A modern fashion show was held in the main hall of Myozenji temple in Tokyo's Roppongi district on the evening of July 1. Established in 1627, the temple was famous as a venue for playing Go in the Edo period (1603-1867), and was even called "Go temple" in the past.
Lights in the main hall were dimmed as the show began, and about 50 audience members cheered as 33 fashion models appeared by turns in time with the music.
The show lasted for about three hours with breaks and included a harp performance and the creation of amezaiku candy sculptures. The first event of its kind, it was organized by My First Models, a group that holds personal improvement workshops featuring such lessons as how to walk like a professional model.
The group came up with the show because it wanted to provide an interactive cultural salon, not just a venue for models to perform but also an opportunity to promote interaction between the models, audience and staff members.
The group named the event "Tera Fashionart My First Collection Vol. 1" and promoted the show via Facebook, Twitter and other means. "Let's enjoy fashion and art in a fantastic atmosphere," it said.
The models who appeared in the show were all participants in the workshops. Some are professional models, but most have regular jobs such as voice actor, actor or company employee. The group said it plans to hold more shows in the future.
The clothes in the show were on loan from Japanese fashion brands that are working to promote their brands worldwide, such as the Japan Refashion Association known for its Neo Kimono label, which lets people enjoy kimono in a modern, unconventional manner, and the T-shirt brand Jet-jam.
Asuka Sekiguchi from Nerima Ward, Tokyo, appeared in the show as a model. She is a system engineer at a company in Tokyo's Nakano Ward.
"I've been learning a professional way of walking and other skills to express myself better," said Sekiguchi. "The show was very exciting because I was able to walk on a stage, which was like a different dimension."
A wide range of events, including film festivals, live concerts, photo exhibitions, Japanese calligraphy lessons and Go classes, have been held at the temple.
"In the Edo period, temples served as a community space, in addition to providing memorial services and holding funerals," said chief priest Tokuga Matoba. He has allowed the public to use the temple for various purposes free of charge since 2014, hoping that "the temple could function as a public recreation facility, where many people can gather regardless of religious sects and where they live, even in today's harsh society."
(New Japan, Old Japan is a series exclusive to The Japan News)
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