Retro Revolution: Artist Virgin Shen and The Magic of Showa
Fashion is cyclical, what once is deemed tacky or uncool often makes a comeback, of course with a slight twist from the new generation making it their own.
No doubt, Y2K revivalism is in full-swing in the alleyways and dance floors of Tokyo, but if you scratch under the surface of what’s happening in street style right now, beyond the low rise jeans, pastels, and butterfly clips, a smaller scale Showa inspired fashion revolution can be found.
Artist and tastemaker Shigemi decked out in Showa-era inspired clothing.
Characterized by unabashedly reclaiming broad shoulder padded blazers, colors bordering on garish, a strong appreciation for the skirt suit, paired with the extremely “now” elements like cyber-esque jewelry and hair colors spanning a rainbow of shades; today’s showa inspired styles are definitely retro interpreted.
Shigemi in her home shot by Mayu Uchida.
Shigemi AKA Virgin Shen or Tokyo Trash Babe, amongst her many aliases, is a Tokyo-based visual artist and style tastemaker, and a perfect example of someone making the retro their own. Her creative portfolio spans zines, home decor, calendars, accessories, coupled with her stylishly enigmatic online presence, making you wonder more about her world where past and future collide.
Shigemi’s handmade accessories, zines, and notebooks in her apartment shot by Mayu Uchida.
Shigemi’s work is more like an insight into an alternate realm- fusing the beautiful tackiness found in junk shops, Mercari deep dives, late night scrolls into online archives of old magazine scans as well as pirated clips of dramas from decades past with a whimsical new age bent. Shigemi is a master of future nostalgia, taking elements from all her favorite guilty pleasures, novels, and movies and turning these influences into something very new.
For those who need a recap, the Showa era meaning bright harmony in Japanese is the name given to a pretty broad span of time [technically 1926-1989] but usually recalling the 60s-80s, named after the Emperor Hirohito, symbolizing a departure from the militarism that dominated Japan before and during WWII with a new spirit of pacifism, the “economic miracle” of rapidly implemented American style capitalism/occupation, and with it an ethos of “work hard and buy nice things.”
Street snaps of working women who wanted to be stylish and professional, as women gained new employment opportunities.
Office workers by day, clubbers by night. Excess was the spirit of the 80s in Japan.
A model wears a red mini skirt and shoulder padded suit, a signature of the “Bodikon” fashion movement.
Alongside the introduction of more Western influenced foods,fashions,and pop-culture into the mainstream [which of course were made their own by local Japanese brands/artists], Japan shifted in some ways towards a more individualistic, expressive, and consumer driven society. Whew! That’s quite a few changes, and that's a fact definitely not lost on people who lived through this turbulent time and youth just now looking back on the Showa era.
What began as a rebuilding of a nation devastated by the atomic bomb and the horrors of WWII, ended with the fantastically excessive “Bubble Era” when money seemed to come easy and spending came even easier with an upsurge in flashy designer goods, puffy hair, Bodikon style fashion, and a hedonistic penchant for snack bars or dancehalls [especially Juliana’s and Maharaja]. It’s this time period that Shigemi draws heavily from, and transports you to through her reimagining of an optimistic past for a generation convinced of their pessimistic future.
Sabukaru sat down with Shigemi in her room, filled to the brim with her hand made creations,to talk more about why the Showa era speaks to her, spirituality, and the constant urge to make something new.
Stills of people partying hard at Julianna’s circa 1980.
Sequined body con dressed were a mainstay of 80s club fashion.
Club fashion was were many in the 80s showed off their most outlandish fits.
Hey Shigemi, thanks for taking the time to speak with us! Can you introduce yourself to the Sabukaru Network?
I’m Shigemi, you can call me Virgin Shen too. I’m 27, an Aries, and a Virgo rising, living in Tokyo already for 5 years. I’m not a religious person but I’m deeply affected by the divine source of life. I've always had some difficulty defining myself. Maybe I’m a starseed [laughs].
How would you describe your aesthetic?
I would say my aesthetic is a mixture of Showa and modern looks. The Showa era represents for me an everlasting treasure trove of art and culture. It really was a time of freedom. The artists, musicians, and film directors I admire are all from that era. And I love flowers, and objects about flowers from the Showa period always touch me. For example, Suichuuka/水中花 or LED powered flower designs/光ファイバーのフラワーライト時計 etc. I can always learn new things and sensations from the past.
