american mura

went exploring american mura yesterday.. it's quite interesting in a way, though a bit overhyped.. i've heard so much about it being this place that's like a mini-america in terms of the fashion and things you see there, and that there're lots of pple in hip-hop baggy clothes (like black fashion, in a way) and lots of black pple there, but well.. there was some, but not a lot.

it was interesting nonetheless.. with things like this huge wall mural. just compare it with the top of the car at the bottom of the picture

 

i also only saw TWO black people - far from being 'a lot' - whom i've heard are drug peddlers (which is unfortunate if that's just a popular stereotype.. heh). check out the very nice lamppost behind to the right of them! most of the lampposts in amemura are in the shape of humanoid robots

you also have levis, as well as many shops selling loud, bright and somewhat garish clothes.. i guess the clothes they sell are the osaka hip-hop ah-beng and ah-lian (not to be confused with their animal print counterparts) equivalent bah? haha.

speaking of fashion, my friends and i have noticed that people in osaka dress in louder and brighter colours than those in kobe.. there're also lots more ah-bengs and ah-lians in osaka too, as well as pple who wear crazier outfits. kobe people dress in more sombre colours (like grey, black, brown, dark red, etc) and tend to look classier.. heh.

i've also been asked to make it known that people in japan all look different in the same way.. like the girls all dress in somewhat the same style, and they all have the same type of makeup, same type of hairstyle, all have dyed hair, etc. compared to singapore, there's definitely more variety in terms of the things on sale, but while the things are all different, they're also somewhat similar.. it's hard to explain unless u're here to see it for yourself, but there's simultaneously a significant degree of sameness and difference, and singaporeans should feel better about our dressing and the state of fashion in our little island.. the japanese are definitely better dressed* and more daring in terms of what they wear and how they put together their outfit, but the sameness lies in the way everyone is like that.. 

the pictures were taken on my camera phone by the way.. the quality is quite good rite? :)

 

*: i have to qualify though, that certain things that are viewed as fashionable by some may be considered bad taste by others. haha. but the dressing here is of course more interesting, which makes it kinda fun.