Strange Days in Okinawa

There is something strange happening in Okinawa, and no its not the fact that every young man in their twenties in Okinawa prefers hip-hop style, what's strange is that beyond the laid back beach, surf, and hip-hop style there is genuinely a small but thriving fashion scene in Okinawa.


With select shops and boutiques dotted throughout the island Okinawans are just as much influenced by fashion as mainlanders but just a in a warmer climate.


In the first of a series of reports on the fashion scene in Okinawa, Tokyo Fashion Fashion Daily met up with Takayoshi Ishigaki, the proprietor of Strange Days; a classic American casual boutique with a "Made in Japan" label.


When speaking with Ishigaki he told TFD he is influenced by American fashion from the 1960s and 1970s.  A former salaryman Ishigaki opened Strange Days last October and has come along way from hanging his merchandise on hooks floating from the ceiling, since he did not know how to properly fold the clothes his store sold.


Named after the second Doors album, Strange Days carries a variety of brands from Tokyo and the US including American shoe classics Vans, Walk-Over, Whites Boots and Viberg Boot to Japanese clothing  labels M, TMT, Cigar Sands Beetle, phenomenon beyond description, Naked Sun and more.  Ishigaki believes in the "Made in Japan" label and is proud to carry leather from Tochigi, denim from Okayama, sunglasses from Fukui and hand-made silver from Ken Kikuchi in Tokyo.


For now most of Ishigaki's customers are mainlanders from Tokyo so in a move to introduce his brand to more customers he has opened up a very successful and revolutionary online store at Strange Days where he has customers not only from Japan but Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and the rest of the world.


When TFD asked Ishigaki what can help counter the image of Okinawa as only beach, surf and hip-hop fashion he replied more events like Tokyo Girls Collection Okinawa which had about 3,000 attendees for their last presentation show - a small number compared to Tokyo but still a start to building a genuine fashion scene in Okinawa.


If you are currently in Okinawa or planning a visit please check out Strange Days at
900-0006 沖縄県那覇市おもろまち4-6-17 おもろパークテラス1-3