Category: mighty harajuku

Street Snaps: Kawaii Meets Art and Fashion at Japan Society

Sketch of the Time After Time capsule art project for New York City.  Will debut later this year.

Last month, I went see Sebastian Masuda spoke on his artistic journey as well as the history and “real” meaning of Harajuku fashion at Japan Society.  Often people who are not familiar with Japanese pop culture think that “Harajuku fashion” is a definitive style of dress, similar to the silhouette of Lolita fashion.  Masuda says this is not the case but rather it is more about self-expression – so each person that has been captured in Fruits and Kera is expressing their style than a group style.

He also announced later this year he will be debuting another “time capsule” art project in New York City like he did at Art Basel Miami sometime in May.

Check out all the fashionably kawaii people I saw that night!

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Kawaii Meets Art and Fashion: an Evening with Sebastian Masuda 3/25!

Sebastian Masuda returns to New York again to talk about his latest projects like the Time After Time Capsule.  The creator behind the everpopular 6%DokiDoki and stage designer behind Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s very kawaii sets, Masuda is above all an artist. Last year he held his first US exhibition, Colorful Rebellion – seventh nightmare in New York, which was a huge success.
Whether you like anime, Japanese fashion, or pop art be sure to attend this event at Japan Society on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. Tickets are $12 ($8 for members). A short reception will be held after where you could even get a chance to talk with Masuda himself. 
There will also be a small selection of 6%DokiDoki items for sale as well!

Kawaii Meets Art and Fashion: an Evening with Sebastian Masuda
March 25, 2015
Japan Society
333 East 47th Street
New York, NY 10017

Sebastian Masuda’s “Colorful Rebellion” Exhibition 2/27 – 3/29

Sebastian Masuda visited New York City last year, with prospects of doing a future exhibition.  That exhibition is called “Colorful Rebellion – Seventh Nightmare.”  This will be his New York debut into the city’s art scene, which will certainly be a treat and definitely attract anyone interested in Japanese pop culture.  There is not much else revealed about his art exhibition other than the theme being the “2 Deadly Sins of Sebastian Masuda,” but it will be bright, colorful, and just plain bizarre.

From February 27 to March 29 you will be able to visit the artwork created by the same person behind 6%DokiDoki (which has an online shop now).  You’ll not only get to see his artwork in person, but see the man himself, Sebastian Masuda.  According to a TokyoFashion, he’ll also be holding special performances from March 3rd – March 6th, where his alter ego will appear.

Keep track via the gallery’s website or on Sebastian Masuda’s official Facebook page for behind the scene pictures and more.

Colorful Rebellion – Seventh Nightmare
Kianga Ellis Projects
516 West 25th Street
Studio 306B
New York, NY

Street Snaps: 6%DokiDoki in Bryant Park

Sebastian Masuda, founder of 6%DokiDoki posing with fan.

Last month,  Sebastian Masuda took a trip to NYC and mentioned on his Facebook that he would like to meet some of his fans.  He picked Bryant Park as a meeting place, and I decided to meet people that are inspired by 6%Dokidoki.

It was an intimate affair of around 30-40 people.

Of girls who wanted to show off their latest prints.
Apples on the Green.

This girl traveled all the way from Philly just to meet the man himself.
Theme of the day was pearls.
Two fans waiting to just bask in his Harajuku aura.
The fashion of the day was “Harajuku Kawaii.”
Peace and Dollar Signs. 
Two friends basking in other people’s Harajuku inspired fashion.
A close up of her blinged out RHS.
Majority wanted to see Masuda, but most just wanted to meet others who appreciated the same fashion sense.
Peace and Scoodies.
Carnivals and Planets.

Peace Out.