The Showa era is a pretty broad period of time [technically 1926-1989 but usually referencing the 60s-80s], For people not familiar with the time period, what do you think are some cultural moments?
Out of the whole showa era, the “Bubble Era” AKA the 80s, speaks to me the most. It showed a sense of fashion and urbanity that was ahead of its time. Music, art, fashion and so on were the embodiment of the optimistic spirit of the times. One example of this attitude is city pop, which is still popular. We still don’t get tired of listening to it, because there’s something about its simpleness and freedom that still appeals to us.
Maria Takeuchi singer of “Plastic Love” one of City Pop’s most beloved ballads.
A lot of bubble era style is inspired by the economic takeoff and consumer frenzy, the high demand for material pursuits but also spiritual pursuits. So that's why it’s attractive to me, it was an intense and strong time. Everyone had a fierce, daring attitude when living their life.
Bold colors, fluffy hair, and the use of synthetic materials characterized late Showa era fashions.
The collective fantasy of the people is always in line with the needs of the times, and the enthusiasm, vigor and vitality of the Showa period is exactly what the present generation is missing. That's why we keep bringing up that glorious era that disappeared. Another thing that struck me about the Showa era was the interweaving of foreign cultures, and the multicultural background was a unique cultural characteristic of that era. In the Kabukicho Chinese cuisine guide I’m working on right now, there is a chapter on "老舗の愛と妥協/Love and Compromise of Old Restaurants”.
Shigemi in front of Kabukicho’s gates, a hotspot of nightlife and Chinese restaurants.
I have done a lot of research about old-school Chinese restaurants of the last century, and there is really a lot that can be written about Showa, even if it is just about a Chinese restaurant in Shinjuku. You can feel a vanished era still glowing in some form today, and that’s what I seek out. This feeling is still alive within the names of the dishes, the decoration style, the furniture, the dress and waiters or owners. It’s still alive in Tokyo, you just need to search.
An example of Showa era style decor in a Chinese restaurant.
Truly I am in love with the aesthetics of the time, the small bars with their signature curved tables, large foliage plants, modern table lamps, neon, and wide skirts. In Japanese dramas or movies of the 80s, that atmosphere is what I think of as Showa. The glamor, the freedom. Also a big influence is the space age, a style that transcends the times, and was widely used in the late Showa era. So I sort of like interpretations of the future that were used in the past. Like retro-futurism.
Are there any 60s-80s icons that made an impact on you?
Yeah there’s quite lot. Terayama Shuji's movies like Grass Labyrinth and Pastoral: To Die In The Country made a big impact on me. Also, Eiko Ishioka, her artwork in 1985 film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters especially. In terms of designers, Thierry Mugler's collections in the 80s, with strong shoulder pads, and the idea of “Power Dressing”.
Until recently a lot of the newer generation, viewed Showa era fashion as tacky or “uncool”, but the past couple years the style is making a comeback, why do you think that is?
I didn't live in that era, but I always felt that it was a time of intense artistic expression, and freedom of expression. It also has a fullness of spirit, wealth, and culture. I think people who try revamp the Showa era are called by the same kind of attraction to energy and optimism that I am. We are now in the year 2022, in a world of industrialization, commercialization, and technology. Overwhelmed by modernity, we begin to ignore many of the real needs within ourselves. The continued interest of Showa is a projection of the collective consciousness, corresponding to the people's desire for a strong life.
Why do you gravitate to nostalgic Showa styles, instead of the “futurism” that a lot of others seem to be obsessed with?
For me the time periods represent different emotions. In fact, just imagine time doesn’t exist, they are all just different energies, they’re each other, you have me, I have you. A future in the past, a past in the future.The difference between futurism and nostalgia is sort like…nostalgia is an inward energy, futurism is an outward energy.
An example of Showa Futurism in a manga character’s costume.
Of course your art and style are definitely more than recycling the past, something closer to neo-Showa than a straight up revamp. How would you describe the twist that you put on the past to make it your own?
