With the current release of Label Networks’ 4th Annual Japan Youth Culture Study, strong correlations have been found between what influences streetwear fashion and the latest trends in technology, communication patterns, mobile phones, and even gaming.

First off, understanding streetwear trends in Japan is very important. The marketplace moves at lightening speed, but there is a clear new sense of importance that’s been placed on urbanwear among the most fashionable, including a high-volume of girls now wearing denim. There’s also a great deal of attention globally to top Japanese urbanwear designers. Japan however can be extremely confusing. It is the ultimate mash-up of street couture, so copied and reassembled as to appear original, which to many people appears non-directional.

In a society packed in a neon urban landscape, on the fringes of tradition and group individuality, it’s actually completely directional depending on what street you’re on. Think of a square: Each side and right angle has something completely different than the other. As a whole, the person, the personae, the block of fashion, may seem haphazard, but it’s not really when you know what each side contained to begin with. Assembling individual sides together that purposely seem to be dysfunctional but actually all work together is the real genius of Japanese streetwear fashion. It’s the re-seen. Hints of déjà vu but new based on how it’s all put back together and slightly altered.

Enter technology and communication patterns: 58.7% of 15-30-year-olds source Magazines as the #1 place they find out about new fashion brands and styles, but unlike in America or Europe, where mags provide usually more editorial, magazines in Japan border on being magalogues or advertorials that provide information, even scanable bar codes for mobile phone to locate the store, brand information, and so on. In addition, there are so many niche areas within Tokyo that have their own sense of styles, such as Akihabara, Shinjuku, Harajuku, “Cat Street,” and Takeshitadori street, that different niche text messaging or SMS is common. Areas with different street fashion have different texting slang that defines new tribes. And it moves so fast, just as trends do in this packed city, that words, phrases, symbols can mean different things depending on where you are or where you hang out. It takes being local to know the local meaning. It also drives more emphasis on one’s mobile phone, which are often lavishly decorated with charms, crystals, beads, and color, not to mention latest ringtones.

Among this generation of streetwear fashionistas are excellent shoppers who are very selective, having created the demand for Pop-up Retail whereby a store is only available for say, 3 days, offering a select group of products and brands, before it disappears. Texting and mobile phones in general are an integral part of this streetwear fashion and retail game plan. Like finding out where the next rave is located via coveted maps, in Japan, text messages and slang or symbols also defines one’s style depending on the location.

As streetwear trends merge, change, and re-emerge, so do concepts of technology and what young people in Japan do with this technology, including using phones also for shopping, for photo capabilities, video recording, and games. This spin-off also comes into play with gaming in general as new gamers in Japan, often younger demographics, are moving towards preferences for mobile platforms, small screens, or playing online. Community-based and character games are preferred which is also associated with creating one’s own community via where one hangs out, shops, and translates corresponding text messages.

Overall, the mash-up between technology and streetwear culture in general is so intertwined, that to know one aspect requires knowing the other in terms of where trends are headed.

Here are some additional Highlights from Label Networks’ Japan Youth Culture Study ’07:

• Shifts in Top Denim Brands: New strong local brands have increased percentages, including fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo indicating new opportunities + challenges for denim markets
• Fresh Fashion--32.8% of 15-30-year-olds in Japan believe the freshest fashion trends today are coming from the USA; followed by Japan at 23.4%; then the UK at 16.4%—the younger the demographic, the higher the percentages that believe the USA is producing the freshest fashion trends today
• Sneaker Culture--Online retail + the Japan COD system continues to increase for footwear buying patterns in Japan among youth culture
• Authentic Americana footwear brands are moving into fashion-forward wardrobes as Japanese youth in Tokyo seek authenticity beyond sneaker culture—this is having a cross-cultural impact on New York City streetwear trends
• Top Future Concerns have shifted dramatically since last year where Money/Economy was #1, to the Environment as the #1 Future Concern, followed by Family, then Happiness
• Music--15-30-year-olds in Japan have among the highest averages for going to concerts + buying concert merch compared with Label Networks North America, European, + China Youth Culture Studies; Rise of local bands vs. foreign is pushing this trend
• Sports--Basketball, Dance, Martial Arts are having a major influence on youth culture; snowboarding, which took a backseat over the past few years is starting a resurgence in terms of “most want to learn”
• TV--Average amount of time spent watching TV dropped almost an 1 hour per day since last year, although MTV increased in show preferences
• Video Gaming--New gamer demographics in Japan are pushing trends towards mobile phone + online games, particularly roll-playing + community-based, and impacting other industries, including fashion, technology, + communication
• Social Network Wars—Mixi.com vs. MySpace Japan have changed the dynamics of social online networkers (which is increasing) + creating new opportunities for reach depending on demographics

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