C-Scout Japan is an excellent source for news about “Cool Japan”, which is increasingly tied to Gothic Lolita Punk fashion. According to the site, FRUiTs has moved beyond the magazine to open a new retail space, FRUiTs MiX, in MaruiOne Shinjuku. Above are some photos from the recent re-opening of the seminal department store. C-Scout reports: “A number of locally influential Harajuku boutiques (like Faline and Dog) and vintage shops (Berberjin) are involved in the project. Street savvy designer Nozomi Ishiguro has also been tapped to create a limited edition line, Nozomi Ishiguro FRUiTS PUNCH, for the select shop.”

Whenever I visit MaruiOne, I’m only interested in floors 5 to 8 (which you can see in this post). Now that FRUiTS is part of the mix, I can’t wait to check out the second floor. How about you?

C-Scout also blogs that Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has named three kawaii models to be Pop Culture Ambassadors. These girls (Misako Aoki, Yu Kimura, and Shizuka Fujioka) will represent three style tribes (Lolita, gyaru, schoolgirl); they’ll travel the world promoting J-pop culture. “First stop: The upcoming Japan Fest in Bangkok, followed by a summertime stint at the Japan Expo in Paris.”

You may recognize Misako (far left) and Yu from the pages of Kera Magazine. Does this campaign seem forced, much like the Hangry & Angry girl group? Or will it promote a positive image of Japanese street fashion? Strange to think that the indie Nagomu Girls – precursors to today’s Lolitas – would one day be sponsored by the government…