York Dolls. Kiss and to a lesser extent Alice Cooper, were influences on the genre. Finnish band Hanoi Rocks, heavily influenced themselves by the New York Dolls, have been credited with setting a blueprint for the look of hair metal. Van Halen has been seen as influential on the movement, emerging in 1978 from the Los Angeles music scene on Sunset Strip. He popularized a technique of two‐handed hammer‐ons and pull‐offs called tapping. This sound, and lead singer David Lee Roths stage antics, would be influential on glam metal. In the early 1980s, a number of bands from across the United States began to move towards what would become the glam metal sound
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X Japan
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X Japan is a Japanese heavy metal band from Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi. Predominantly a power/speed metal band with symphonic elements, they later gravitated towards a progressive sound with an emphasis on ballads. They achieved breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second, following 1991s Jealousy, Taiji left the band in early 1992. He was replaced by Heath and the changed their name to X Japan before producing the mini album Art of Life. In 1995 the group dropped most of its original visual kei aesthetics in favor of a casual look and released Dahlia. X Japan performed their last concert at the Tokyo Dome on December 31,1997, after ten years, X Japan reunited in 2007 and recorded the new song I. V. In 2011, the band went on their first world tour throughout Europe, South America, X Japan has released five studio albums, six live albums, and 21 singles. Three of their albums have debuted at number one on the Oricon chart. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked the band at number 40 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts, in 2007, Rolling Stone Japan ranked Blue Blood number 15 on its list of the 100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time. In 2017, Loudwire named X Japan the Best Metal Band from Japan and it has been reported that X Japan have sold over 30 million records. In 1977, Yoshiki and Toshi formed a band called Dynamite in their hometown of Tateyama, Chiba, Dynamite changed its name to Noise in 1978, while they were still in high school. In 1982, Noise disbanded and Yoshiki and Toshi formed a new band, they named it X while they tried to think of another name, X began to actively perform in the Tokyo area in 1985 with a frequently changing lineup. In November 1985 bassist Taiji joined X, though he left the group shortly thereafter, to ensure a continuous outlet for the bands music, Yoshiki founded the independent label Extasy Records in April 1986, and released their second single Orgasm. Taiji would officially rejoin the band in November of that same year, the songs Stab Me in the Back and No Connexion, for the February 1987 Victor Records sampler Skull Thrash Zone Volume I, were recorded with Pata as a support guitar player. Soon after these recordings hide joined as a guitarist, after Pata once again provided support, this time at a live show, he officially joined completing the groups first well-known lineup. In August 1987 they performed at the Rock Monster event at Kyoto Sports Valley and gave out their first home video, on December 26,1987, the band participated in an audition held by CBS/Sony which led to a recording contract in August of the following year. In the meantime the band released its first album, Vanishing Vision through Extasy Records on April 14,1988, the albums first press of 10,000 copies sold out in a week, topping the Oricon indies chart and reaching number 19 on the main chart. The Vanishing Tour Vol.2 took the band to 20 locations for 24 shows from June to July, in November, X participated in music magazine Rockinfs Street Fighting Men concert at Differ Ariake Arena
36.
Luna Sea
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Luna Sea is a Japanese rock band formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1986. Due to the use of make-up and costumes early in their career and their popularity, they are considered one of the most successful. Throughout the mid-1990s they used significantly less make-up, and after a break in 1998, came back with a more mainstream alternative rock style. When they disbanded in 2000, they left a big mark on the Japanese rock scene, in 2003, HMV Japan ranked Luna Sea at number 90 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. Founded in 1986, by bassist J and rhythm guitarist Inoran while in high school, in 1989 they recruited lead guitarist Sugizo, drummer Shinya and vocalist Ryuichi, a lineup that has remained the same. They released a few demo tapes prior to renaming themselves Luna Sea in 1991, following the critically acclaimed albums Eden, Mother and Style, the band switched to Universal in 1998 and released their best-selling studio album, Shine. In late 2000, after their studio album Lunacy, Luna Sea disbanded. In 2007, Luna Sea reunited for a reunion concert at the Tokyo Dome. In 2010 the group reunited and held a world tour. High school friends, Jun J Onose and Kiyonobu Inoran Inoue founded a band called Lunacy in 1986 and they recruited Yasuhiro Sugizo Sugihara and Shinya Yamada from the band Pinoccio three years later on January 16,1989. As J was already the bass player and Inoran preferred to play rhythm guitar, vocalist Ryuichi Kawamura from the band Slaughter joined on May 6, finalizing the groups lineup. Lunacy debuted on stage at the 100-seat capacity Play House in Machida and they released their first demo tape, Lunacy, on August 9, with all one hundred copies sold out. In October, they transferred their activities to Meguro, where they performed at the local venue Rock-May-Kan, in 1990, Lunacy continued to play at small venue concerts and for the first time outside Tokyo, in Osaka. They held their first anniversary concert, Kurofuku Gentei Gig at Machida Play House on June 10, towards the end of the year, the band changed their name from Lunacy to Luna Sea. In early 1991, they were discovered by hide and were signed by X Japan co-founder Yoshiki to his independent label Extasy Records and they then took part in the labels Nuclear Fusion Tour in March with Gilles de Rais and Sighs of Love Potion. On the tour, a 3-track sample CD including a song from each band was freely distributed and their first album, the self-titled Luna Sea, was released the following month. The tour gathered seventeen thousand people in total, on October 29, they performed at that years Extasy Summit concert, at the sold out Nippon Budokan. In January 1992, the official fanclub Slave was launched
37.
