Oita native tries to keep Harajuku spirit alive with handmade accessories business

Oita native and Tokyo resident Tsukishima, known as “Sena123Kawaii” on Instagram, designs handmade accessories for those who participate in the Harajuku subculture. 

The goal of Harajuku is to be self-expressive and showcase it through clothing. Harajuku is not just one style, but a culmination of many different ones, according to The Japanese Shop.

June 2023 marks a year since Tsukishima started her business. She celebrated a year of completing her mission, “To bridge ‘Harajuku’, ‘Oshikatsu’, ‘GAL’, and ‘Kirakira’ and aiming to be the cutest without compromising.” She wanted to represent all of these Harajuku styles through her accessories. 

“Although it is flashy, there are many items that are familiar with any fashion, so it is easy for people who have never tried Harajuku fashion to buy,” Tsukishima said. “I haven’t seen many other brands with so many stances.”

Harajuku is an umbrella term for the fashion styles within it, with the main goals being community and freedom of expression. Many of the styles focus on color, excessive layering, and attention-grabbing attire that is nearly costume-like. Lolita style, for example, might mimic a little girl, or Visual Kei might resemble a glam rock star. 

Tsukishima modeled her personal style after the character Izumi Sena from a game called Ensemble Stars. Izumi Sena is a male character whose personality is mean and detached, often described as a “violent-tempered cat.”

She mixed the character’s style with Decora fashion and began to use both as style inspiration. Tsukishima loves to decorate with the Izumi Sena concept, image, color, clothes and accessories. 

This inspiration carried over into her handmade accessories business, where she makes necklaces, clips, buttons, and headpieces. She wants to feel cute and help people feel good with her items. She is constantly looking for ways to improve her creations.

“What helped me was the inspiration from Sena Izumi, of course, but also from everyone who actually bought my work,” Tsukishima said. “It’s supposed to be made to support everyone else’s fashion, but when I realize it, I feel like I’m being supported.”

Decora fashion, deriving from the word “decoration,” is a style with a variety of colors and accessories that embody the Harajuku spirit, according to The Comm. This style can be recognized through wearing many clips in one’s hair, colorful wristbands on the arms, or using stickers and gems to accentuate a makeup look. Outfits are typically handmade clothing items that reinforce a unique personal style. 

“I was originally interested in Decora, but I couldn’t coordinate well because there was no theme for Decora,” Tsukishima said. “However, by wearing a lot of Sena Izumi, which I love, I decided on the coordination I wanted to do, and by collecting items and making my own items, I established my current style.”

People lament that Harajuku is dying because of the growth of fast fashion with stores like H&M and Uniqlo. Shoichi Aoki, photographer and creator of the famous Harajuku magazine “Fruits,” noted how much Harajuku has evolved over the past decade, according to Quartz.

A shift in style led people to believe Harajuku was dying since its distinctive, original styles were no longer frequently seen on the streets. The rise in tourism also affected these areas, which stunted the growth of this style and gave an opening for fast fashion to develop.

Despite these frequent claims, Tsukishima tries her hardest to create, post and share things that will inspire others to explore Harajuku fashion. 

“I would like to send out information that makes it easier to do Oshi Decora and coordinate more cutely,” Tsukishima said. “Everyone in the Decora area is working hard together, such as actively sharing information at the “NEO Decora Meeting” held once a month. Looking at them, they are striving to spread Harajuku fashion while mastering it; I think the future of Harajuku fashion is bright.” 

Tsukishima loves being part of the Harajuku fashion scene. She hopes that by upholding the inclusive, friendly Harajuku reputation, people will become more interested in it, thus growing its influence.

“I will support people who love Harajuku fashion with all my power,” Tsukishima said. “I want to draw those interested in Harajuku fashion, but lack courage, into the world of Harajuku fashion because I didn’t dare to step into Harajuku fashion, but I wanted to become the adult I wanted to meet!”