The Tokyo Look Book: Stylish To Spectacular, Goth To Gyaru, Sidewalk To Catwalk | 
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| Author: Philomena Keet
Creator: Yuri Manabe
Publisher: Kodansha International
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $17.98
You Save: $11.97 (40%)
New (32) Used (6) from $17.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  46 reviews
Sales Rank: 228365
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 4770030614
Dewey Decimal Number: 746.92
EAN: 9784770030610
ASIN: 4770030614
Publication Date: November 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new item. Over 3.5 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: B20080721215920T
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Product Description
Tokyo is home to the most creative and stylish fashion in the world. The Tokyo Look Book takes us on a dazzling journey through the streets, clubs, and boutiques of this trendsetting city to introduce us to the people who wear the latest fashions and the people who make them. Crammed with cool, full-color photographs of Tokyo's trendy teens and twenty-somethings captured candidly as they work and play, this is a comprehensive look at the richly varied fashion scenes that thrive in Japan's capital city -- from the "gal" mecca of Shibuya, to the goths and cosplayers who hang out on Jingubashi bridge on Sundays, through the cutting-edge kids on the Harajuku backstreets, to the stylish young professional men and women on Omotesando Boulevard.
Yuri Manabe's distinctive photographic portraits are complemented by insightful text from British anthropologist and fashion expert Philomena Keet, who offers witty and informative background information on each of the fashion scenes introduced, and a plethora of soundbites and quotes from the featured fashionistas. In addition, there are interviews and spotlights on Tokyos hottest fashion designers, magazines and boutiques, including:
SHIBUYA 109: Shibuyas iconic shopping mall
GLAD NEWS: One of 109s leading boutiques
REIKO NAKANE: A former trendsetting charisma109 shop girl, now producer of her own fashion label
MANA: Japanese pop star and designer of Elegant Gothic Lolita brand, Moi-meme-Moite
H.NAOTO: Creator of the popular goth/punk brand
TAKUYA ANGEL: Creator of the cult cyber-kimono brand
TEAM MESSAGE: Designer of skate/streetwear brands
DOG: Owner of a cult street-fashion boutique
SHOICHI AOKI: Creator of the influential street-fashion magazine FRUiTS
GARCIA MARQUEZ GAUCHE: The husband-and-wife team behind this stylish brand for young women
5351 POUR LES HOMMES: A fashionable mens brand
TOKYO FASHION WEEK: A peek behind the scenes
MANNENYA: Purveyor of traditional Japanese workmens outfits
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| Customer Reviews: Read 41 more reviews...
 Cute Book - Great for any coffee table May 23, 2008
As a total Japanophile, I really loved this book! The pictures are beautiful and its just a perfect example of why I love those Tokyo Fashionistas. Unlike North America, where we are slaves to what we think other people want to wear and try to "fit in", a lot of the young Japanese people on the streets where what they want and have no qualms about standing out and looking unique!
The book shows and describes the different looks, and often which district the look is from or originated. The text is mostly narrative, but I would've preferred some more informational style text. Such as a list of what elements compose each style and/or how to recreate the look for yourself.
 A Motley Collection of Fashion and Fashionista - Super Cute Book! February 17, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
My current ringtone on my celly is a short clip of "Harajuku Girls" by Gwen Stefani - it's been on phone for over a year now. As someone who has spent a formidable amount of my life in Japan, I covet and collect anything remotely "cute" from or even inspired by Japan, ringtones included. So it's no wonder that I love this book. Published by Japan-based Kodansha International, The Tokyo Look Book (2007) is a motley collection of photographs and interviews of Japanese fashionistas and fashion designers. "Motley" is probably a huge understatement, given what Philomena Keet (the author/editor) calls the "fashion spectrum" that exists in Tokyo. The photographs of Japanese guys and gals make me smile knowing that those pictured often follow their own drum beats. Even in the most outrageous and incongruous outfits, the Japanese youth wear their clothes with confidence or paint their faces with layers of make-up without second-guessing why they do it. If anyone has ever wondered who these "Harajuku Girls" are that Gwen Stefani sings about, pick up a copy of this book. They are fantastic!
Amazing and Inspiring February 16, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
i love japanese street style! this book gives so many different pictures of fashionable people on the streets of tokyo. it gives a little bit of background information about the culture and background, but if you want to get a more in-depth background and information on japanese styles and and designers and shops, i recommend Style Deficit Disorder by Tiffany Godoy.
I used this for research February 5, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Since I'm an author, and my novels often feature both Asian Americans and Asians who have moved to the US from overseas, I was very interested in this book as a research tool. I was not disappointed.
This book is rich with pictures showing the different fashion styles prevalent in Tokyo. For someone who only visited Tokyo a couple times with family (and who didn't meet anyone my age), this was an eye-opener.
I like the fact that there are often several photos showing examples of each particular style, rather than just one photo to show each style. It helped me get a better feel for the trends of the "look" rather than just one person's ensemble.
The book shows the entire breadth of styles, from conservative to garish. I liked the hair and makeup showcased on the people photographed, as well.
The fact that the people were all from off the street gave the book an air of greater credibility, since they didn't arrange a photo shoot with models. I felt like I was getting a slice of Tokyo life and culture.
For me, this was an excellent research tool.
Illustrated Anthropology and Commentary on Fashion January 24, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've never been to Japan, and I read books all the time about how people in Japan love the global luxury brands (Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Dior). But seeing the cover of this book suggested that something else is going on with young people in Tokyo.
Philomena Keet focuses on Shibuya (cool youth fashion), visually avant garde styles, street-defined ensembles, high fashion in a global taste sense, and what the well-dressed man wears to work. The last two seemed somewhat like what I expected, the first three were not.
Each section is a nice combination of explaining the cultural roots behind the way of dressing, focuses on some designers, describes some celebrities defined by the style, and talks about the social implications. These aspects were welcome because I wouldn't have appreciated the logic behind the various looks without that background.
The book has four big weaknesses:
1. The analysis of what's covered is pretty superficial.
2. The photography isn't as good as you usually see in a style-oriented book. I suspect that's because these are often virtually candid shots rather than fashion shots.
3. The layout of the book isn't very appealing. There is an attempt to pick up the Tokyo look style, but I didn't think it worked.
4. The type faces and backgrounds make the text difficult to read.
Net-net, I found the book contained more than enough of interest to keep me reading through the book. I also felt I have a better sense of the role fashion plays for younger people in Japan. To me, the biggest aha was realizing that Western-style clothing is so relatively new to Japanese culture that young people feel a greater freedom to move away from traditional style concepts . . . even when the mixtures of clothes and styles are extremely eclectic.
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