Tag - japanese-fashion

 
 

JAPANESE FASHION

Cute characters like Pikachu are deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. The global reach of kawaii has contributed to Japan's soft power and international appeal.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 26, 2024
What does the global power of kawaii say about us?
Kawaii is one of Japan's greatest cultural exports. But cuteness is more than just a fad or a commercial success story: It's part of our evolution.
A hiker walks toward Asahidake in Hokkaido. The health and environmental issues around PFAS could be a particular problem for Japan, which boasts a number of globally renowned outdoor brands and related suppliers.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Mar 10, 2024
Japan’s revered outdoor brands face down PFAS challenge
Outdoor apparel consumers are generally more environmentally conscious, but are likely to be using products that have a big environmental footprint.
Women with portable electric fans in the Yurakucho district of Tokyo on Sept. 12. In Japan, Cool Biz became especially popular with women, who tended to wear lighter clothes and often complained about the cold temperatures needed to make business suits comfortable for their male colleagues.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 24, 2023
Where did all the dark-suited Japanese businessmen go?
Under Cool Biz, salarymen and government workers don short-sleeved shirts in the summer as offices are kept above 28 degrees Celsius to save energy.
An installation for The North Face Moon Parka, which uses a Spiber-produced protein material
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Aug 6, 2023
A Japanese startup is using biotech to ‘brew’ greener fashion
Fashion has a huge environmental impact, and Spiber thinks its products can help curb the industry's footprint.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: FASHION
Jun 17, 2023
Japanese fashion can no longer afford to play hard to get
Is Japan’s air of aloof mystique still enough to convince foreign audiences to invest in Japanese fashion?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Feb 27, 2023
‘Made in Japan’ jeans from Okayama still evolving, 50 years on
Fully domestic-made jeans were first manufactured in Okayama Prefecture to imitate American clothing, but have developed into unique, luxury products that sell at high prices.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: FASHION
Aug 13, 2022
Dog days of summer bring grab bag of fashion fixtures
A departed legend, gaming deals and disrupted shows — summer's end is full of news for fashion watchers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 12, 2022
Japan’s discarded kimonos get new life as redesigned casual wear
Now designers are repurposing high-quality fabric from cast off kimonos to make contemporary outfits more suited to today's sensibilities and fashion.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 25, 2021
Uniqlo made a bet on comfortable bras. Now it’s paying off.
The firm edged out bra specialist Wacoal Holdings Corp. last year to become the top seller of women's intimate wear in Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: FASHION
Feb 13, 2021
Japan’s fashion scene gets smaller in more ways than one
Boutique shops and small brands face closure, while beauty influencer Akiico steps up to promote petite sizes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 29, 2021
SoftBank's Zozo offers tech glasses to help cosmetics buyers get skin tone right
Japanese online fashion retailer Zozo Inc. on Friday launched skin tone measuring glasses for ordering cosmetics online, making its latest fashion tech offering as it expands beyond apparel.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Mar 30, 2020
Fashion week is compelled to go online
Japan's fashion industry was hit hard by the March cancellation of Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, saved only by livestreaming and online content as a way to keep fans informed.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Dec 23, 2019
Japan's fashion brands look to meet new consumer standards
As the festive season encourages consumers to splash out and treat themselves, there's both good and bad news in the fashion industry.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Dec 2, 2019
Japan's end-of-year fashion ups and downs
As the year ends, Japan's fashion landscape finds itself facing big changes in street brands, department stores and sales tactics.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Sep 29, 2019
Kenzo Takada adds to a legacy of operatic style
Since his official retirement from the clothing brand Kenzo in 1999, Kenzo Takada has taken on interiors, accessories and now costume design.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
May 26, 2019
Japan: Well-suited for bespoke menswear
'Is Japan the new international center for bespoke suits, shirts and shoes?' Find out what the industry panelists of a symposium in Tokyo have to say.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Mar 24, 2019
Fashion week applauds Fukushima Pride
Though it has been 12 years since Junko Koshino's designs hit Tokyo fashion week runways, the acclaimed designer shines her spotlight on Fukushima handicraft artisans.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Feb 24, 2019
Japanese fashion taps the potential of digital media platforms
Fashion has had to adapt to social media — its early exposure of new collections, its influencers starting and accelerating trends and its new forms of retailing. But it has caught up, and in exciting ways.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Feb 23, 2019
Corey Mah: Fashioning a new life in Tokyo
From retro video games to avant-garde Comme des Garcons' fashion, moving to Japan became a calling for Corey Mah.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Dec 23, 2018
Fashion farewells and hellos
As our lifestyles and desires change, fashion has had to adapt with the times. But now, with easier access to global influences, and changing demographics, it has become more eclectic than ever. From casual looks to match a lifestyle to fanciful contemporary art collaborations, Japan aims to please all.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores