It's Cherry Blossom season in Japan and lifestyle brand Muji opens hotel in Tokyo's Ginza district.

It's Spring time in Japan, and tourism is booming in this oriental kingdom as visitors flock there to admire Cherry Blossoms.

A luxurious gown  from Christian Dior SS 2017 haute couture collection designed by Maria Garzia Chiuri, elaborately embroidered to channel Japanese cherry blossoms as a nod to the Hanami - Japan's National Cherry Blossom Festival - and echoing Monsieur Dior's 1953 "Jardin Japonais" dress.  This is one of 200 rare Dior haute couture gowns now on show  in the Christian Dior - Designer of Dreams Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, until 1st September 2019.

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

According to BBC business news earlier this week, the blossom season is worth billions for Japan.  The season attracted nearly five million people and boosted the economy by some US$2.7 billion, according to figures from Bloomberg.

Cherry blossom represents the nature of life and a season of renewal in Japanese culture.  Events and festivals are held in Japan each spring during "Hanami", or "flower viewing" season.

If one has the luxury of time to travel to Japan this Easter break, you may like to try out the Muji Hotel Ginza, operated by the Japanese retail chain Muji - known for their minimalist designs.

The hotel is to open this Thursday in Tokyo as a novel way to experience the brand's wide range of lifestyle products.

The hotel offering 79 guests rooms which will be decked out with Muji's own lifestyle-related products, from furniture, to slippers, to toiletries and toothbrushes.

The hotel is situated above its shop - from 6th to 10th floor - above the commercial complex.  This is very handy because if guests like any of the items, they can buy them at a Muji store below.

The hotel is viewed as a kind of showroom where guests can experience using their products, according to officials at the chain's operator, Ryohin Keikaku, which has revealed that sales of Muji products are on the rise, mainly in Asian countries, and they hope the new hotel will further boost its brand recognition and help expand sales globally.

The Ginza hotel will be the company's first in Japan; it follows ones already opened in China, in Shenzhen and Beijing.

Modern fashion meets Japanese sub-culture as new clothing brand Tokkou arrives for London Fashion Week

Contemporary Japanese fashion brand Tokkou is setting up a pop-shop in London’s trendy Notting Hill to coincide with London Fashion Week.

The London-based brand takes inspiration from Japanese youth subculture Bousou-zoku for its cutting-edge looks.

TOKKOU’s visionaries want to bring their fresh approach to couture by using technologically enhanced fabrics.
Photos from TOKKOU

The designs are inspired by traditional garments worn by the bousou-zoku biker gangs and the traditional sotsuran worn by students during their graduation ceremony, the Tokkou collection reinterprets clothing as an art form used to express team names and beliefs with words and illustrations.

Inspired by the recent popularity of Japanese culture in Europe and the current trend for Japanese writing, embroidered jackets and jeans, the Tokkou brand symbolises Japan’s cultural heritage while incorporating elements of British punk-rock and Gothic culture. The result is a striking Asian-British fusion of silhouettes, cuts and styles with unmistakable Japanese flair.

Its 2019 Spring Summer collection, Shining in the Dark, is designed in the hope that the wearer shines even while riding their motorcycle in the dark.

Featuring dark and brooding hues emblazoned with eye-catching traditional Japanese characters and bold graphics, the Tokkou range includes oversized hoodies, tailored jackets, trousers, sweatpants, shirts, dresses and tailored shorts.

Each garment is created in the country that the company has drawn much of their inspiration from and aims to transmit traditional Japanese culture to the world through fashion.

TOKKOU’s visionaries want to bring more of their fresh approach to couture to stores and streets around the country by using technologically enhanced fabrics.

Billed as "utterly wearable and very on trend," the collection is designed to be edgy yet timeless and uses modern materials such as a soft Lyocell Cotton blend, with a gentle and drapeable texture that unlike nylon and polyester, does not require petroleum for its production.

There’s also high dense stitch fleece lining, luxurious 80 yarn count poplin and luxury fabrics spun in the Biella region of Northern Italy.

Tokkou has ambitious plans to present its designs to the world, and will host a guerrilla fashion show on the 15th September alongside London Fashion Week. 

The Notting Hill pop up shop will be open to the public, the media and fashion merchandisers alike from the 21st September for two weeks.

During their time at London Fashion Week, Tokkou’s creators are hoping to meet with suppliers to clothing stores throughout Europe as well as independent fashion retailers who understand the brand’s vision and share their view of Japanese fashion as an art form. 

Newark Museum Exhibition Highlights Impact of Japanese Aesthetics on Global Fashions

Japan has long been a major draw for tourism and undoubtedly its iconic ancient architecture and traditions have made it a favourite tourist destination in Asia.

Now this beautiful ancient country of the Far East is the focus of a new exhibition due to be launched  at the Newark Museum, USA which will showcase the impact of Japanese garments, textiles, design and aesthetics on global fashion created by internationally recognized designers such as John Galliano, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Iris van Herpen and Issey Miyake.

Ensemble by celebrated Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto / Spring/Summer 1995 /
Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute / Photo by Takashi Hatakeyama

Opening October 13, 2018, Kimono Refashioned: 1870s-Now! will feature more than 40 garments by some 30 Japanese, European and American designers.  Co-organized by the Kyoto Costume Institute and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Newark Museum is the exclusive East Coast venue for this exhibition, where it will remain on view until January 6, 2019.