Fcuk You – the backstreets of Omotesando
October 10th, 2008 by TESituated prominently atop one of the side streets off Omotesando is an advertising board of sorts.
Smack bang middle in the centre is the fashion brand name Fcuk You.
Now, not being much of a fashion king myself, that certainly gave me something of a shock when I first saw it!
That was, until I realized that Omotesando is about shock, it is about people being noticed, yet it is about so much more than the main drag.
Given, the top dogs advertise for all they are worth on the main Omotesando approach to Meiji Jingu, but it is behind the main thoroughfare that the real action can be seen. This is where the locals live, where the smaller restaurants and bars – as well as numerous boutiques – position themselves to carry off some of the more discerning shoppers less bent on brand collection.
Pick a (side) street next time you are on Omotesando then, any street will do. Take a walk down it and lose yourself in the maze of turnings beckoning you deeper and deeper into the inner recesses of on of Japan’s well known but less crowded gems; the backstreets of Omotesando.
Head down towards Shibuya or up towards Gaienmae – by first going under the Fcuk You sign and kick back a tad. The pace is slower. The onus is less on being seen, and more on the self.
Step into a café, order the house white or whatever else you fancy, and get as close to any suave European capital as it is possible to get here in Tokyo.
Fcuk you indeed!