There is much to learn from the past. I'm not just talking about techniques, but more about strange shapes, bright color combinations, wild imagination, and strong expressions. I’m always touched by the real feelings contained in objects. All objects carry within them an energy.By watching and observing them for a long time, I gradually form an understanding of them in my mind. And that’s what I am putting in my current work, an understanding of the past from a future facing perspective.
Sometimes I see old women on the street who are well-dressed, with their colors echoing well and their accessories matching their clothes. I would stare at them and be moved from the bottom of my heart by this attitude toward life, which is the power of the Showa Golden Age in the present world.
During the 60s-80s, a lot of women started to use fashion to show their liberation from the traditional mother/housewife model, Do you feel like dressing nostalgically allows you to channel that energy?
I haven't thought about it that deeply, about what fashion meant for women specifically at the time.But, I can indeed understand fashion in that way, as a type of freedom. For example, the 80s suit with padded shoulders for women, the tight waist line, this beautiful curve always makes me feel the power of women. I truly collected many women's suits from the last century in different colors in my wardrobe. After all, the style of that moment for women was called “Power Dressing.”
An ad for the perfume Rive Gauche by YSL, depicting a stylish woman “Power Dressing”, professional yet sexy.
Tokyo is often seen as super modern and rapidly changing, but where can you still feel Showa vibes in the city, where are places that give you artistic inspiration?
The old buildings that have been razed to the ground are sad, but there are still many that surround us like kissaten, old snack bars, love hotels, restaurants,and cinemas from 80s. I even have been to a very old dance hall a couples years ago in Uguisudani called Shinseki Dancehall, still bubble as fuck [laughs]. Cafe Ginza in Ebisu, and the love hotel FAMY in Chiba. Also live around Nishi-Ogikubo and there’s a bunch of Showa era places still in operation. Like kissaten or even junk shops.
A lot of your work uses found objects or props, where do you find these amazingly kitschy objects? Flea markets, Mercari, or word of mouth?
Yes, I look around for them everywhere. Online or offline. That's why I chose to live in Nishi-Ogikubo. There are too many amazing antique stores here.
Tell us a bit about your recent project “masquerade for eternity”, which fuses fashion and fine art. What is the thought process behind your collection?
That was my earliest attempt at resin and other mixed materials for jewelry. This project is more dreamy and current. For example, I used AI programming to write little poems about butterflies and put them into resin to make rings or earrings. I also have a lot of thoughts about butterflies. They are a recurrent feature in my work, because I raised butterflies at home last summer and it was a very beautiful memory. Animals always give me the purest energies. I happen to use this project to express that.
Butterfly and cyber fusion in Shigemi’s art series “Masquerade for Eternity”.
More of Shigemi’s pieces from the “Masquerade for Eternity” series
You’ve mentioned that “Shigemi” is sorta like an artist's persona, why did you choose to adopt a specific online doppelganger, and how is she different/similar from you in real life?
I see life as a game, and we are all players. Shigemi or Virgin Shen or whatever I call myself, they are just usernames. Each persona lives in their parallel world and they are largely similar to one another, but may each have something that they are better at. This is my metaphor for the world. I guess they are all versions of myself but just representing different aspects of me.
You also call yourself Tokyo Trash Babe, is that a shout out to your love of retro showa items found in junk shops? Or is there a longer story to that?
Yes, actually its from a movie called Tokyo Trash Baby/ 東京ゴミ女 . It’s a story about a girl who works in a kissaten and falls in love with a man, who lives next door. She collects his trash every day secretly until one day, the guy tells her that he actually knew about it all the whole time. The girl becomes devastated to the core. I was twenty years old when I first saw Tokyo Trash Baby. I have the most pure love and appreciation for this movie. I feel like it’s a reflection of my early twenties. When I came to Japan, I actually visited the same kissaten where the girl worked in the movie. It still exists, called the Ginza Kissa in Ebisu.
A poster for Tokyo Trash Baby.
A lot of people who reference the past spend a lot of time digging through archives. For you was that through old magazine scans or more like going to flea markets? Or was it a specific person who led you to be interested in the Showa era?