Versailles (band)
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Versailles is a Japanese visual kei metal band formed in 2007 by vocalist Kamijo and guitarist Hizaki. After recruiting bassist Jasmine You, drummer Yuki and guitarist Teru and their key characteristics are their Rococo-esque costumes, dueling guitars and heavy but melodic arrangements. Their first full-length album, Noble released in 2008, was released in North America in 2009. Versailles signed to major label Warner Music Japan in mid-2009, however, on August 9, days after announcing he would be suspending activities for health reasons and their major debut album Jubilee was completed with Hizaki performing the unfinished bass tracks. They went on a tour that took them to Latin America and Europe. 2011 began with the band starring in their own television show titled Onegai Kanaete Versailles. Their third album Holy Grail was their highest charting, reaching number 12 on the Oricon, on July 20,2012, Versailles announced they would be stopping all activities at the end of the year. They released their last album, the self-titled Versailles, on September 26 and after a short tour, the band resumed activities at a concert on December 28,2015 at Zepp DiverCity in Tokyo. In March 2007, Versailles was formed by Kamijo, Hizaki, later, Teru and Yuki, who were recommended by the Rock May Kan venue in Tokyo, joined the band. Hizaki, Jasmine You and Teru previously played together as part of Hizaki Grace Project, Kamijo and Hizaki created the concept of Versailles in the autumn of 2006 and spent six months gathering members to express it. Their band concept is the absolute youshikibi sound and extremes of aestheticism, on March 30,2007 the details of the band were announced. They released promotional material through the internet, set up an English language page on MySpace, Versailles made their first appearance with a showcase on June 23, followed by their first performance on June 24. On these dates they also distributed their first single and DVD single, the band signed with the German CLJ Records label and released the EP Lyrical Sympathy on October 31, both in Japan and Europe. Their song The Love From A Dead Orchestra also appeared on an album released by Sony BMG in Germany on November 9. In 2008, Versailles made their first appearances in Europe and United States, in March and April, the band performed cooperatively with Matenrou Opera across Europe. On May 3, they performed at the hide memorial summit at Ajinomoto Stadium for 30,000 people, along many other bands such as X Japan, Luna Sea, Mucc. Versailles were later invited by Tainted Reality to perform shows on May 30 at Project A-Kon in Dallas, Texas and on June 3 at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles, California as their American debut. On July 9,2008, Versailles digitally released their first full album, Noble and this was followed by its general Japanese CD release and its European release on July 16
38.
