TOKYOMANGO

Reader photo: The Thunder Gate by night

TokyoMango reader Gilles Losier took this photo that he describes as follows:

I was in Japan for 2 weeks in June. The second night of my visit in Japan when I was coming back from Akihabara going to my hostel located in Asakusa. When I walked threw Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate). Nakamise was so calm and peaceful, nothing like this during the day time.

Video: Men wearing colorful leggings for fashion

Men's stores in Tokyo are now selling leggings, which some guys like to wear under capris. Funny when the one woman interviewed at around 1:30 says: "I prefer men in jeans." Later on, though, another woman says, "If it looks good, I think that's fine."

Related story:
Boys in skirts are a new fashion trend in Shibuya, Harajuku

(Thanks, Larry!)

Reader photo: Purple umbrella at Gojo City Temple

Reader Jason Sedlaczek took this lovely photo of a purple umbrella sitting quietly at the foot of Gojo City Temple in Nara.

Boys in skirts are a new fashion trend in Shibuya, Harajuku

There's a new fashion movement in Tokyo, and it involves men in skirts. The Mainichi calls them "the skirt boys" — one interviewee, who calls himself Shana, claims he was inspired by Harry Potter robes. He does not consider himself a cross-dresser, however:

Cross-dressers are people who want to be girls. I'm not wearing this because it's what girls wear, but because I like the line and the texture of the material.

Men's fashion magazine Smart is thinking of doing a special section on skirt boys for an upcoming issue. Maybe it's similar to the Utilikilt fad in the US?

The Taste of Tea, a cute-beautiful movie about a quirky family

I just watched a movie called The Taste of Tea. The director is Katsuhito Ishii, and starring actors include Tadanobu Asano from Ichi the Killer and Rinko Kikuchi from Babel. It's about a quirky family living in rural Tochigi and their little obsessions — the dad with his hypnotherapy, the grandpa with his dance moves, the son with his teenager hormones and the adorable little daughter who is convinced that she'll be able to rid her life of a giant spirit of herself that follows her around everywhere if she can perfect a backflip.

The Taste of Tea is full of charming little anecdotes — my favorite was the one in which an uncle recalls the story of how he pooped on a giant egg while wandering around in a haunted forest. Such a great story within a story. The film is several years old, but it got high acclaim at film fests and I recommend it as part of your Japanese movie collection.

Get The Taste of Tea on Amazon