Recently I went back to one of my favorite quaint pockets of Tokyo, Koenji. When I initially moved to Japan I actually lived in this part of town for about half a year. Koenji gave me a fresh breadth of Japan that completely juxtaposed everything I was used to, such as Akihabara or Harajuku. Koenji felt like the Brooklyn of New York City (where I am from), it was where all the outcasts came together, it defied the mainstream norms that dominate most of Japanese culture. Here people wore “furugi” or used clothing, there were tattoo parlors on the main streets, and young singers belching out their self written lyrics for everyone to hear. It is beautiful. Often, this is not a part of Tokyo that is normally seen or highlighted. Rather, Koenji still has a feeling of authenticity towards locals and has not YET become a big tourist destination. I love this photo in particular because this was one of the first stores I ever went into in Koenji. It is a vintage store called “SLUT” and the theme is American styled furugi. It was a perfect store for me: a hafu Japanese American girl, originating from America but currently living in Japan. However, talking to the store person and my other Japanese friends who idolized this store, I felt a strong disconnection between what they thought America was, and what I know America to truly be. This idolization of American (white) culture is something that I feel like haunts me everywhere I walk in Japan. Due to the fact that I am a WHITE hafu, I believe this to “elevate” my status; it allows for me to be a “good” type of different. It’s the acceptable kind. I do not believe this to be true for everyone though, such as my hafu Japanese/Black folks. Hafu has recently become a commodity and a perceived idolized image of America, a selling point for double eyelids, western culture, and whiteness.
