Saturday, June 1, 2013

Idio(syncra)tic Japan: Minister in Charge of "Cool Japan" in Gothic-Lolita "Alice in Wonderland" Cosplay


I've been accused by readers of this blog for being "too cynical" about Japan. Well do I have a choice?

54-year-old Tomomi Inada is the Minister in charge of "Cool Japan" strategy. And it was her idea of this strategy to dress up as, as she said, "Alice in Wonderland" in what she called "Gothic and Lolita" fashion, to promote Japanese fashion at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) on May 31, 2013 in Yokohama City.

Photos from Asahi Shinbun (6/1/2013) looks more like middle-aged Disney "Snow White".

Ms. Inada is from Fukui Prefecture, (in)famous for numerous nuclear power plants that dot the rugged coastline and also famous for textile and weaving. Her dress, she says in the Asahi article, cost 170,000 yen (US$1,700, at least the conversion got so much easier thanks to Mr. Kuroda's bungling the JGB market).

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe she should team up with Hashimoto, I heard he also like costume play .....

It would be very surprising if she paid it by herself. 170000 Yen wasted .....

Hikarius said...

Such a curtain rod...

Anonymous said...

I dont think its is possible to be "too cynical " about japan , the country is a major fuckup , the people who accuse exskf of cynicism are out of touch with this place..

VyseLegendaire said...

Gothic lolita? Just looks like a regular ol' dress to me, maybe a bit of Cinderella in there.

Anonymous said...

Geek wear.

Hikarius said...

For those who can read Japanese, you can read her recent interview here:

http://www.asahi.com/politics/update/0604/TKY201306040044.html

"I was scolded by my daughter (for not understanding Gothic Lolita)." (...)

"I would like to learn more about the essence of Gothic Lolita." (...)

Dumbfound.

Anonymous said...

The epitome of uncool. A very tacky bride's maid dress...a prom dress picked out by your devoutly Orthodox Greek grandmother...Florida Disneyland hostess get up...corny Medieval Times theatre maiden outfit?? Take your pick.

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