Ametora are the Japanese versions of these styles, and what ties them together is the fact that they’re all made today with great reverence and understanding of the past, and a dedication to replicate or even surpass the quality of the original American versions.” In the Summer of 1964, Tokyo prepared to host thousands of foreign guests for the Olympic Games. Planners hoped to reveal a futuristic city reborn from the ashes of World War II, complete with sprawling highways, modernist stadium complexes, and elegant Western restaurants. As old-fashioned trolley cars disappeared from the streets, a sleek monorail debuted to whisk tourists into the city from Haneda Airport.

I love the basics of Beams Plus, which combines traditional styles with contemporary tastes,” says Marx. The label originated out of the American Life Shop Beams store, which opened in February 1976 in Tokyo. Originally fitted out like a UCLA student dorm the store sold imported American goods (including the country’s first Nike trainers) before eventually developing their own lines. A fascinating cultural history” ( People) of how Japan adopted and ultimately revived traditional American fashion But as that style have evolved, so too has the meaning of Ametora. Today, it’s more about a certain sartorial attitude: high quality basics and the best fabric, small discrete details, a combination of old-fashioned expertise and high-tech innovation, a playful twist put on conservative pieces and the repurposing of vintage American iconography.

The book is based on thorough original research, and it includes topics such as the rise and fall of indigo, the myth of the cowboy, American cultural imperialism, advertising and sex. For Blue Blooded, it was particularly helpful for the historical chapters. Throughout its history, Japan has always adopted foreign cultures and mixed them with local cultures to make a new hybrid. Take ramen, which in Japan is considered a Chinese dish, but everyone knows it globally as Japanese. Ametora is a bit like ramen or tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) – it’s a unique thing that Japan provides to the world based originally on foreign models but is unmistakably Japanese. Denim trong counterculture tại Nhật Bản đầu những năm 1960, có rất nhiều điểm tương đồng với văn hóa Hippie tại Mỹ

Interestingly enough, this act of cultural style exchange all began with Japan’s desire to westernize their culture after 265 years of economic, political and social isolation from the rest of the world. When the isolation came to an abrupt hault, Japan was simultaneously thrown into complete economic and cultural turmoil. After years of chaos, and an ultimate loss of cultural and social identity, a reform-minded samurai finally took control under the reign of Emperor Meiji, initiating his reformation plan that worked to adopt Western technology and lifestyles.I also appreciated the parts about how the constant fashion changes led to clashes with the establishment, including police performing mass arrests of fashionable students hanging out in Ginza. As one aggrieved student said in the Asahi Shimbun: What's wrong with wearing cool clothing and walking through Ginza? Were not like those country bumpkins around Ikebukuro or Shinjuku.There were even hippies in Japan! With all the other copying of America that Japan did I shouldn't be surprised, but somehow I was.