When it comes to fashion, Japan is known as being at the forefront of design and innovation.As a general rule, the Japanese are a nation that takes great pride in how they look and are obsessed with sampling new styles and trialing new ideas - in many instances they will express their character and personality through what they are wearing. With cutting edge styles and imaginative ideas, many big name designers appreciate what Japan can offer in terms of interpretation and originality.

Despite Japan being an Asian country, you will notice that much of their taste and inspiration actually emulates Western fashion. However, one of the biggest trends in Japan at the moment is street fashion which is a phrase used to describe clothes that have been inspired and adopted from a combination of current and traditional trends and is particularly influenced by music. Even though Japanese styles and trends have altered somewhat over the years, street fashion is still the prominent style that you will see in and around the country today. 

Japanese people tend to be inspired to try out new things whilst also customising traditional clothing ideas with more contemporary styles - hence why they are known as being elite trend starters in the fashion world. As well as street fashion however, the rise of Japanese hip hop music has also had an influence on Japanese fashion. This form of music has been a virtual ever present among underground Tokyo's club scene and because of this, has influenced the mainstream fashion industry with clothes replicating iconic hip hop stars of the world.If you want to see the very best that Japan has to offer in the style stakes, there are many places to head to where you will see the latest designs and ideas. 

Hot spots like Shibuya and Harajuku are renowned for their quirky cultural offerings and showcase how diverse the country is. Here you will also see the very latest styles that are driving the Japanese fashion machine and you will also be able to get a real taste of what's hot and what's not at the moment. If, for instance, you haven't heard of the Harajuku girls, you should! The girls are well known for their vibrant, colourful and cutting edge looks and really take fashion to the very extremes.Because Japan is known to be one of the hubs of the fashion world, it is hardly surprising that there are a number of popular brands from this country that are already famous the world over. 

There are also many up and coming names rising up through the ranks that should be kept an eye on. To date however, Misake, Kawabuko and Yamamoto remain three of the most talked about and internationally acclaimed names in Japanese fashion - they also prove to be the most influential.