Harajuku Boyz

We'll fit in just fine here. If you've heard Gwen Stefani's song "Harajuku Girls", then you have an idea of the trendy fashion that blesses these enviable streets. Anna Sui, Christian Dior, Fendi, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, they're all here with flair. Well, that's NOT where we were today. We chose the less pricey, more dicey other side of the Harajuku tracks, and were well rewarded for our choice!

Yoyogi Park, especially on Sundays, is where you'll find teens (and adults) in cosplay - short for "costume play" and refers to a subculture where dressing up as manga, anime, and Japanese movie characters, etc. is a means of expression. Looks no different from how I WANTED to dress in the 80s. We were there more for the plethora of bands that I had heard would be there. As soon as we hopped out of the car (yes, I drove there -got pulled over by a policeman for making an illegal U-turn - whipped out my stumbling Japanese, and he decided it was worth too much trouble to haul me in. You could see it in his eyes as he several times said, "U-turn, no good" while using the international crossed arm signal for "no-good". Ok, got it!!) Chris and David ran to the sound of screaming guitars, and screeching vocals. I caught up and found both boys, just like in the states, right in front of the band, dancing their little booties off, and the crowd snapping pictures and cheering them on like crazy. If I thought they garnered attention whenever we attended county fairs and local events in the U.S. - they're taking it to a new level here. There were a few news/documentary cameras rolling, too. Never know where their images will show up next. Band members let them talk on the mikes and strum their guitars. The boys were in heaven. As we continued to walk around the park, stopping to dance and listen to other bands, people - Japanese and English speakers - would stop us and tell me what "party animal" kids I had. Uh, gee great - that kind of scares me. Sigh...

This one band in particular took a liking to the boys...Kind of hard to see here, but the lead singer is tall and HOT!!

Ja Mata!