“It’s the sound of the underground…” Girls aloud

These are the signs used in the metro to warn passengers, especially kids, from being harmed in the subway.

“Architecture is the art of how to waste space.”

Le Louvre, Paris

National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo

National entertainment

when Ribery meets Kotomitsuki….

Uniform…uniformity?

Being a teenager in not an easy period in life.Actually it’s the worse! You don’t know who you are who you want to be so you try things. But most important is to be a part of a group.Teenagers are an excellent target. If one buys this bag or this pair of shoes, the rest of the group will buy it. You have to fit in to be accepted. There are several groups : gothics, fashion, geeks… This is why uniformity is common. Here in Japan or in France, teenage girls represent a great buying power.

In Japan, boys and girls wear uniforms to go to school. In France people wear “uniforms” so that they fit with the rest of their group.

Tea time

What we expected….

And what we got…

On the first picture we can see a cup of traditional European tea and on the other one a bowl of “matcha”, a powdered green tea.

Whereas earl grey is suited for breakfast or 5 o clock teatime, matcha is prepared specially for the Way of Tea, the Japanese tea ceremony.

Matcha must be prepared by a skilled practitioner and served to a small group of guests in a tranquil setting. The Japanese tea ceremony represents a very important part of Japan cultural heritage and is still very popular.

Influenced by Zen Buddhism, the drinking of tea signifies intimacy and tranquility.

As a matter of fact it became very popular as well among tourists from all over the world. When they come to Japan they are willing to pay to participate to this kind of ceremony.

Cosmagic vs. Because I’m worth it

How strange to find a boy in an ad for make up ! As a comparison we choose this L’Oreal ad, which is in France the stereotype of make up ad. On this one, three actresses/ supermodels all super feminine and glamourous. But on the other one, an androgynous boy is offering us girly make up.

It is strange to see that such an ad can appeal to the Japanese consumers. Is the Japanese market so different than the French one ? Does it mean that men can wear Cosmagic, pink and glittery make up ? Or does it mean that Japanese women don’t have problem to identify to men while French women only identify to superb-looking model ?

The suspense remains whole…

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different” Coco Chanel

It almost never happens to find such original looks in the streets of Paris…this is what we called  “le choc des cultures”

A part from their fun clothes, these young people are also icons/models pour some young, and thus a whole culture and merchandising have emerged around them. Young people from oter countries recognize themselves in another culture than theirs. An Harajuku business was born. Gwen Stefani is a good example with her brand L.A.M.B that is fully inspired by these Harajuku girls.

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