So I’ll admit to it. There’s a Pikachu in my closet. I keep it there all the time and it doens’t do much. My friend Lydia has Relax-bear stuffed away in hers somewhere. We’ve been looking for a chance to try out these costumes for some time now. Full length character outfits with hoods. They’re pretty sweet. Called “kigurumi”, something along the lines of a crossbreed between wear and (stuffed) animal.
It can be a pain to coordinate schedules sometime as we haven’t seemed to been able to find some time that works for all of us. So on Sunday, not willing to wait any longer, I donned Pikachu and jumped on the train. While Tokyo can be strange sometimes, I don’t think people were expecting this on a Sunday afternoon. There were people who I think were araid of me, people laughing AT me, people laughing WITH me, and people who really didn’t care. I finally reached my destination: Harajuku.
Harajuku is the hip part of Tokyo for teenage fashion. Most famous of which is probably its gothic-lolita style. In any case, if there is any part of Tokyo where you can very nearly not out of place in a Pikachu costume, Harajuku is that place. What exactly was I going to do? Had we all gone, I really had no idea. But since it was just me, it was my decision, and so I figured I’d join the troupe of “free huggers” that trek to Harajuku every Saturday and Sunday. There is a bridge near the station where you find a little of everything. When I went there were a few guys with guitars, a mime, your typical gothic high school students hanging out, a full grown man in a pink frilly dress, a gaijin dressed in a yukata, waiting patiently, hoping to meet Takeshi Kitano, and so many more. And of course there are the free hugs. They were here when I came two years ago and they’re still here now. In the past there were more crazy outfits on these people, but on Sunday I was the only one who looked strange.
It was a really exciting experience. Lots of peopl take pictures. Lots of people get hugs. Japanese people and foreigners alike. Did it accomplish anything? Depends on your sense of that word. I probably could have been more productive, but it made me happy to hug people, and I think other people were happy to get a hug too. The world needs a little more happiness every now and then, especially Tokyo.
On top of that, near the time when I wanted to go home, a group of three Japanese students approached me. ”Are you busy next Saturday? Would you like to be a model for us?” It turns out they’re students at one of Tokyo’s trendier fashion schools, Vantan Design Institute. So in addition to having a fun day, I’m supposed to head on over there next weekend and wear some of the outfits they’ve picked out for final projects. Should be fun!
And to think, I almost just lazed about all day.
Tags: free hugs, harajuku, Japan, pikachu, tokyo
Posted May 11, 2009 by Cory under Japan
May 11th, 2009 at 10:56 am
初日本語コメ!
思ってたより楽しそうだね。でもはずかしい～(><)
今度普通の服で、フリーハグやってる原宿に行ってみようかなぁ～♪
May 11th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
dude, where are the pictures for this? want to seee~
May 11th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
YOU CRAZY KID!!! WHO are your parents and how did you learn to act so carefree? LOL