These Japanese youths dress in gothic style fashions that appear to be straight out of a Marilyn Mansion video. Black leather and lace, with white faced make-up and black lipstick seems to be the norm among these teens. One cannot overlook the obsession with french maid and bloody nurse outfits that seemed to be popular with some to the Japanese youth. There are also many aspiring musicians hoping to be discovered. The scene is strange and bizarre, especially considering the relative conservative nature of the Japanese.
Many tourists simply find these youths by accident while on their way to the Meji Shrine, but many go out of their way and plan their Sundays around these teens just to experience this oddity in the Japanese culture.
This event only happens on Sundays, so I decided to go down there early and see the whole afternoon unfold. At around 11 a.m the train
station at Harajuku gets busy with the teenagers who come to show off their outfits which either are designed by them or bought in the trendy stores around Harajuku. These young Japanese, from 12 to 22, live their lives for Sunday, so they can exhibit their outfits and be the stars of the Harajuku extravaganza.
