Foo Hui Xin || 0351665
Intercultural Design || Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Tokyo Trip Reflection
1 || Instructions
To write a 100 word (or more) reflection of the trip in your e-portfolio.
2 || Reflection
During my trip to Tokyo, I experienced culture shock because the majority of the stores and restaurants in Japan close early, around 8 p.m., which I find to be very interesting. And, unexpectedly, they rarely have trashcans (or recycling bins, to be more precise) at every corner of the street, despite keeping their streets so clean!
Aside from those realisation, since my group's topic is Japanese fashion for visual culture, I find myself paying more attention to how people dress on the street than usual. Because of their value for uniform in workplaces and schools, most people in Tokyo dress and act very prim and proper. Aside from that observation, I've seen that people dress according to the district or area in which they are. This made me realise how important Japanese fashion is to their visual culture. Not only do the architecture, buildings, and structures contribute to the district's own visual culture; the fashion presented in the district complements and contributes to the district's distinct visual culture. This epiphany was greatly useful to our research. We learn not just about a person's personality through the way they express themselves through their fashion choices, but also about the general vibe emanating from the district.
We visited and collected data from Asakusa, Ginza, Shibuya and Akihabara. Sure enough, through the visual observation we conducted, each of these places radiate a different kind of energy. Asakusa, for example, feels more traditional and has deep roots in its history, despite the fact that it, like the rest of Tokyo, is highly modern now, and visitors to their shrines wear kimonos and yukatas altered and customised to modern Japanese fashion. Shibuya, on the other hand, has streets that radiate a youthful vibe, with boutiques specialising in street fashion, lolita fashion, decora fashion, and much more. The individuals there freely express themselves through their clothing. It is not uncommon to come across fashion that would be difficult to locate in other districts.
Overall, the Tokyo trip was eye-opening for me, and I thoroughly appreciated it. I am so taken by their aesthetic culture that no matter how many times I visit and experience it firsthand, I will fall in love with it. I am so grateful for the opportunity to visit Tokyo, and I hope to return soon!
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