Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2014

The days when foreign, self-proclaimed otaku (“nerds”) expected to rock up on the streets of Tokyo in Naruto headbands and be accepted by “their people” are mercifully largely behind us in the expat community—with a couple of rather wince-inducing exceptions—and the reality is that despite anime- and manga-themed events like Comiket (Comic Market) being some of the largest public gatherings in Japan, there is a prevalent attitude that those tastes are best enjoyed in private. However, even as visitors and long-term residents alike have learned to limit public displays of private tastes to the wallpaper on one’s phone, there stirs a movement to bring otaku tastes to fashion proper.

Fashion is one medium that loves its rebels, and in the absence of biker gangs and ganguro—those Japanese girls with tanned skin, bleached hair and heavy makeup—stalking the streets of Shibuya these days, it is the turn of otaku to be this generation’s iconoclasts. Nowhere is this more evident in Japanese fashion than at the lowest common denominator of yankii (juvenile delinquent) subcultures in general. Where once you might have seen traditional or tattoo imagery on their clothes, bikes, cars and vans, these days you are much more likely to spot digital pop-starlet Hatsune Miku or surprisingly suggestive bishojo (“beautiful girl”) imagery. But when you think about it, from a societal perspective, the message behind those two polar opposites is one of national identity—and a crucial visual renunciation of the standards of mainstream society. So it is not surprising to find bleeding-edge fashion focusing on Akihabara and its culture—with designers such as Mikio Sakabe casting idol group Dempagumi.inc as his models, and even the advent of the Gokai fashion boutique in the heart of Akihabara selling clothes made from repurposed love pillows.

However, even for the die-hard foreign otaku, the kind of Akihabara couture currently being toasted in the high fashion community is likely to be a step (or jump) out of most people’s comfort zones. In reality all that people want is a respectable way to show their geek colors. Luckily, the trickle down effect from the avant-garde to the street has given Tokyo residents a spike in credible ways to wear their interests—and we’re not talking about your average, instantly understood “geek-chic” T-shirt with an ironic slogan. No, the taste is towards the subtle. The key factor in a successful look is that it should not be immediately obvious without some degree of explanation. That is to say: those in the know will catch on, but the general public will be none the wiser.

Even those obligated to wear a suit to work need not be excluded: brand Strict-G includes Mobile Suit Gundam-themed tailoring in its line-up, the pockets cut to reference the chest vents of the iconic titular robot and other details likely to go unnoticed except by fellow fans. The more adventurous would do well to head away from Akihabara to west Tokyo, where the recently opened Asagaya Anime Street is leading the charge in attempting to define a socially acceptable face for the scene in the sub-cultural heartland of Tokyo that stretches from Nakano through Koenji and on to Asagaya on the Chuo line. There you will find anime-themed silver jewelry from Crystal Moon, which follows in the path of anime goods company Cospa in giving you the furtive option of wearing your allegiances in precious metal.

Those looking for more technically exciting options would do well to look to “fashion hacker” and anonymous designer Bodysong, who takes noteworthy designs from other brands and distorts the pattern in such a way as to make it look as if the original is digitally glitching. Along with regular collaborator “Nukeme,” he has even been known to hack into sewing machines to corrupt the code and produce deliberately glitchy graphics on wearable street fashion basics such as snapbacks and easy-to-throw-on T-shirts.

Whatever direction you take it, the key is to keep it subtle so that you and people in the know get the references, but not the public at large. That way you show the same sensitivity to the subject that your average Japanese fan would—a sensitivity that is key lest you find yourself avoided on the train home.

Dante’s Look

Dante wears a white Mikio Sakabe suit from the Save Point-themed SS 2014 collection. In it, Sakabe explores ideas of nuclear pollution in the video game Final Fantasy VII and anime Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The blue pocket detail is at once cute, but also a reference to toxic corrosion—as if the pocket is melting. The T-shirt is a collaboration between Mikio Sakabe and Japanese illustrator Ai Madonna, known for her confrontational approach in using otaku imagery to tackle women’s issues in Japan.
All courtesy of Mikio Sakabe.

Gokai
The first fashion boutique to open in Akihabara is still one of Tokyo’s finest. The chaotic inside of the shop deliberately mirrors the saturation of culture that sits outside, and is as much an art installation as it is a shop.

Itazura
The chaos embodied by this shop is as difficult to find on the backstreets of Koenji as it is to navigate once you are inside. Deliberately claustrophobic, fashion and toys hang from the ceiling obstructing your progress, but if you have ever wanted a bag in the shape of a Nintendo GameCube you will have to brave it. www.itazuratokyo.com

Hayatochiri
The very walls of this shop are papered with manga, and while it’s known for its selection of avant-garde and student work, there are plenty of wearable pieces for fashion civilians here. hayatochiri-koenji-kitakore.com

Mikio Sakabe
A leading light of this generation of fashion designers, Mikio Sakabe breaks taboos on a regular basis using idols as models, making schoolgirl sailor uniforms for men, and challenging the Euro-centric view of fashion in Japan. www.mikiosakabe.com

Nukeme
This glitch artist uses fashion as his medium, hacking into embroidery and jacquard fabrics to create distorted graphics and textures that look like reality itself is digitally corrupted. http://nukeme.nu/

Strict-G
This official Mobile Suit Gundam-themed fashion label is available at Gundam Front in DiverCity, and is also the only place where you can purchase collaborations with Edwin jeans and Onitsuka Tiger sneakers among others. www.strict-g.com

Read part one: Back To The Future