The Girls of Harajuku

For the Virgin traveller in Japan, Harajuku is one of those 'must see' places on the Japan tourist circuit. Without a doubt the most famous street of Harajuku's is Takeshita. It is highly doubtful that you will see such a place back home - taking into consideration that I am originally from a place of 3,000 people and sheep outnumber humans by 1000:1 it holds especially true for me.
So who are these infamous Harajuku Girls?
Harajuku gyaru (girl) is the phrase most commonly used to identify girls who hang around Tokyo's Harajuku district. And of the many varied sites, definitely some of the more eye-catching are the lithe figures of the girls that flank the streets there. A word of warning though, "All that glitters is not gold" and all that looks like a girl is often not either.
You will find the fashion styles not only diverse but in some cases exceedingly bizarre. I often notice myself mentally 'high fiving' the girls for their courage and complete lack of self-consciousness. Here are a few of the genres that I have been privileged to see in my trips down those lanes: Gothic Lolita, Gothic Maid, Wamono, Decora, Second-Hand Fashion, and Cyber Fashion (which tends to feature goggles, masks, leather and latex.) In one of my more memorable trips I even saw several girls wearing fake blood and bandages.
What possesses these girls to dress in such an outrageous (and often provocative) way you ask yourself...
A number of of them are evidently doing their best to imitate rock bands such as Japan X (this band almost deserves a post of it's own.) If we put on our social anthropology coats and glasses (or goggles if you want to get into the swing of it) and burrow deeper we can appreciate that for many others this is a form of escapism. At the peril of over-generalizing I have observed Japan to be a very homogeneous society and this weekly indulgence allows them to briefly escape the majority of the rules of Japanese society. It gives them individuality not as certainly apparent while wearing their usual school uniforms or workplace costume. And perhaps at the heart it gives these wonderful ladies an outlet to express, often in very sexual ways (with ripped stockings, garters, and mini-skirts, etc), the oppression of the Japanese female in their predominantly male dominated society.
I have created the opportunity to talk to quite a a small number of of these girls over the years to try and grasp what makes them 'tick' and found the Harajuku Girls, underneath all the make-up and bling, to be like the girl next door - tremendously polite, gracious and warm-hearted.

Haydn Stevenson provides you with Free Tips for a more stress-free, fun and enriching life in Japan (including the secrets of how he creates income on 100% 'auto-pilot' while being a full-time solo dad.)

Healthy Hair through Homemade

We would nicely be able to change the look of our face on different occasions by adorning it with vivid hair styles. A frenzy of tempting hair make-up has got into the current fashion, not confined to youth but to all age groups, to look better and do better. To keep your hair healthy, you need to take care of it at excessively dry temperatures in winters or summers.
The benefits of organic homemade hair moisturizers are many; the demerits of some chemical-based market moisturizers are not far behind. Also, homemade moisturizers interest price-based customers. Those with curly hair or dry malnourished hair or with dandruff and dry scalp should not opt for a quick solution, hoping for nourishment in the long run, unless necessary.
Before taking any step, take the following precautions:
Avoid long-term use of silicon since it prevents moisture, proper air and other nutrients from penetrating into the hair and roots.

• Alcohol is mixed with hair creams and shampoos, either dilute or concentrated, making your hair fluffy or greasy.
• Mineral oils are usually greasy and, on hair, they look fatty and glossy, intervening the breathing of natural oil through the pores.
• All colors are not the natural extracts of herbs used in dyes, hair creams, conditioners, and so on. Since they are artificial colours, they will make your hair prone to breakdown of proteins, causing allergy, itching and flaking of the scalp.
• Parabens up to 0.4% are allowed in cosmetic goods. Products containing large amount of parabens are subject to skin irritation and, majorly, breast cancers. It has weak estrogenic activity and it increases with the length of the alkyl group, which maximizes health dangers.
• Gratifying your pursuit to swim in the pool is good but immediately washing with normal water is wise because chlorine in the pool strips off the nutrients of your hair.

