This story appears in i-D 374, The Unknown Issue. Get yours now.
written by ASHLEY OGAWA CLARKE
photography TAKASHI HOMMA
styling SHOTARO YAMAGUCHI
At first glance, Tokyo can seem like a place where everybody blends in. Yet stick around and you’ll clock the Tokyoites who don’t conform, who have a style richer and more meta in its references than any other place on earth.
While the neon-drenched decora devotees and smudgy-eyed goth lolitas of Harajuku are a rarer sight now, the eclectic culture for which Tokyo is known is still alive and well in flats and izakayas across the city.
To get a real view of the individuality fizzing under the city’s surface, we visited the bedrooms of 14 Tokyo residents. Who are they when they’re not out in the streets, and how are they shaping a future of their own?
Shinoaki, 25, Art Bookseller
My style is . . . I wear Comme des Garçons like my mother. I also like vintage clothes, but I have a lot of knowledge on what’s good, so I just buy them on instinct.
My hobby is . . . buying pottery from the Edo period. I bought about 2,000 yen worth of clothes from an old lady at the Setagaya Flea Market, and she gave me a vase for free as a bonus.
I admire . . . Rei Kawakubo. Her worldview is unwavering.
My dream is . . . I haven’t thought about it [laughs].
I’ve been listening to . . . classical music because I’ve been feeling pretty worn out.
Aki, 23, Clothing Store Associate
My style is . . . European style, or something that looks kind of mature.
I admire . . . Miyuki Arihara [the model], I like how expressive she is.
My favourite brand is . . . Auralee.
I want to go to . . . Europe. I’ve never been.
My favourite food is . . . almond chocolate from the convenience store.
Oragon, 20, Mother and Model
Q, 4 Months, Baby
My most treasured possession is . . . Q!
I admire . . . no one.
My dream is . . . having my own shop where I can take naps all day.
I’m happiest . . . when I’m sleeping next to Q in my room.
My favourite food is . . . raw fish and raw vegetables.
I want to tell the world . . . it’s wonderful just to be born and alive. That’s something Q teaches me every day.
Mako, 24, Interior Designer
My style is . . . a lot of clothes from my parents, and stuff that my grandma gave me that she didn’t wear anymore. I like things that aren’t very girly, so I don’t own any skirts.
My most treasured possession is . . . the chair you’re sitting on right now. I’ve had it since I was a child.
I admire . . . my boss at the place I work.
I’ve been listening to . . . “Voice” by Perfume.
I’m happiest . . . when I’m drinking with friends at an izakaya.
Bara, 37, Ceramic Artist and Bartender
My hobby is . . . birds. I have three little ones. I used to keep hamsters, but they don’t live very long. I buried them in a flower pot.
I most admire . . . When I was young, I could never find a woman I admired. So, I’ve been trying to see if I could present myself in many different ways so that I could find her.
Something that has had a huge impact on me . . . Spirited Away, by Hayao Miyazaki, and illustrator Macoto Takahashi.
My favourite food is . . . pickled plums.
I want to tell the world that . . . war and destroying things that people have made is such a huge waste.
Putami, 27, Model and Actor
My style is . . . comfy clothes that I can run in, because I’m always late.
The most important thing is . . . my friends. I have a lot of wonderful friends.
My dream is . . . I’ve spent the last three years like an extended summer holiday, so I decided to start acting this year.
My favourite and least favourite foods . . . I love chocolate, and I hate green vegetables!
I want to tell the world that . . . I wish there was no more fighting.
Gothmura, 29, Poet and Visual Artist
My style . . . takes inspiration from tailoring and British fashion, blending everything with a bit of punk and Buffalo style.
My most treasured possession is . . . my Napoleon jacket from 40Carats&525 by Takeo Kikuchi.
I most admire . . . author Asahiko Sunaga and poet Kunio Tsukamoto.
My dream is . . . I don’t have any work goals, I just want to live in a beautiful house in a beautiful city.
I’ve been listening to . . . blackgaze, a mix of shoegaze and metal. Lately, I like Alcest.
Yamato, 28, Editor and Writer
My style is . . . mostly secondhand clothes. I collect archive Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto.
I admire . . . Midori Ozaki.
My dream is . . . I’ve never really thought about it.
My favourite food is . . . oysters.
I want to tell the world that . . . even if a certain opinion is supported by a large number of people, it’s important to cultivate your own ideas and evaluate things in your own way.
Koki, 23, Economics Student and Model
I most admire . . . Korean rapper Dawn and Japanese model Kiko Mizuhara.
My dream is . . . I’m still figuring it out. My parents’ home is in Kyoto, so I want to live in both Kyoto and Tokyo. I also like Paris, so I want to go back and forth.
My favourite food is . . . dragon fruit, but you don’t see it much in Tokyo.
I want to tell the world to . . . find your own balance. I’m casual and lazy, but I’ve still managed to survive somehow.
Coco, 23, Model and Language Student
I admire . . . Shohei Ohtani.
My favourite designer is . . . Vivienne Westwood.
My dream is . . . I used to be in the military and I didn’t have any freedom, so my dream is to just be free.
I’m influenced by . . . Blur, Luna Sea, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Kamen Rider Hibiki.
I want to tell the world . . . I want to live purely
Moka, 24, Stylist Assistant
My style is . . . Roller-zoku, with lots of leather, denim, and greased-back hair.
My most treasured possession is . . . my brown leather jacket from Saint Laurent.
I admire . . . my boss Shotaro and [singer] Eikichi Yazawa.
My favourite designer is . . . Hedi Slimane.|
My dream is . . . to be a stylist. I’ve always loved clothes and like the idea of creating characters.
My favourite food is . . . my mum’s peperoncino spaghetti.
Masato, 25, Model and Guitar Maker
The most important thing to me is . . . the art of guitar making.
I admire . . . Haruomi Hosono.
My dream is . . . I used to work as shop staff at Issey Miyake. I’d love to model for them.
My hobby is . . . riding motorbikes and climbing mountains.
I’ve been listening to . . . a Japanese math rock band called Toe.
Mapi, 20, Model and Hookah Shop Attendant
My style is . . . androgynous, mixing feminine clothes with masculine. I like wearing ties with skirts, and I like shopping at the old lady shops.
My most treasured possession is . . . my tailored jacket from McQueen, from Lee McQueen’s era. I bought it online from Ragtag.
I most admire . . . no one. The most important people to me are my grandparents.
Something that has had a huge impact on me . . . Edward Scissorhands by Tim Burton and this book I’ve been reading about human anatomy. I’m especially interested in teeth. When teeth fall out, their role is over, but they keep trying their best until then. I think that’s adorable.
I want to tell the world . . . you can’t tell what someone is like by how they look. Models can be scary looking, but they’re mostly kind people on the inside.
Haruka, 22, University Student and Guitar Player
My most treasured possession is . . . my Mustang guitar. It’s at my friend’s house right now, though.
I most admire . . . musicians like Courtney Love and My Bloody Valentine.
My dream is . . . to be in a lot of bands. The band I’m in right now is called Sorry No Camisole. We got the name from when you see “Sorry No Requests” at the DJ booth, and I love camisoles, so mixed it together.
I want to tell the world . . . to live in peace.
hair HAYATE MAEDA
makeup KAZUHIRO TAKENAKA USING GUCCI BEAUTY
production and casting direction TAKA ARAKAWA
casting INO YU AT ALTER CASTING
photography assistant REINA KUBOTA
production SHION KIMURA AT BABYLON