Differences in values with Westerners

I worked in fashion when I was in my 20s.

At that time, there were few shops dealing with used clothes, and there was no word vintage. Around us, the current vintage is called old, and they are like the hobby of some people, such as fashion designers, stylists, and shop officials, and I think the general public is not very familiar with them yet. It is.

The first time I came across second-hand clothes was when I was in high school, but at that time, it was the heyday of the DC brand and it was difficult to buy clothes of a brand that were in magazines because they were expensive, and the second-hand clothing store I entered for the first time at that time was like I had never seen it in magazines or brand clothing stores. I remember being very excited when clothes with a unique atmosphere were lined up.

When I started to work on second-hand clothes, the shop's seniors were consistent not only in clothes, but also in lifestyle itself such as motorcycles and music, and they longed for and imitated that style.

After a while, I will go to the United States for work, and what I saw there was the difference in values for old things.

At that time, Japan was in the middle of the vintage boom, and some used clothes were soaring and prices were soaring, but in the real United States, not only clothes, but also furniture and home appliances, tableware, books, records, etc., daily life All kinds of second-hand things were circulated as a matter of course. There are various styles of shops that handle them, some are stylish select shops, and some are recycling shops in the city...

At that time, old things that were only a market for some people in Japan were used on a daily basis by ordinary people in the United States. From large-scale flea markets every weekend outside the store to things that individuals do without permission in the garden of their home.

In the city lined with fashionable shops, there are select shops that collect old items of various genres such as clothes, furniture, and records, and the styles of each shop are all unique and very attractive. In particular, the furniture select shops from the 50s to the 70s looked like an art gallery, and it was very fresh in a style that had never been seen in Japan.

About 30 years have passed since then, and now the number of recycling shops and select shops dealing with old things has increased in Japan, but I feel a little different from the United States that ordinary people take them for granted.

When it is said that Japanese people are rich at that time and still have low incomes, I think that there is no such thing, but the values and culture of money and goods are different. I remember very well that when I showed a Japanese fashion magazine to an acquaintance in the United States, I was very surprised to hear the price of the products on it. After reading the article about tens of thousands of yen boots, I said, "Are you buying such expensive things? It's crazy! I don't think that American and my income have changed much, but in Japan, there is a value of "doing your best to buy what you want even if you are a little forced", while in the United States, "you don't need things that are not suitable from the beginning" It was like that.

I'm currently working on housing, and I see people in their 30s buying houses every day with a debt of tens of millions of yen. I'm not denying that, but some people have decided to give up their own home as a result of buying it by force. In Japan, the value that new products are still considered good is the mainstream. However, if you are trapped in that, you will have to live a life far from your original life.

In Japan, it is normal to work overtime with work as a priority, but in the United States, it is normal to go home on time, and the value of private life after work. Which one is living a human cultural life and enjoying life?

Maybe if I explain the housing situation in Japan to an American acquaintance at that time, I'm sure it's crazy again! You may be surprised.