One side of Japanese culture....

On Sunday I decided to show Tim and Brian the opposite sides of the coin. First we went to Harajuku (which Gwen Stefani made famous with her song) to check out the cosplay girls.

They are generally junior high school or high school girls who dress up as their favorite anime, manga and video game characters. Some of the looks (as you'll see) are really out there...if anyone recognizes any of these characters, please post a comment and I'll update accordingly.

Pretty sure this couple was married.























She is checking out her camera. She took a picture of everyone who wanted to get photographed with them.


























The cuter side of cosplay....


























And the goth side...















Check out her eyes....


























Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep...but not her keitai (cell phone.)


























More Goths:












































































Maid costumes are a big part of the otaku subculture centered in Akihabara


























These two adorable little girls decided to join the fun before heading into the Meiji Shrine. More on Meiji Jingu in the next installment...