Research

Theoretical is a key part of of my practice which I deemed necessary to complete even in this short time frame. Looking at the youth culture in japan and how this could be used in my design. 

Maddy who i visited japan with is half japanese half english the eresason we ewent to japan with her family was to take her coming of age photo. this was a concept that was so new and so interesting to me.

It is held in order to congratulate and encourage all those who have reached or will reach the ‘age of majority’ between 2nd of April the previous year and April 1st of the current year.

Coming of age ceremonies have been celebrated in Japan since 714 AD when a young prince donned new robes and a hairstyle to mark his passage into adulthood. As it such a big tradition Madeleine’s grandfather ensured it was completed for her as it was for other members of her family.

Youth culture in Japan today is rapidly changing, modernisation was relatively late to start in Japan thus leaving a rapid process of modernisation to coexist with the survival of premodern society which led to serious conflicts between modern and premodern values. This then led to a decreased attendance to the coming of age ceremonies. 

Visual research for this brief was discovered by looking back on the photographs taken from the visit to Japan. To go alongside this research into the visual side of Japans vibrant and powerful youth culture was found through photographers such as Shoichi Aoki and Monika Mogi who captureed this changing youth culture.