Street Snap of the Day 今日のストリートスナップ #14

Met this cool couple on Senta-Gai(Center Street) in Shibuya.

The guy looks like he's going to climb mountains in Himalaya,
so it was a big contrast with all the neon signs around. =)

Everything they were wearing was bought in Harajuku.
I guess they were only on a short visit in Shibuya.^^

Gyaru-Photoshoot for ELLE エッルのギャル撮影

Today we made a really cool photoshoot for the fashion magazine ELLE with some Gyaru as models. 
So much fun!!

My friend Said was taking the photos.
He goes to the same Japanese school as me, is a professional photographer and journalist for the Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan. He also has a very very good camera!!

  

Said has been taking a lot of photos for the fashion blogger and journalist Maria on this picture.

She will soon be going home to Sweden after four years in Japan so the magazine ELLE wanted to make an article about her stay here.

Maria wanted to have some Gyaru posing with her on some pictures

and Said have been reading this blog so he contacted me about it.

I have been reading Marias interesting Japan/Fashion-blog for about 2 years so I was so happy to be part in this!!

You can read Maria's blog HERE!

Original Swedish version HERE!

When we were taking some test photos outside "Purikura Mekka" in Shibuya these girls came up and started screaming "Kawaii!!"(cute) to Maria. =)

Since we were outside Purikura Mekka we had to take some Purikura pictures with the cool Gal gang and Maria.

Said documented the Purikura-session for ELLE.

After a lot of posing it was time for the results:

Maria that usually has big eyes got really big eyes!! =D
The Japanese girls must be so jealous!
This Purikura machine is called "Bambi" so it's supposed to give you eyes like a deer.^^

While the photos were being printed out we played some memory and small talked:

After that Yukino and her friend joined us for the next photo-session.

The next photoshoot were in Shibuya Crossing which is the biggest crossing in the world. Sometimes as much as 10 000 people pass by at one green light...

Yukino and her friend were suppose to look they were going to cross the street.


























While Maria was waiting on someone next to a post.

     On the way to the arcade hall where the next photo session were to take place, I met Tsuushi(to the left of me) which I know from the EGG Youth Party.

     He was happy to take part in the Gaming-shoot for ELLE.

Tsuushi and Maria were battling in the game "Guitar Freaks V7"

     It was a very successful and super fun photoshooting and Maria turned out be a very nice person!!
Both her and Said were really great and easy to work with!^^
Also big thanks to Yukino, her friend, tsuushi and the Purikura-girls!! =)

Maria wrote a blog entry about the photoshoot and also a bit about me and my blog which was really nice of her.


You can read that blog-entry HERE.

As you can see the site is in Swedish but it works pretty good to translate with "Google translate."


Here is some of what she wrote:
"We have matured a lot during the day with a Swedish guy who's integrated himself into Shibuyas gyaru-circles, Fredrik. He helped us getting models and is a bit of a celebrity in Shibuya with his blonde look. Everyone cheered and looked.  


Among other things, Fredrik, with me and Said in tow, posed for the magazine Men's Knuckle (aka Menaku with all the filth and outlaw fashion as I reported a few years ago, remember?) together with a known male model who I think was called Kenzo. It all took place inside the Shibuya department store with 109's guy fashion, Shibuya 109-2."


If you wonder about the photo-shoot for Men's Knuckle, I will of course make a blog entry about that later too!!

Street Snap of the Day 今日のストリートスナップ #13

Street Snap of the Day 今日のストリートスナップ #12

This host-looking guy was standing around talking with two
fan girls/customers in Kabukichou.

He was playing with two cake cell phone straps that I think he
just got as gifts from his two girl friends.

He only wanted to speak in English and all he could say was:
"Yes!!!" and "Allright!!!".
So he answered that to every question I asked him while both
he and his "cake straps" were smiling. XD

The only time he did not say "Yes!!!" or "Alright" as answer was
when I asked if he's a Host.
Then he answered: -"No, I'm Kyabakura"(The female version of Hosts)

It must have been a joke but I almost believed him since he looked
a lot like a girl and were very feminine.

Think it's very intresting that the more a guy looks like a girl in Japan,
the more popular he gets.
My theory why it got like this is that Japanese people never touch eachother even though it's sexual oriented Manga and pictures everywhere which makes the sexual tension between the different sexes so intense and hard that they can't take it and most of the time only hang out in "girl-groups" or "guy-groups".

But when a guy that looks like a girl comes it messes up people's mind in some way that takes away this tension.
There's also a lot of bad guys that try to take advantage of Japanese girls so they seem to think that most guys just want to talk with them for sex and are extremley suspicous. 

But when it comes to guys looking like girls, the girls don't fear anything bad will happen because they're just like their nice girl friends. Or something...


What do you think..??

Zukey - SuperStar and SuperNeard 【ずっきー 】有名人なのにオタク

The new Pokémon and Monster Hunter games are out so today we ask Zukey(middle) about his honest opinion!!

There was a lot of famous people working in Shibuya 109-2 today.
First we saw that the EGG-model Hayatochi was working in Co&Lu.
I passed by that store so many times but never seen him there so it must be pretty rare.