The Gazette (band)
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The Gazette, originally known as Gazette, is a Japanese visual kei rock band from Kanagawa formed in early 2002. The band is signed to Sony Music Records. The band began in 2002 with Ruki, Reita and Uruha in Kanagawa Prefecture, after being involved with other bands in the visual kei movement, the trio decided that the Gazette would be their last band. They recruited Aoi and Yune from disbanded visual band Artia and formally became the Gazette in January 2002, originally signed to Matina, they released their first single, Wakaremichi, and first music video on April 30,2002. By September, they had released Kichiku Kyoushi no Nousatsu Kouza, in October 2002, they played their first solo live, and on Christmas 2002, the 5-song compilation Yougenkyou with the song Okuribi was released. In early 2003, Yune left the band and was replaced by Kai who volunteered to be the leader of the band, shortly after this, the Gazette signed with the PS Company label and in May, released their first EP, Cockayne Soup. They started their first tour with the band Hanamuke, during which the two collaborated on two songs. A second tour followed with the band Vidoll, the bands were featured together on the November issue of Cure, a magazine focusing on visual kei bands. In early December 2003, they played a show with Deadman. On December 28, they performed at Fools Mate magazines Beauti-fools Fest, the performance was later released on DVD. On January 16,2004, the recorded a solo performance at the Shibuya-AX. On March 30,2004, they released their fifth EP Madara, Madara was followed on May 26 by a companion DVD that included six music videos and an in-the-studio documentary. In the same month, the Gazette was featured in Shoxx magazines Expect Rush III, a second concert DVD, Heisei Banka, was released on August 25,2004. In September and October, they toured with fellow PS Company bands Kra and their first studio album, Disorder, was released on October 13,2004 and subsequently made it to the top 5 of the indies Oricon Daily Charts. In early 2005, the Gazette embarked on their Japan-wide spring tour called Standing Tour 2005 Maximum Royal Disorder, the final performance of the tour was held at Shibuya Kokaido on April 17,2005. On March 9, the Gazette released the new single Reila, after the DVD release of their concert on July 6,2005, the band released their sixth EP, Gama, and embarked on the Standing Tour 2005 the Underground Red Cockroach. On October 20, the Gazette released their first photobook, Verwelktes Gedicht, on December 7,2005, the band released their first single under a major label, Cassis. The promotional video of Cassis, was shot in Austria, on December 11,2005, the Gazette performed alongside other bands signed to the PS Company label to celebrate the record labels fifth anniversary Peace and Smile Carnival 2005 Tour
39.
L'Arc en Ciel
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LArc-en-Ciel is a Japanese rock band, founded in Osaka in 1991. With a reported 40 million records sold, they were the first Japanese act to headline at Madison Square Garden, in 2003, they were ranked 58 on a list of the top 100 Japanese pop musicians by HMV Japan. While they first got their start as a visual kei band, in February 1991, bassist tetsuya recruited vocalist hyde, guitarist hiro and drummer pero. Together, they formed a band and named themselves LArc-en-Ciel, a year later, after gaining popularity in their hometown of Osaka, hiro left the band on June 12,1992. Tetsuya then convinced his friend ken to quit his university studies, however, pero then left the group on December 30,1992. The following year, sakura joined as LArc-en-Ciels new drummer, on April 1,1993, the band released their debut album Dune on the independent, but well-known, record label Danger Crue. The album was a success and ranked number one on the Oricon indies charts and this caught the attention of some major labels. In 1994, LArc-en-Ciel signed a contract with Sony Music Entertainment Japans Ki/oon division and they released their major debut album Tierra that same year. Their third album Heavenly followed in 1995, in 1996, their fourth album, True, became their first to sell over a million copies. However, the success would be short-lived, in February 1997, drummer sakura was arrested for heroin possession. He officially quit the band on October 4,1997 and this proved to be the lowest point in the bands history, when news of sakuras arrest became public, the groups CDs were removed from the shelves in record shops. Their song The Fourth Avenue Cafe, was replaced as the ending theme of the Rurouni Kenshin anime after only four episodes. In addition, the release of the The Fourth Avenue Cafe single was postponed and it was eventually released in 2006. Over the next few months, the continued to be featured in magazines as a trio. The members formed The Zombies, which was advertised as a copy band and they also covered Marilyn Mansons Irresponsible Hate Anthem. The return from the break was marked by a concert entitled Reincarnation 97 Live in Tokyo Dome, during the concert, they also revealed their new drummer yukihiro, former drummer of the groups Zi, Kill and Die in Cries. This concert was also the groups first performance at the Tokyo Dome and had an attendance of 56,000 people, in 1997, Niji, the groups first single after sakuras departure, was released with yukihiro being listed as a support member. Not long after its release, yukihiro was signed on as the drummer for LArc-en-Ciel
40.
