Shoichi Aoki's "FRUiTS"

If you are interested in Japanese fashion and pop culture, pick up a copy of Shoichi Aoki's book, FRUiTS. The coffee table compilation of more than 200 hundred photographs taken by Japanese artist Shoichi Aoki, was first released in 2001 by art house publishing group, Phaidon Press Ltd. FRUiTS is the first major publication of Shoichi Aoki's photographs, and subsequently, it has led to several international exhibitions of his work.

Similar to the way a Japanese sushi bar tantalizes the appetite, the colourful documentary style photographs of Shoichi Aoki entice the eyes. Photographed between 1997-2002 in the hip Tokyo neighbourhoods of Shibuya and Harajuku, Aoki's photographs capture the urban street style fashion subculture of Japan's youth. Kimono-clad cartoon characters with bubble gum pink hair, lime green platform shoes and angel wings, Tokyo's innovative style council parade the streets of the urban metropolis.

In response to the exploding avant-garde styles of street fashion in Tokyo, Shoichi Aoki began to photograph the clothing trends he saw being worn by Japan's teenagers. According to Aoki, the fashion featured in FRUiTS is important because, "In Japan, having a different style is a kind of risk…therefore, the fashion movement that came about in Harajuku was a revolution. This kind of fashion was not 'suggested' by designers, but rather, the fashion of the young inspired the designers". As a result of this fashion revolution, he decided to launch FRUiTS, a monthly fanzine documenting this new fashion trend. Since its original publication, FRUiTS has assumed a huge cult-like following in Japan, and all of the digital images in the exhibition were originally featured in the FRUiTS magazine. The title, FRUiTS, refers to the bright citrus-coloured clothing and the fresh and upbeat style of the urban outfits.

Many of the styles worn by the teenagers are inspired by Japan's distinctive blending of cultures: a combination of Western and Eastern pop culture icons, anime and space age cyber characters, punk and hippie fashions and traditional Japanese dress. Customizing their own individual and imaginative looks, the outfits are a combination of handmade and second-hand clothes. For example, garments are accessorized with traditional Japanese obi, fuzzy pink rabbit ears and Doc Marten boots. Also incorporated into the street styles are contemporary Japanese and international designer brands, including Tokyo's Takuya Angel, New York's Betsy Johnson, London's Tosca and Vivienne Westwood. The fashions are outrageous, urban, and unmistakably Japanese: aggressive yet kawaii, childlike yet sexy, quirky but somehow fitting for a city like Tokyo.

Showcasing the best of Shoichi Aoki's digital photographs, the book is almost devoid of text, encouraging a visual experience for the reader. Aoki's photographs embrace the youthful spirit of Harajuku, and offer insight into Japan's unparalleled fashion and pop culture. Hello Kitty hippies and samurai cowboys take to the streets of Tokyo, and can be seen in Shoichi Aoki's FRUiTS.