Land of Rising Sunday

Sunday afternoons in the city, if the sun is shining, hundreds of people converge in Yoyogi Park, near the Harujuku train station, where shops and street life have a Melrose Avenue flavor.

They come from all over the city, as well as outlying cities several hours away, to listen to music and socialize. Most of them are young--14 to 18 years old. What they wear, and how they style their hair, is obviously of critical importance.

Conformity and a sense of belonging are very important values in Japan, but Sundays-in-the-park self-expression is just as important.

Current trends are followed scrupulously, down to the last safety pin and plastic bead. And a bottle of Coke and cigarette are always close at hand.

As for fashion, the prevailing trends this fall seem to be ‘50s chic and ‘70s punk, with a little ‘60s tie dye--the sort you see at Grateful Dead concerts--mixed in.

Young men use sprays and gels to hold their sleek straight hair in exaggerated shapes, with full bangs, snarled tops and feathered edges. Some adapt a Kabuki theater look, wearing white face, eye makeup and lip gloss.

The bands that play in the park are loud and members display the most eccentric dress styles. They tend to be a bit older than their fans--in their early to mid-20s. And their admirers tend to dress like them.

Non-conventional as these fashion statements are, the young people who wear them aren’t so much challenging Japanese traditions as they are challenging themselves to capture attention . Many of the girls will grow up to lead traditional, conservative lives, with early marriage, families to care for, and routine jobs. These youthful, weekend forays into self-expression are regarded as harmless. It is a moment to be a star, to create an illusion, with the park as stage.