An Cafe
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Antic Cafe is a Japanese pop rock band formed in 2003 and signed to Sony Music Japan. Their visual image is oshare kei, and they describe their music as Harajuku Dance Rock, the group has released five full-length albums, one compilation album, and four EPs. On April 1,2012, after two-year break, the announced the resumption of activity. An Cafe was formed in May 2003 by vocalist Miku, guitarist Bou, mikus former band, Revirii, had disbanded two months earlier in April, and even though the band did not have a drummer at this point, they started to perform at several events. They were later joined by Teruki after he left his former band, in 2004, An Cafe released their first demos and signed a record deal with Loop Ash. Their first release, Candyholic, was released in March and reached the spot on the Oricon indies single chart. The band continued touring and releasing, including their first album, Shikisai Moment, the band released even more singles in 2006 until their second studio album, Magnya Carta. In 2007, the band announced their first overseas appearance at Project A-Kon, the announcement of this was followed shortly by the departure of guitarist Bou. The last performance with Bou was on April 30,2007, after Bou left the band, two new members were announced, Takuya was to replace Bou as the guitarist and Yu-ki was to join An Cafe as a keyboardist. The first single with their new lineup was announced as Kakusei Heroism followed by Ryūsei Rocket, at the end of 2007, An Cafe announced their first overseas tour, taking place in Europe in 2008. In the opening weeks of 2008, An Cafe announced their single, Cherry Saku Yuki. in February, as well as their next studio album, Gokutama Rock Cafe. An Cafes EP, Harajuku Dance Rock, was released by the Los Angeles based Maru Music on March 13,2009 and this special release was made exclusively for overseas fans in North America and Europe. BB Parallel World, An Cafes fourth studio album, was released in Japan on September 9,2009 and it contains title track singles Aroma, Summer Dive and Natsu Koi ★ Natsu Game, and eight other songs. In 2010, An Cafe announced that they will be taking a break from activities and it is unknown as to how long they will be on hiatus, but they have not stated they will be disbanding. The message, issued on their homepage, claims that after the Budokan show. The aforementioned Nippon Budokan show took place on January 4,2010, in wake of the hiatus, several members are now involved in other projects. Kanon is heading a mobile game called Pinky☆Distortion, which is to be released in July 2010. He will also be a guest at Otakon 2010 as a panelist, Miku is serving as the vocalist for the new visual-kei band, Lc5, which started in June 2010
41.
Malice Mizer
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Malice Mizer was a Japanese visual kei rock band active from August 1992 to December 2001. Formed by guitarists Mana and Közi, the name stands for malice and misery, extracted from Nothing but a being of malice. — their reply to the question What is human, throughout their history, the band has gone through several different lineups and three drastic image changes. On December 11,2001, it was announced that Malice Mizer would go on an indefinite hiatus, seven years later, Közi played on stage with Manas Moi dix Mois for a session gig on December 27,2008. In 2009, Közi went on a short two gig coupling tour with Moi dix Mois called Deep Sanctuary. A year later, in July 2010, he went on tour with Moi dix Mois. This was the first time in nine years that the three members were on stage together. The trio have performed several times since. After leaving Matenrou, Mana and Közi formed Malice Mizer in August 1992 with Tetsu on vocals, from the outset, the band established their trademark twin guitar sound, whereby two guitars play different melodies creating polyphony. Malice Mizers sound during the Tetsu era was a mixture of early 1980s gothic rock, progressive rock and their first official release was the song Speed of Desperate on the 1993 compilation Brain Trash. Before this, they had released a tape called Sans Logique which contained no vocals. Shortly after the release of Brain Trash, Gaz left the band to join Kneuklid Romance, only days later, singer and lyricist Tetsu left the band after his last gig on December 27. While the exact reasons are unknown, Tetsu went on to take a different direction in his work, the bands continued use of his lyrics in songs they continued to perform with later vocalists suggest an amicable split. In 1995, after a year of inactivity, Malice Mizer recruited Gackt as their new vocalist, with a new concept created by Mana, the bands music became more art rock and synthpop, incorporating even stronger classical and electronic elements. Visually, the band abandoned their 1980s goth look for colorful costumes with a gothic feel. In 1996, Malice Mizer released their album, Voyage ~Sans Retour~. It was a success and was released on video as Merveilles lespace. In July 1998, the Yokohama Arenas stage would be the last for Gackt as in January 1999, at the height of Malice Mizers success, no reason was given, but after just four months he would release his first solo EP
42.
