Japanese Goth

Over the last 20 years the influence of Japanese popular culture has had a tremendous impact on American society. Anime, manga, toys, graphic design, transportation, cuisine and especially fashion have successfully reshaped American popular tastes.
It takes no small stretch of the imagination to see how Japanese fashion designers and Japanese youth have revolutionized clothing and fashion. A case in point is the growing fascination in Japan and in America with cosplay: dressing up as one's favorite anime or manga character.
On closer examination of Japanese art-specifically anime and manga, it's easy to see that dark, often Western supernatural themes have intermingled with Japanese folklore and mythology. Vampires, demons, dark and mysterious castles, pale white skin antagonists and Victorian garb are everywhere.
The Japanese, especially the youth, have embraced Goth and created their own unique take on Gothic fashion and art, appropriately called Japanese Goth. Tiffany Godoy, Ivan Vartanian and Universe/Rizzoli present Japanese Goth- a book that examines the phenomenon in art, photos and descriptive text. For a unique Eastern perspective on a Western creation, be sure to pick up a copy of Japanese Goth.