High-Heels and Micro-Skirts: A Taste of Tokyo
17 January 2006, lunch time
I will write a proper travel diary at some point. Till then, I will leave you with this one tid-bit of information: about 80% of the young ladies in Tokyo wear high-heels and micro-skirts. In fact, I think 80% might be a conservative estimate on my part. If you think those numbers aren’t that impressive, remember that when I was in Tokyo the temperature was hovering around zero-degrees centigrade—it was pretty damn cold. Yet, some how, despite the freezing weather, young women would come out in throngs showing off their legs. I’m not quite sure why micro-skirts are so popular. My cousin suspects it is because the skirts are seen as cute, as opposed to scandalous or sexy. I didn’t talk to any girls on the subject—Shima would destroy me—so I’ll have to agree with my cousin on this.
Most, if not all, the young women we saw in Japan wearing high-heels walk like they are crippled. I’m not trying to be mean; I am very serious. If you visit Tokyo, head to Shibuya or Harajuku, some place with lots of young women, and watch them walk. Girls walk with their feet angled in (their toes pointing towards one another). Each time they take a step, the leg in motion crosses slightly infront of the other leg. It’s strange to see once. It’s stranger yet when almost every single girl you see does it. Gary and I actually started trying to look for young girls who walked properly in heels. I think we saw a couple.
I am not sure what will be in style when I am in Tokyo next. I can only imagine how scandalous the young women dress in the summer. I wonder how our fashion-sense and style looks to a tourist?
You make me out to be some horribly crazy girlfriend! Thanks Ram. 8o|
by sh!ma on January 17 2006, 12:57 pm #
I know this old japanese woman who walks with her toes pointed into each other like you described. She said it’s from wearing wooden slippers when she was small. They’re like wooden flipflops, but you have to grip the thong with your toes. I wonder if japanese girls walk like that now because their mothers/grandmothers do it.
by martha on January 17 2006, 4:30 pm #