The staff thought the first picture we took with him was a failure because another staff was smiling there in the background between Yukino and Hayatochi's head hahah... so we took another one.

Liked the picture before better! Now there's no smiling staff in the background. :(
I think it's pretty cool that they have famous people working in the stores in Shibuya 109 and 109-2 often.

I wonder what would happen if Paris Hilton worked in some store in New York or Los Angeles for example?

When we were going to the elevator we met Azu(left in hat) who is a EGG-model, DJ in club Axxciss in Shibuya and also works in the store Daisy where Masshu and Yuunyan works.

Azu's Makeup and hair is always mind blowing flawless.
Last time she was DJ at club axxcis I took these pictures.

First time we met was at club Atom when I was wearing Daisy clothes and she got really suprised that a foreigner was wearing that.

Azu recently got twenty.
When Japanese girls turn 20 they celebrate it as "Coming of Age".


When you are 20 you are aloud to drink and smoke etc in Japan.
So I guess they mean you are an adult when you're 20 years old.


The "Coming of Age" is something very big for Japanese people and something they want to make into a lifelong memory.

They always take pictures in the most beautiful Kimonos they can find at this time.
And those Kimonos is usually extremley expensive...
Even if you just want to rent them for a day.


To the right you can see Azu in her Kimono. 

There's "EGG-street snap models", there's regular EGG-models and then there's EGG-super models that the magazine just couldn't be without.

Zukey above is definitley included in the last mentioned category.
Only he's hairstyling costs more in a month than what a house does...

He's model for EGG, Men's EGG, Men's EGG Youth, Buzz Spunky, Mayhem and World Contest. He's also on gigantic posters all over Shibuya 109-2.


So you think he would be stuck up but he's actually more humble and down to earth than most people I met in my life.

I think it's amazing that someone so popular can manage to remain such a good person. Respect!!


Zukey, Yukino and my conversation today in the store Mayhem:

Me: Oh, hey Zukey! Do you remember me...? (I have said hello to him one time in Mayhem before)

Zukey: Yes of course, everybody knows you.


Me: Eh, what...? 
How do you know who I am??


Zukey: My hair stylist Kazu at Rizel talked with me about you.
He styled me right after you.

Kazu in black to the right together with Kanako and other
EGG models and hair stylists.


Me: Besides being a model you also work here in Mayhem?
I don't see you often here.


Zukey: I help out here 2 times in a month.


Me: Ah wow that's not much, then we had good timing today!!

Zukey: Hahah yeah!

Last time I talked with Shun(in the middle of the picture to the right) he told me that he's playing the game Final Fantasy Crisis Core to PSP right now when he has breaks at his work.

Me: I heard Shun plays PSP when he get breaks.

Zukey: Yeah we have a PSP in the lunch room we play in the breaks.

Me: Oh, do you play video games too?

Zukey: Yeah I'm a "Monster Hunter"-otaku.* (big smile)

*Otaku = Super Neard in Japanese.
The actual meaning of the word is "Home".
A Japanese super neard is known for just sitting in his HOME playing video games and watching animé. That's why neards are called "Otaku".

Me: Have you seen the big Monster Hunter promotion in front of Shibuya 109 right now? 

Zukey: Yeah the new game is soon coming so it's everywhere!

Here in front of Shibuya 109 you can hold up different heart shaped signs with love messages to the game Monster Hunter and it's characters.

It seems like they put big ballons of bifferent characters all over Tokyo.

This huge subway ad shows Japanese celebrities playing Monster Hunter on PSP.
The actor to the left only has only played 270 hours of Monster Hunter,
so he loose against the other celebrity who played for 1322 hours.
I think that makes sense!! XD

It was not long ago that a new Pokemón game got released so I ask Zukey:

Which game is more popular between Monster Hunter and Pokemón?

Zukey: Ah, that's hard to say.
Monster Hunter has mostly young players though while Pokémon is played by people in all ages.


I often see adults playing Pokémon with a very serious face while they're discussing tactics with their work colleagues. (Small laugh)

To the right you see Zukey with his girl friend.


Me: Where did you meet your girl friend?


Zukey: Ehm... Mixi.

I'm not suprised by the answer since at least 50% of all gyaru seems to have met through the community Mixi.

They never met in a normal way, like through common friends or in school.
It's very often at Mixi and they always thinks it's emberassing to admit.

Me: Zukey you kinda look like you're half Japanese and half western? 

Zukey: Oh, really? No, I'm just Japanese.
But I look a lot like my father and he's face looks a bit western.

I don't look anything like my mother though...
When I was walking around with her when I was small,
her friends used to come up to her and ask "Who's that child!??"

Street Snap of the Day 今日のストリートスナップ #11

When I was passing by Kabukichou in Shinjuku, I saw these two
in line to McDonalds.

But exactly when I was gonna start taking pictures of them a big
crew of tourists wanted to do the same thing.

I wanted to take pictures from different angles and ask a lot of questions
but I were in a hurry and it just kept coming up more and more tourists
that wanted to take pictures with them.