Surreal Moment of NYCC 2011

Fandom is a weird disease that you catch like a cold. You don’t realize you have it, and once you do, it’s already too late. I’m not a big comic person, and even less of an anime person now, unless I know who the person is affliated to what pop culture reference, I’m very much out of the loop. 
There were only two times I could say this was true or just very surreal. Seeing Wylie Dufresne, owner of WD-50, and seeing Sebastian Masuda, founder of %6 Doki Doki and the Might Harajuku Project. Attending the Food and Comics panel made me realize how much of a food fanatic I really am.  Discovering Masuda had been attending for the sake of attending was beyond surreal. 
(Okay, a third surreal thing was meeting a blog reader I had never met in person.)
He apparently also knew about the tiny New York portion Mighty Harajuku Project I helped organize at Sakura Matsuri! I shouldn’t have been surprised, but it was probably still awe-struck seeing him in person. 
However that was literally the ending moment of the convention for me. See more pictures of what happened earlier that day.
Note: If you’d like to use these pictures for your own reference, all that I ask is for credit of some kind. No one likes when their stuff is stolen, even if it’s a picture.

Yang Cosplay. Quite a lot of Street Fighter cosplay thanks to giant Capcom booth.
Sailor Moon necklaces from Pretty Pop.
Just Dance 3 booth.
Marvel Booth
Scarlet Witch cosplay
h. Naoto had a booth but it was way in the back.
IGN Theater
Simone Legno, Tokidoki creator
Giant CiaoCiao at Tokidoki Booth
Meet the Maids
NYAF Anime Stage area

Outside the Javits.
Thor and Loki
Rin Okumura from Blue Exorcist and Link
Geek family that stays together.
Creators of Fenix Gear

Pictures taken from the “Little Pink House on the Prairie.” It was an introduction panel to natural-kei by Martha from Moss Garden.

So that was my NYCC 2011 experience, what was yours? Did you have any surreal moments meeting people or seeing things?

The Mighty Harajuku Project


Harajuku is known as the area where Japanese youths go to express

themselves through fashion. From Goths, Lolitas, Punks, morigirls, decora and
cosplayers alike, they all come to Harajuku to become a melting pot of fashion styles and subcultures. 
With the increase in “fast-fashion” and big box stores, the desire to be unique and creative with expensive brand-name items is in decline. 
The Tohoku Earthquake discouraged a lot of people from visiting Harajuku because of that underlying fear of “the big one.” Not Sebastian Masuda. 6%DokiDoki was one of the first Harajuku shops to reopen, and Masuda has be recording the area’s recovery through pictures and Tweets.
This is known as the Mighty Harajuku Project.

It is an effort to bring together the people of Harajuku (i.e. people who live there, work there, have visited, want to visit) and provide strength and support to those who need it most. And most of all to give Japan the spirit to move forward.

This past weekend I attended Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens where numerous fans of Japan congregated and admired the annual blooming of the cherry blossoms. I found this a perfect opportunity to find people who would be willing to help me out spread the word and show their support. (Signs used were from Electric Alice. Check out their blog and shop, as well as their Mighty Harajuku effort)

Uncle Yo gives his regards.

Misako Rocks! had a cold, but the sign says it all.

Andrea from The Weekend Lolita and fellow NYC Lolita, Mary Alice

Savannah and Aly (Her Lumpiness) were kind enough to lend their faces.

Chris from Sugar Bomb rocks her sign.
While looking from the rest of the world, Harajuku is a place that is admired.
It is a rare area that Japan can be proud of for constantly transmitting interesting information from a very edgy angle. If Harajuku loses its power, I have a strong feeling that Tokyo, Japan will lose a lot of its appeal. I want to let people know that we don’t want Harajuku, Tokyo or Japan to lose anything from the earthquake; and I think that by letting people know our thoughts, it would definitely encourage them as well. I am naming this project 【MIGHTY HARAJUKU PROJECT】, and show the world what is going on in Harajuku through photographs and simple words. I want to show thereality, both good and bad, of Harajuku to the rest of the world.
-Sebastian Masuda, %6DokiDoki
How you can help:

Sakura Matsuri is over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help out. Feel free to reblog this content, tweet your photos using the hashtag #m_harajuku, and follow the 6% Doki Doki Facebook Page.

Helpful Links:
What is the Might Harajuku Project?
Might Harajuku Project

Twitter
@sebastea（Masuda Sebastian）
@tokyofashion(Tokyo Fashion.com)
@6dokidoki(6%DOKIDOKI)

Facebook
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TokyoFashion.com
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