The Native American Ethos of Harajuku
Amid the digital fury and forever newness of a metropolis like Tokyo, Japan, there lies something primordial in the trending winds these days.
The Native American spirit is taking over the streets of Harajuku.
The patterns, beads, chief heads and feathers have indelibly soaked themselves into the fabric of fashion now.
Nearly every shop across the district has a shelf dedicated to their take on the subject. There are bags and sweaters and blankets and hoodies and moccasins.
Hell, there are even leather, beaded and tasseled iPhone cases. That’s the true magic of the Tokyo ‘old/new hybrid machine.’
I just ate lunch at an organic farm cafe, and they offered a selection of ‘Native American Teas.’ I had ‘Chief’s Delight.’ It was delish. On the wall of the cafe, they were projecting Native American canoe races. There were stickers slapped around the cafe and posters touting the race.
When I left cafe, I turned left and walked several paces before I found myself in front of an exclusively Native American jewelry shop. Bracelets, arm bands, necklaces and more iPhone cases awaited me.
For a moment I felt like I was in Pendleton, Oregon with all the regional flourish.
Speaking of Pendleton, the blanket brand of the same name is not hard to find in Tokyo either.
I find it interesting that one of the most futuristic cities in the world would take such a mainstream interest in the handmade and primitive arts from the other side of the world. There is definitely an aesthetic and philosophical kinship with the ancient, handmade, handed down traditions of this region, so perhaps it is just hardwired into the cultural DNA of the place.
At the same time, judged against the whimsy of modern fashion criticism and brand savvy, what the Native Americans created and perfected certainly stands the test of time. It was art built around a way of life, developed over centuries. It has a strong, central set of symbols and immediately recognizable patterns. It has a preferred color scheme.
As modern motif and subject matter, it makes perfect sense to sample and draw inspiration from.
In an era that constantly challenges the concept of time itself, I am pleased to see the rejuvenation of such an artful and crafty tradition.
In a world laden in plastic, titanium and plasma, it also feels like a bit of a revolution to cast your dollars and yen in another direction as a vote for a better time. A simpler time. When meaning was real, and not yet invented and propagated solely to grease the agendas of a corporate pendulum.
Through the consideration of Native American art and culture as cool or chic, perhaps we can turn back the hands of time and work to take back what was once human, but has been forgotten. Maybe, slowly, this can teach us something about feeling, and meaning and an awareness of unmanufactured joy.
It makes me smile to see this kind of infiltration. To be surrounded by beeps and screens and to look on a wall and see the image of people paddling a wooden canoe. There is something that defies time and space in such a visage in this urban context.
I’m gonna go watch Dances with Wolves now.
