Hamilton! I found them!



As usual, what was intended to be an innocent and simple Saturday afternoon, quickly took a turn towards weird and exciting.  I have been in Hirakata for a little over a month now and have met many people.  The vast majority of the people I have met have not only been females but incredibly fashionable females.  But too be honest, its not at all the fashion I was expecting to see quite a bit of, my best bud Hamilton, who has a deep love and interest in Japanese culture, had me picturing something a little different.  I was looking for people, well, girls, which dress similar to how he dresses back home (plaid skirts, fishnets, spikes, chains, etc.).  Then, suddenly, there they were.

Hanging out at Triangle Park on Saturday I met a few people my age that are interested in what in the US is called the “Industrial Goth” scene.  I didn’t make assumptions based on the way that they were dressed, although I guess that would have been okay, but I talked with them about what they were up to for the night…and of course, they were heading to a concert.  They’re unique style made me feel right at home (or Hamilton’s home).  As you can see, one of the females was wearing more colors then I even knew existed.  From head to toe, and with colors and ornaments hanging everywhere, she was far from subtle.  Although that annoying, ever present language barrier limited our conversation, it was quite obvious that she is not the shy type.

My other two friends, and their spikes, leather bracelets, colored hair, zombie-stomping boots, and fishnets fell under a similar category.  After a short talk about my unsuccessful mission of finding shoes that actually fit, they did what Nihonjins do, they walked me to a new place themselves.  We hung out for a while, my friend let me ride his skateboard around the crowded city streets and then, when the time came, we went our separate ways.  Just like that, I met some people that, like myself, stick out like a sore thumb in the stereotypically westerly fashioned environment.  Thanks guys, let’s all get stared at together.