Try nourishing and curing hair with organic homemade moisturizer. With a careful gaze through your kitchen items, you will easily come across these raw materials, and the rest can be purchased from your nearby grocery shop. Make sure that each equipment like hair brush, air-tight jar, bowls, spoon and blender is ready.
Some of the ingredients readily available to you are:
Olive oil- Being abundant in vitamin A, E and K, it controls hair loss and retains moisture, thereby nourishing hair and scalp. Besides, it is also responsible for curing common hair and scalp problems. It brings shine and softness to hair on regular use.
Avocado- Avocado contains beta-carotene, vitamin B, B-6, C and E, copper, magnesium with healthy fats, which are essential for hair growth and strength. With natural sunscreen attribute, it acts as a shield from the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Honey- Honey is a natural antioxidant which prevents clogging of pores and supports growth of hair follicles. Also, honey is a natural moisturizer on the skin and hair scalp. Honey protects and cures infections, killing bacteria, producing acne and pimples. It is good for extra dry skin and prevents wrinkles.
Banana- Potassium, vitamin C and B-6 found in banana maintains skin and hair elasticity, preventing it from splits and breakage. It also works to strengthen, soften and control shrinkage of hair.
Egg- Egg is the storehouse of vitamins and proteins with 9 essential amino acids. A, B, D, E are the vitamins required by hair to enhance the oxygen supply, produce sebum, prevent hair loss, and scalp flaking. Fatty acids help cure dandruff, bring shine and protect hair from psoriasis. Protein makes hair thicker and follicles strong.
With all these natural stuff, you can choose them according to your hair essential. Now, with all the ingredients collected:
Start taking one tablespoon of olive oil, one tablespoon of honey, half of medium avocado, one small banana and an egg.
Mash all the raw material in a blender until it becomes so fine that you can apply it on the roots and scalp of your hair.

• Apply a smooth blend massaging on your hair properly from the root to the tip, and cover the scalp evenly with a paste of concoction.
• Cover with a towel or shower cap, leaving it to dry for about thirty minutes. After drying completely, wash it with lukewarm water and pat it dry.
• After proper wash and drying, your soul gets satisfaction on seeing a first pretty look of your hair; and then the train of appreciation begins. Also, you would love to afford this easy and inexpensive homemade remedy. See you cheerful!

School Hair

Today, I had finally recovered enough from my economy class flight from Dubai to Seoul to make the one-hour subway trip to Myeong-dong. I was in desperate need of a massage and I wanted to try out a new hair styling technique. During my stay in Oman I didn't use any type of heat styling. Our hotel didn't have a hair dryer, and I didn't feel like buying one. After a few weeks, I noticed that my hair had stopped falling out. Now my hair is really thick and shiny, and I want it to stay that way.
Towards the end of last year, I noticed that the ladies in my university classes had started wearing old school hair curlers, the hard plastic pink variety. I often looked up to see the girls wearing these pink curlers in their bangs. It made me laugh. When I was a child, my grandmothers used to wear curlers to bed every night. On special occasions, when they wanted me to look especially nice, my grandmothers would roll my wild hair into soft spongy pink curlers with hard plastic snaps. Now as a adult, I too want my unruly hair tamed, so I am ready to give curlers another try.
In Korea, the go to place for beauty supplies is the Olive Young chain. My favorite Olive Young is a two floor shop in Myeong-dong. Lucky me! They were having a sale. To get to this girlie girl's heaven on earth, walk straight down the middle of Myeong-dong from Myeong-dong Station exit 4. When you get to the corner with the Myeong-dong Theater, turn right. Olive Young is on the next corner.
In my opinion, the best thing about Olive Young is the selection of Japanese beauty tools. After heading upstairs to buy an iced americano at the cafe, I went in search of curlers in the beauty tools section on the first floor. They had four different types from which to choose. I tried to take photos inside to post, but I was prevented from doing so. I can only show you my purchases.
The results:
The Japanese foam curlers I ended up buying are basically yellow foam balls. They look a lot like stringless yo-yos. According to the instructions, I was supposed to wrap my hair around the part of the curler where the string would go on a yo-yo, and then twist. It was fairly easy. The pack I bought only contained six curlers. I have medium length, thick hair, and six rollers really wasn't enough to wrap all of my hair. I rolled my hair dry from the ends, and left the layers on top loose. When I was finished, I then sprayed my head with Shiseido Tsubaki Water. The resulting style made me look like a silent film star.