Takenokozoku

Takenokozoku (竹の子族), or "Bamboo Shoot Tribe," was a Japanese street fashion and dance subculture that was active in the Harajuku district of Tokyo from the mid-1970s until 1981. The movement was predominantly made up of teenagers who gathered on Sundays to dance to music from portable stereos. The style was a deliberate rejection of mainstream fashion and was a form of self-expression for the youth of the time. The name "Takenokozoku" comes from the influential clothing store, Boutique Takenoko, which was the primary source of their unique clothing. In 2019, a group called KEKENOKO attempted to revive the style.

Fashion[]

Takenokozoku fashion is characterized by its vivid, colorful, and loose-fitting clothing. The style was a maximalist aesthetic that often featured an abundance of patterns and accessories. A key garment in the style was the harem suit, a shapeless jumpsuit or wide-legged pants with a matching top, often made from cheap, lightweight materials.^[1] The clothing came in a range of bright colors, including red, pink, and violet, and was often adorned with ribbons, bows, and fringe. This gaudy and deliberately unrefined aesthetic was a direct contrast to the more traditional and conservative fashion of the era, and it served as a visual statement of individuality and rebellion. The aesthetic of Takenokozoku, with its vibrant colors and focus on group identity through fashion, is sometimes cited as a predecessor to later Japanese street fashion movements like Gyaru.

Music[]

The Takenokozoku dance groups gathered in Harajuku's Yoyogi Park on Sundays to perform choreographed dances to music. Their music of choice was not traditional Japanese folk music, but rather blaring rock music from large, portable radios. This choice of music, combined with their stylized dance routines, was a key part of their public performance and a central activity of the subculture.

Philosophy[]

The Takenokozoku subculture, though primarily centered on music and fashion, also represented a form of quiet rebellion against the rigid social conformity of 1970s Japan. The youth involved, largely junior and senior-high school students, were part of the "no hunger" generation; a post-war cohort that had grown up in a period of prosperity and did not share their parents' emphasis on selflessness and hard work. Their colorful, gaudy clothing and public dancing were a direct contrast to the conservative and disciplined attitudes of the time. This public display of individualism and ebullience was seen by some as an act of defiance, and the subculture provided an outlet for personal expression and independence that was otherwise discouraged in Japanese society. The movement symbolized a growing desire among younger Japanese to lead more individualistic lives, less constrained by corporate and societal duties, and to question the values of their parents' generation.

Gallery[]

External Links[]

References[]

↑ http://fashion.semiotix.org/2014/02/harajuku-district-for-anti-fashion/

[1] ttp://fashion.semiotix.org/2014/02/harajuku-district-for-anti-fashion/

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