As far as I know, nothing really compares to, or prepares you for,
this scene. Every weekend, usually on Sunday, the freaks and the
attention seekers gather in front of Meiji shrine in Harajuku to...
well nobody really knows why they gather, not even, it would seem,
these 'trend setters'. When asked 'why', the answers are ambiguous,
'it's cool' or 'my friends are here' are what you're likely to hear.
Seen in small groups, or (shudder) alone, the effect is almost painfully
embarrasing.
But in a large group like they've gathered here, somehow
you feel like you are the one out of place, that somehow the bars
at the zoo have been reversed, and you are the one in the cage.
One thing is for sure though, this fad isn't dying out like most
fads in Japan do. They've managed to create their own sub culture.
You'll always see amateur photographers milling around taking pictures,
normal people posing with the groups for a laugh, and most of the
time the kids let them, but you get the feeling they'd just rather
be left alone so they can be freaks in peace.
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