Harajuku: colored hair, the ganguro, out-of-this world fashion…and now, LED neon lights for the teeth

Before, this is what you can usually expect from Harajuku:

The hairstyle:

The ganguro – (translated as black face) is an alternative fashion trend common among Japanese girls made distinct by their overly-tanned skin, blonde or orange hair and white eye make-up. To get the ganguro effect, girls apply dark brown foundation to the face, white concealer is used as eye make-up and lipstick, black eyeliners as eye shadow and the use of neon or sparkly stickers is also applied.

I know, they kinda look scary–and to think the pictures above are the “mellow” type of ganguros, not the “yamamba” and “mamba”kinds which can make anyone (even despicable me) run away, with just a withering stare. Anyway, who knows that behind that months-worth of make-up is a beautiful or cute face? You don’t believe me? See this “ganguro” tutorial posted on my new blog discovery, From Japan with Love:

…and of course, the fashion!

These are the sights that await you when you go to Harajuku. For the uninitiated, Harajuku is the name of the area around the Yamanote line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo. This area gained popularity for the high concentration of fashionable people littering the area, especially during Sundays. Considered the fashion capital of the world, many of today’s trends were initially seen in the streets of Harajuku.

Obviously, Harajuku is also one of my dream destinations in Japan. I can almost see it: me, delirious and giving off paroxysms of lust and longing with all the pretty and amazing fashion surrounding me. I swear, I can’t promise whoever I’ll be with that day if I won’t go crazy and embarrass myself in front of these fashion rebels.

Anyway, we go to the real point of this post. I have to give it to these girls, the lengths to which they go just to start a trend really astound me. Presenting, LED lights that changes colors and pulsates to its own beat.

Seriously, the girls’ teeth reminded me of warning devices which bikers used during night time. It was so effing weird, but then again, the thing with Japan trends is that they rarely conform to what is perceived “normal”.

This is taking “glowing smile” to the next level. I could almost imagine these young girls talking to each other before they go out:

J-Girl 1: Yo, we’re going to go clubbing in Harajuku….you gotta be fly girl
J-Girl 2: Yeah, stiff, heavily colored hair – check; fake nails with ribbon and hearts detailing – check; heavy make-up – check….so did I forget something?
J-Girl 1: You gotta teeth up…

(Both girls places their LED lights and smile at each other…)

SOURCES:
New York Times
Tokyo Mango
* all pictures and videos not my property and were just sourced from the web