Earlier this year, I traveled to Japan to find inspiration for The Hyson. I found heaps of it taking in the food, culture and men’s style in Tokyo.
The Trip
I packed a lot of shoes. Way too many shoes for an eleven day, city trip to Tokyo.
This was my first trip to Japan, but I was acutely aware that this was the “big leagues” of the fashion world. Most importantly, I wanted to make sure I was equipped with as many outfit options as possible. It really wasn’t enough.
We stayed a couple of days in the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku before settling into our Airbnb which was perfectly situated among the shops of Harajuku and Omotesando. This area has the most amazing coffee shops, restaurants and shopping I have ever seen. Every major international fashion label and every Japanese fashion brand has an outpost in the area between Harajuku, Omotesando and Shibuya. It was the ideal location for our stay.
The Style
I was expecting to land in a candy coated world of anime and cute kawaii fashion. Aside from cutting through Takeshita Street on my way from the train station, I was ecstatic to see the perfect display of men’s style everywhere I looked.
Today we like to throw out the term “streetwear” to encompass just about everything. There were great examples of skateboard culture, technical wear, motorcycle culture, Japanese / Americana workwear, tailoring and punk culture. I expected to see a lot of these styles. The most amazing facet of Japanese style is the combination of these styles and the fearlessness of the guys wearing it. Pro level layering has always been a big part of Japanese men’s style. Layering with mixing different styles was an interesting element to me. Mostly it was elements of tailoring mixed in with streetwear and technical wear. It showed a playfulness and confidence. These looks were unconventional and individual. They weren’t from a brand’s image or look book.
I think I uttered the words “that is the coolest guy that I have ever seen” numerous times while hanging out in the shop lined streets of Harajuku, Omotesando and Shibuya. My proudest moment was when I saw one of those guys walking the other way with a black, wide brimmed hat, leather biker jacket and vibrant patterned, athletic pants. He caught my eye and as I gestured to Ethan we noticed he was wearing the exact same white and black, ombre Doc Martens that I had on.Ethan thinks he is a bit of a big deal as he had been living in Tokyo for almost a year and spent it modeling much of the fashion that we were in awe of on the streets. It was a proud dad moment to be shoe twins with the coolest guy on the block. 
The Inspiration
Ironically, my biggest inspiration on the trip was related to my dad. I had always dismissed my dad’s style as he has spent his entire adult life wearing the same simple uniform of blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a black ball cap. As I got older, I found myself wearing a very similar, maybe slightly more refined uniform. In Tokyo, our regular spot was Deus X Machina which was a coffee shop / restaurant / night club / clothing shop / motorcycle shop / surf board shop located a block from our Airbnb. I found the Japanese motorcycle style that was represented in this space to be the most inspiring. The look was amazing. The more I dug into this style, the clearer the connection to my dad. My dad used to ride a Hodaka dirt bike when I was a kid. There was a Hodaka dirt bike sitting inside the café at Deus. The denim jacket, the Carhartt jacket, the mechanic coveralls and understated jeans and t-shirt were all things that I saw my dad wearing growing up. Here in Tokyo they were on display (but a heightened version) in the streets of Harajuku.
The mix of motorcycle and workwear was a favorite of mine. The Japanese dudes with long hair, fantastic goatees, denim, leather and a load of swagger. This was most evident in the amazing RRL Ralph Lauren store which was part museum of denim, leather and tailoring and part shopping. With all of the amazing shops with the most hype streetwear it was RRL that impacted me the most. What could look slightly outdated in other places, looked so on point with the Japanese interpretation of Americana.
The Shopping
My favorite store in Tokyo was definitely Neighborhood. Both the Harajuku and Shibuya locations create a distinct mood when you come across them. Black exteriors with dimly lit, wood and vintage interiors and the amazing aroma of incense transports you into a world of cool. The clothes are simple but well crafted. The slogans on the clothes read “craft with pride”, “all other trends suck” and “this machine kills fascists”. A bit of a rebel soul with a motorcycle, workwear feel was the perfect look for me. Since I have been back home, it is the vision of Neighborhood that has been permanently etched in brain.
The retail experience seemed very alive in Tokyo. The flagship stores were almost perfect in their conception and appearance. When it came to the clothes, second hand shops were on par with the major retailers. In Tokyo, the second hand shops are curated and organized with gently worn, quality, designer clothes. These shops don’t have the normal funky odors and row after row of junk that I was used to. The prices of the clothes are high as compared to their western counterparts. Shopping second hand in Tokyo is a great way to pickup a special piece from a prior season that isn’t available elsewhere. Most of it was barely worn if at all.
The Future
The trip was amazing. The food, the culture, the people and the style all exceeded my expectations. Tokyo provided inspiration to help me hone my own style. I think the inspiration found from this trip will be a major factor in the direction of The Hyson. Expect to see more posts about the history of Japanese menswear and the current brands shaping it.
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