foreign
is
tokyo japan
this is a land known for order and
discipline but for every social custom
and rule there are those who seek to
break them
i'm here to find akora girls
more than 10 years after this iconic
fashion subculture began a new
generation is pushing the limits even
further
this is a culture where there are school
uniforms here there are uniforms for
work pretty much uniforms for everything
cat is a german decorah living and
teaching english in tokyo how does this
allow you to really express who you are
decorah fashion is fun fashion it's very
against the mainstream of things it's
not in a magazine it's not elegant it's
very much boom in your face
it can scare people a little bit some
people just go oh that might be a weird
person there while decora might be a
direct rebellion against japan's strict
uniform culture these girls aren't
outcasts or loners in fact some of them
are celebrities
you'll see me
with over half a million followers on
social media kurobayashi is one of the
most famous decorah girls in the world
right now
is one of the rare decorah boys with an
equally fanatic following i meet them at
their favorite cafe a self-styling salon
in the neighborhood of harajuku why do
people feel that they have to come here
to get ready they can't do it at home
how long have you both been dressing
decora about
six or seven years
so this is your favorite decor store
fun as it may be i have to wonder could
they be using the colorful barrettes and
accessories to hide behind you see this
as being like a mask like you're playing
a character
foreign
seem to embody this style completely
but what did decorah look like when it
first began
june
is the founder of fruits magazine the
most respected publication in japanese
street fashion
he has been documenting japanese street
style for more than 20 years
the decorah girls that i've seen have
really pushed the amount of accessories
they wear to the limits
japanese culture values the group over
the individual
it's the way social order is maintained
decorah may be breaking the mould but
maybe it's still within the framework of
what is accepted
i'm hoping to get some perspective from
a decorah girl who lives outside the
city
lives in the suburbs of tokyo with her
husband baby and extended family
tonight we're going to meet her friends
in harajuku and she wants to show me how
a decorah look comes together
how do you decide the arrangement of all
the hair clips
a slow introduction into decor or you
just one morning decided i like this
style and you did the whole thing
on
the look is complete
of course a little bit more
what do you think of kanai
so
as we leave the grey suburbs behind i
see canaiya's demeanor begin to change
decora isn't an elaborate costume or
even something to hide behind it's just
an outer expression of something inside
that's just waiting to get out
of this
i think it's the freedom of expression
you don't have to look every day the
same you wear the things you love the
way you want to wear them this is not a
label it's not someone else's thing it's
my face
a celebration of who you are
it's a reminder to let go of the rules
and just wear what makes you feel good
have fun with fashion
you