Harajuku Baddies and Sugamo Grannies

        Tokyo is home to countless lifestyles, cultures, and generations.  While Harajuku is known worldwide for being a youth culture and fashion hot spot, Sugamo is a smaller city known as the “Harajuku for seniors”.  At first glance, it’s hard to see why these two cities would even be remotely similar.  I mean, how could the birth place of the Gyaru style be remotely similar to a small city covered in temples?  Surprisingly, this is the exact reason why these cities are compared to each other.  Although they are popular in different age groups, both cities function as cultural hubs in two distinct ways.

        First is the material effect that each city had on its audience.  Harajuku’s Takeshita

Street is known at the heart of Japanese teen culture.  Young people gather there to buy the trendiest things, experiment with fashion, and express individuality.  The shops and cafes that constantly evolve to match new styles reflect this sentiment.  In a similar fashion, Sugamo’s Jizo-Dori Street also acts as a shopping district for seniors to express themselves and feel at home.  Instead of trendy outfits and Labubus, the shops focus on comfortable clothes, traditional items, health products, and nostalgic snacks.  Both streets sell specific merchandise to attract their target audience and create a sense of belonging.

        This is the social effect that each city had.  Both cities also function as social spaces rather than “just a shopping district”.  Harajuku is the perfect place for teenagers to find inspiration for their fashion, catch up with their friends, and bond over shared interests.  It is busy, chaotic, and energetic.  Sugamo is more laid back in its function as a social space.  The spread out layout of the city makes it suitable for long walks, the less populated stores make it so that visitors can form a connection with the shopkeepers, and the small coffee shops act as social hubs to catch up with friends.  While the energy level differs, both cities provide a sense of belonging and companionship for their visitors, making them vital social spaces.

Both cities are designed around the values of their target audience.  Harajuku is fast-paced, visually bold, and constantly evolving, reflecting the creativity, energy, and self-expression that is valued by the youth.  However, Sugamo is slower, more accessible, and nostalgic, reflecting the tradition and comfort that is valued by the older generation.  Harajuku and Sugamo also represent the changes in life stages.  Harajuku represents the present and future, with innovation, change and trends, while Sugamo represents memory, stability, and continuity.  The differing values but same functions show how connected Sugamo is to Harajuku, cementing itself as the “Harajuku for seniors”.