I wonder how many times in a day people ask them for pictures?

The blonde guy seemed excited but I think the guy with red hair
fell asleep after some photos! XD

Work in Shibuya 109 渋谷109で働く

Today I visited Yukino who just started to work in
the store "d.i.a" in Shibuya 109.

I allways wanted to know what it's like to work in Shibuya 109.
Today, we are about to find out!!! :O

Before going out. I never to style the hair bt myself as good as Kazu at Rizel did. =(  
In the background you can see the computer I write this blog from,
which is actually about to break down... :(

When Gyaru dress up they allways have at least one "fashion point" 
for the outfit.
Whenever a "Street Snap photographer" takes a photo of you,
they usually ask: "What's your point for today?"

So my point for today was the wallet chain combined with a "&"-sign
from a CocoLulu neclace.
My second point the jacket, shoes and tail all are vine-red.

It was a wonderful shiny autumn day in Shibuya and as you can see
on the big poster under the screen, it was promotion for the latest 
Monster Hunter game everywhere!!

Monster Hunter is a mix between the games Pokémon and World of Warcraft.
It's extremley popular in Japan.
Above you can see me being very pale in front a gigantic Monster Hunter Balloon in Shinjuku. 

The best promotion must be this guy!!^^

He/she/it was just standing there being happy and all the people went crazy
and totally fell in love.

People of all ages ran up and wanted to hug and play with it.

Considering how bad relations many Japanese people have with their family and that they never hug people or even make hand shakes with eachother, seeing this almost made me cry.

If Japanese people didn't have to work all the time and live by all these unwritten rules, they could probably be so happy!^^

Yukino was busy working when I came, so while waiting for her lunch break I went to visit Jenni in Bumble Bee and Rina(left in the picture).

I know her from the Double Heart events that she always goes to.


First time I met her she was wearing a watch built from Lego bricks! =)












She works in the store JSG on 4th floor of Shibuya 109.
Below you can see a map of the 4th floor.

Jenni that I've written about earlier in the blog works at Bubmle Bee on this floor.




Marika aka Marifume works in tutuHA where I bought the manga-looking glasses I sometimes wear.

Rina loves the Anime Neon Genesis Evangelion casually called "Eva" in Japan.
"Eva" is a about humans in future riding gigantic "Mecha"-robots to protect what's left of human society. The main character's father never have time to meet him by the way...

On Rina's profile page on Mixi she says she is engaged with the Eva-character Kaoru on the picture! =)
Japan is probably the only country where grey hair is considered cool.

Sometimes at work Rina likes to play that she's Aska's Mecha robot from Eva. ;)

Is this Rina or the Mecha-robot!!??


I don't know but I will probably have to watch all the Eva animé episodes and movies now to have something to talk about with Rina.


Couldn't she have picked a more normal Animé like One Piece or something to be obsessed with? :/


I never understand anything from the Eva animé but I tried to be cool in front of her and mentioned the "AT-field" which is some kind of electromagnetic force field if I got it right...


She seemed to appreciate that I knew a little bit at least. ;)

Thought I was a bit special today with my rare vine-red tail bought at Sunshine City in Ikebukuro,
but Rina was wearing three tails today... 
One pink, one green and one blue!! :O

She asked where I bought mine and then we went on talking about tales.
If somebody told me that I was going to have deep conversations about fox tales a year ago, I would never have believed them... XD

When I asked the guy that took the picture of me and Rina about his name he got so nervous that he started shaking and looked down in the floor.

Then he saw that I was wearing a Eva Mecha shirt and shined up.^^
It's bought at UNIQLO at Omotesando when recently when they had Eva-theme on all their T-shirts.

The cool thing about UNIQLO in Omotesando is that they sell
their shirts in cans like the one on the picture.

If I remember correcly the UNIQLO founder is the richest man in Japan.

Then I went to SBY on the top floor to see if Recchi was working,
but her store is too big!! :O
They even had a barbie-like room where you could style your hair!!

When I was gonna meet Yukino for lunch I barely recognized her at first because she was so styled for work!!

She had got her nails done some days ago.
The crown she has on one finger is pretty cool... XD

Before she used to wear the fake eye lashes to the right,
but when you work at "d.i.a" you have to wear the "Diamond lashes"...

Before she went to work today she had been styling her hair for
2 hours. But when she came to work her boss said it was not enough
and style it for 1,5 mor hours...

You might think that the girls working in Shibuya 109 just takes it easy
and party but that's far from true.
They have very long work days and has to be very active all the time.

Yukino said that whenever she failed to remember something the other staff
were very strict and got angry at her.
She felt like she wanted to quit but decided to do her best and continue.

We went for a Purikura marathon in "Purikura Mekka".
My legs must be three times the size of Yukino's by the way. :/

Superkul = Super Fun in Swedish

When You are done editing the photos and wait for your
photo stickers to be printed you get to play a game.


Here's a video of Yukino getting frustrated while playing the game! ;D




The story about working in Shibuya 109 continues...
Stay tuned for more!! ;D