Chance Gayles
IMM 498
November 4th, 2018
Research Update 2
This week I did an architectural study of Tokyo and some of its encompassing prefectures as I desire to base my project’s setting in this area. The areas I visited and photographed include Shibuya-ku, Harajuku, Shimo-Kitazawa, Akihabara, and Ikebukuro. Looking closer I found that city architecture (especially Tokyo’s) is extremely complicated. For example, I noticed that often there are certain shops that are located either below or in between other bigger shops that are easy to miss if you aren’t vigilant. There is also definitely a cultural difference between the main streets of Shibuya and the hidden side streets as each one can have a different feel and different architectural look. I feel that each side street had it’s own personality and audience which was something I was not expecting at all.
The way manga and Intellectual properties are marketed within Japan is astounding. You can find characters from various series and franchises on a variety of items and objects. From small stationery to T-shirts and merchandise to large trucks driving through cities, the methods of how these properties are marketed is vast. Some franchises like pokemon can transcend age gaps and market a massive variety of products. I visited every major pokemon center in Tokyo and found every last one to be extremely filled with people from all age groups buying merchandise such as pins, T-shirts, trading cards, and plushies. The best idea I got from this was possibly adding pins and art cards to my project list for next semester.
Harajuku in Shibuya was easily one of my favorite locations as it considered to be a center of fashion and youth which turned out to be true. You can find many shops that sell higher-end clothing along Omotesando Avenue, along with hypebeast and hypebeast-Esque brand shops along Takeshita Street. Along Takeshita Street, you can also see lots of youth in their trendiest and most unique outfits which was the highlight of the study for me. Shops here are usually multi-leveled and sell pieces for around 6,000 JPY to 25,000 JPY (around 55 USD – 240 USD respectively). While in Shibuya I also discovered “fruits” magazine, which takes a look at Harajuku street fashion. I hope to use this publication for a good chunk as aesthetic-related research.
