Week 3- Pedro Navarro

As noted by Tang Siew Man in “Japan’s Grand Strategic Shift from Yoshida to Koizumi: Reflections on Japan’s Strategic Focus in the 21^st Century,” Japanese leaders were faced with the harsh realities of having to rebuild a nation that had been dismantled by war (119). In my opinion, Japan remade itself by pushing itself away from the Yoshida doctrine, and practicing the strategic goals of the Koizumi doctrine. By doing so, Japan was able to strengthen relationships with other East Asian countries and therefore achieve structural and economic power. This economic power was a consequence of Japan’s engineering superiority, i.e., the ability to produce quality goods at competitive prices (Siew Man, 132).

Such quality goods included the production of the ‘Ivy model’ suit, created by the company Van Jacket (Fernandez, 1). The suit was basically a copy of an American version, which developed a culturally rich tradition, as noted by Chantal Fernandez. Dwelling on the theme of the week, “Copycat modernity,” made me think about the rise of Hip Hop lifestyle in Japan. This is clearly visible through current high population of Sneakerheads based in Japan. Japan has copied the hip- hop lifestyle consumerism from the country that left them in ruins after WWII. That said, Japanese youth have added their own spin to the style, as seen in the picture above. I think Japan can reach a maximum national aesthetic by producing shoe designers that can create collaborations with brands like Air Jordan and New Balance. How important has American Hip Hop been to rise of the fashion industry in Japan?

Works Cited

http://www.mensjournal.com/style/collection/the-story-behind-the-rise-of-the-sneakerheads-20150305

Fernandez, Chantal. "How America Style Fueled Postwar Youth Fashion in Japan." Fashionista. N.p., 02 Dec. 2015. Web. 15 Jan. 2016.

Man, Tang Siew. "Japan’s Grand Strategic Shift from Yoshida to Koizumi: Reflections on Japan’s Strategic Focus in the 21st Century."Akademika 70 (2007): 117-36. Print.