It took some time to find them. The famous girls and boys from Harajuku. Dressed up to the nines.

Every guide book claims that on sunday afternoon, the bridge between Harajuku Station and Yoyogi Park would be crowded with crazed Japanese fashionistas and girls and boys dressed up like Japanese Manga characters.

Or caricatures.

However, nothing was really happening there. More photographers waiting for victims than actual Harajukus.

True, Tokyo does have some weirdly dressed people, with some eclectic taste, or downright japanese Punks. But nothing you wouldn’t expect in any modern metropolis.

So I more or less gave it up and started a walk through Yoyogi Park. Although Hanami is definitely over, the park was still crowded with people picknicking, playing ball, walking their (equally oddly dressed) dogs…

Then, I spottet them. One big group of guys and girls dressed up like their favorite ‘being’… from French maid to pink pop star.

They were rehearsing some moves, or just having fun. With music playing only so loud that they could just about hear it – very considerate of the other visitors of the park.

From a distance, their moves looked oddly silent, or out of synch with the female trumpet player practicing under a tree…

On the way back, I also found one group of four girls, on the bridge. The guide book wasn’t totally wrong after all.

I took 500 pictures. I narrowed it down to this. When I find the time I’ll upload more onto flickr.