Fast fashion boom heating up Tokyo's Harajuku area

TOKYO —

U.S. and European shops offering stylish but inexpensive clothing have created a ‘‘fast fashion’’ boom in Tokyo’s trend-setting Harajuku district.

An outlet of Forever 21 from Los Angeles, which opened in May, has become so popular that shoppers, mostly teenage girls and women in their 20s and 30s, sometimes have to line up for half an hour on weekends.

Vocational school student Mayuko Yamada, 20, said after buying a blue stole and a skirt for 3,500 yen in the shop, ‘‘These are cheap and ‘kawaii’ (cute).’‘

Many foreign clothing stores including H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) from Sweden, Gap from the United States and Zara from Spain are located nearby.

The stores try to attract to young people by putting new low-priced products on sale immediately and changing lineups frequently, sometimes every day, according to Takahiro Yamamura, a professor at Bunka Fashion Graduate University in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward.

Masayuki Kusunose, editor-in-chief of popular monthly ‘‘Fashion Hambai’’ (Sale), said many women are drawn to the shops as they allow customers to enjoy seasonal fashions without spending much amid the economic slump.

‘‘As consumers are seeking inexpensive things, Forever 21 made inroads in Japan at a very good time. That made headlines and the outlet has become something like a tourism spot,’’ Kusunose said.

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Latest 15 of 26 Total Comments Show All

Ke11iente at 10:47 PM JST - 24th June

Ginaintokyo2009: Word.

In response to the clothing's quality, it doesn't last very long. If you're VERY careful with them-- only wash them in cold water & hang to dry, etc-- you can get about 10 washes out of them before they start to fade, shrink, & unravel. Still, 10 washes is about 3 months of weekly use-- more if you're one of those very careful and glandularly gifted individuals (no stinky sweat) who don't have to wash their clothes every time they wear them-- so it'll last as long as the shelf life of whatever fashion trend it represents.

Spend big $$ on the basics, buy disposable trends in cheap places like Forever21.
TokyoHustla at 11:54 PM JST - 24th June

This trend has how many weeks left?
1keiron at 02:49 AM JST - 25th June

I dont see the argument. The article just says it has become **popular with mostly **teenage girls and women in their 20s and 30s.

Women in their 20's and 30's?! ....Bull, Any woman, any age can buy and wear them! I'm 42 and bought some things there last week. I certainly don't class myself as "mutton dressed as lamb" either. Great clothes for any woman of any age group ,if she feels comf. in them. Back me up girls.
Disillusioned at 09:16 AM JST - 25th June

Japanese consumers are so predictable I can't see how it would be possible to fail in any retail venture, as long as, the items are, "Kowaii!" of course. - You could sell sh!t and sugar sandwiches with the right, "kowaii!" packaging.
TokyoHustla at 01:20 PM JST - 25th June

Disillusioned, you need to check the difference between "Kowaii" and "Kawaii"

the right, "kowaii!"

The right is not kowaii once you realize they're just a fraud
sydenham at 02:58 PM JST - 25th June

Disillusioned, apparently you have found the elusive key to the Japanese market. now you just have to cash in on that profound understanding. your mastery of the language also leaves me in awe. lol
Den Den at 03:02 PM JST - 25th June

I hate leggings, and I have waited ages for those disgusting items to fade away. They are not cute.
bdaniel08 at 03:17 PM JST - 25th June

Disillusioned, you are "kawaii" in trying to use japanese words you dont seems to understand well !
bdaniel08 at 03:22 PM JST - 25th June

...and i dont think they are speaking about Uniqlo because this fashion maker never change lineups everyday... they probably change it 4 times a year, no more than 4 seasons !
minhein2004 at 08:42 PM JST - 25th June

both off simple dances and fashion are till in earth
zoechan at 11:09 PM JST - 25th June

shoppers, mostly teenage girls and women in their 20s and 30s, sometimes have to line up for half an hour on weekends.

queuing up before they can even enter the store??? only in japan... which is why i fly to china to go to H&M. :D
sydenham at 05:38 AM JST - 26th June

zolechan, you spend 30,000 yen and fly 3 hours just to enter a store?
sydenham at 05:40 AM JST - 26th June

sorry, "zoechan," not "zolechan."
realist at 04:42 PM JST - 26th June

Kawaii. Thst just ablout sums up everything in Japan these days....
R_M_s at 01:39 PM JST - 27th June

Zara and H&M are great value. New trends, well cut shirts and jackets at decent prices. Surprised Top Shop hasn't opened more stores yet though....