SuG
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Sug is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2006. The band has released two EPs, five studio albums, and several singles. Until 2009, the band was signed to Indie PSC, a subdivision of PS Company, as of 2010, they have signed onto a major label, Pony Canyon. The bands tagline in promotional work is Heavy Positive Rock, vocalist Takeru and guitarists Masato and Yuji had previously performed in a band called Travel. After Travel disbanded, they joined with AmeriAs bassist, Shouta, the drummer Mitsuru then joined in November of the same year. Shouta left the band in February and was replaced by Chiyu on bass and their first release was 7th Breeze on the compilation album Cannonball Vol.03. The band signed to the visual-kei management PS Company, and in August 2007, months after the release of their first single, Sug released their first EP, titled I Scream Party. To promote their music outside Japan, Sug performed at J-Rock Invasion in Germany alongside Kagrra, Kra, Alice Nine, and Screw—all of whom are signed to CLJ Records. Mitsuru left Sug after their concert on 9 May 2009 and their support drummer at the time, Shinpei, became a full-time member of the band after Mitsurus departure. Following the announcement of their single Gr8 Story, Sug announced their move onto major label PS Company during the event called Sug Fes 2009 Alternative Pop Show. Gr8 Story was released through Pony Canyon, and the track was used as the ending song for the Katekyō Hitman Reborn. Anime According to the band, the song is rather punkish, yet with a catchy tune and their second studio album and their first album through Pony Canyon, Tokyo Muzical Hotel, was released on 9 March 2010. Their third studio album and their album through Pony Canyon, Thrill Ride Pirates, was released a year later, also on 9 March. On 7 October 2012, Sug announced they would officially leave PSC after their performance on 29 December at Yoyogi Kyogijo Daini Taikukan, Sug announced on 19 September 2013 that the hiatus would end in late December of that year. The band went on to three singles, Missing, B. A. B. Y. and Cry Out over the course of 2014. On 4 March 2015 Sug released Black, their first full-length album since the end of their hiatus, the album included three new singles in addition to the three released in 2014. On 15 July 2015, Sug released another single, TeenAge Dream, on 11 September Sug announced that they would be going on their first full-length Europe Tour starting from 29 November, and they would tour a total of 5 countries. The name Sug is derived from the transliteration of the English word thug, the name is then simplified to the slightly more romantic Sug
43.
Visual Kei
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Some Western sources consider that visual kei refers to a music genre, with its sound usually related to glam rock, punk rock and heavy metal. However, second generation visual kei acts play various genres, including those considered by some as unrelated to rock such as electronic, pop, Visual kei emerged in the 1980s underground scene, pioneered by bands such as X Japan, Dead End, Derlanger, Buck-Tick and Color. The term visual kei is believed to come one of X Japans slogans, Psychedelic Violence-Crime of Visual Shock. The movement is divided into two generations, with the first in three transitional eras, of which the first lasted almost a decade. In the late 1980s and until the mid 1990s, visual kei received increasing popularity throughout Japan, the most notable bands to achieve success during this period included X Japan, Buck-Tick and Luna Sea, however, a drastic change in their appearance accompanied their success. In 1992, X Japan tried to launch an attempt to enter the American market, even signing with Atlantic Records for a US album, two record labels, Extasy Records and Free-Will, were instrumental in promoting the visual kei scene. Luna Sea and Glay, who went on to sell millions of records, Free-Will was founded by Color vocalist and leader Dynamite Tommy, while at the time not as popular as Extasy, it had many moderately successful acts, such as By-Sexual and Kamaitachi. The second transition era began in 1993 by bands such as LArc-en-Ciel, Glay, Kuroyume, Malice Mizer, around 1995 the visual kei bands experienced a booming success in the general population. It lasted four years, when began the transition era by bands such as Lacryma Christi, Penicillin, Shazna. During the 1990s emerged some subgenres, local Nagoya kei, and several conceptual like Eroguro kei, Angura kei, and Ouji kei or Kodona kei. In 1998, Billboards Steve McClure commented that To a certain extent, hides death means the end of an era, X were the first generation of visual kei bands, for the next generation of bands, its like, Thats it. The torch has been passed to us, a second generation emerged in visual kei-specific live houses managed by record companies like PS Company and Maverick DC Group. Notable newer visual kei bands include The Gazette, Nightmare, Alice Nine, An Cafe, Sug, Mucc, DespairsRay, who have all performed overseas. Veterans of the scene have also established new acts, such as Malice Mizers Mana with his band Moi dix Mois, in 2007, visual kei was revitalized as Luna Sea performed a one-off performance and X Japan officially reunited with a new single and a world tour. With these developments, visual kei bands enjoyed a boost in public awareness, from this generation emerged subgenre Oshare kei which changed the sound and look of the genre, producing pop-rock type with bright attire. In the first five years Dir en Grey was especially well received, in 2007 was held first international exclusive festival, Jrock Revolution, in Los Angeles. Although recently some bands like The Gazette played at Tokyo Dome, in 2009 at Makuhari Messe, and 2011 at Saitama Super Arena, was held V-Rock Festival which gathered over 50 visual kei rock bands. As an epilogue to their 25th anniversary, Luna Sea hosted a festival titled Lunatic Fest on 27 and 28 June 2015
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