Literature, movies and music were my initial leaders. For example, when I was thirteen or fourteen years old, I read a lot of Haruki Murakami. I was attracted by his words describing the fashionable men and women in the metropolis, the freedom and openness,the jazz and coffee. These were my initial fantasies of the Japanese eighties. The pink movies or midnight night shows of the eighties, the scenes of intoxication and the love stories. All of it made me feel that it was a golden age full of romance that could not be surpassed. That’s another reason why Showa speaks to me.
A selection of Murakami’s books found in an old bookstore.
What kind of feelings or things do you want your work to remind people of?
My works are all about self-expression. I would be very happy if someone can empathize with me through my works, feel the sincerity and enthusiasm of creation, and evoke the nostalgia for the times hidden in the heart, which is the transmission of energy. Energy flows.
Much of your work revolves around using Instagram, especially Reels to show your “inner world” to the wider world, often in some surreal locations. Where are most of your reels filmed? Do you do the production yourself?
Yes, mostly at home. I produce everything myself mostly. There’s a meme that so ME, desiring by work process. [Shows us a meme on her phone]
The meme Shigemi refers to in our interview.
When using SNS as a medium, if you use it well, you can let more people see you. But you will also meet people who have the opposite opinion to yours or copycats.Just like the world is never one way, we give and we take. Today I choose to express myself freely, I believe there is always more good energy when you are honest and free about how you present yourself to the world.
You also make art with a variety of IRL mediums, from handcrafting rings to making collages, calendars, and zines. What do you want to try out next?
I envy people who do one thing all the time. But maybe because of having ADHD, I am always passionate about new things. I am good at carrying out multiple projects, and I get bored immediately with a single task. So I couldn't help but go down this path. I found that doing a zine is probably the easiest and most suitable project for me because I love writing, I am good at observing and summarizing, I always have new ideas and topics I want to explore, and I also love graphic design. Zines allow me to do everything I love and put it in one format: research, writing, photos, book design, in a freestyle form. I also want to try my hand at large scale installation art next, my proposal is already written and I am just waiting for the right time to do it.
One of Shigemi’s handmade calendars.
One of Shigemi’s handmade zines.
When did you realize you were an artist, was there a specific moment or were you aware of it growing up?
I actually don't know how to define the word artist. Is it a career? An identity? A label? A way of thinking? Or just a title? Maybe everyone can be an artist. If you do things creatively, you can be an artist.
Did you receive any sort of training in art, or did you teach yourself?
The funny thing is, I never went to art school. I got a Bachelor of Engineering in college and then a couples years later went to graduate school just a little while for Religious Studies and Astronomy, just out of my curiosity for those topics.
Shigemi shot by Mayu Uchida.
How did you make your way to Tokyo, did you grow up here or somewhere else?
Five years ago I moved to Tokyo. I went to Tokyo for language school and after one and half years, I graduated. I wanted to stay in Japan, I feel like it’s my home, and I feel like it's the place most close to my heart so I decided to stay here to make art. Maybe I'm lucky, but I’m glad to do mostly things I like to do, make art and express myself.
What environment do you feel the most creative in, for example what time of day, what mood, what surroundings do you like to be in when working on a project?
I’m a person who feels more energetic when I go outside. Even if it's just to ride my bike around my house, going outside helps me create. Sometimes when I get stuck, just going out to an old bookstore or randomly entering a cafe will solve many problems. When the idea to create comes up, I'm very speedy, efficient, and I work around the clock like non-stop,I have such Aries fire energy [laughs].
When I have an idea I write it down on a memo pad. In broken sentences, as long as I write it down it’s okay. And the next day I go to find the materials and all the pieces that I need. Then on the second and third day, I start to make it. I’m always so lucky that when I need something specific I can find it around me. Especially, around Nishi-Ogikubo where there's lot of antique shops.
Shigemi shot by Mayu Uchida.
How do you feel like the creative community in Tokyo differs from other places? How do you connect with other like minded people?
I believe in the wisdom of the universe, which will bring everything around us that we need as long as your own gears are turning, and you are making an effort. Meeting like minded people, follows the same path. I come up to their lives, and they come up to my life too, through all sorts of ways.
What are some contemporary artists admire?
Mariko Mori, her early work explored urban cyberculture and kitsch, I think it’s really cute!
Mariko Mori as part of her “Birth of A Star” series.
Stills from Mariko Mori’s Nirvana video.
Mori dressed as a cyber-office lady, representing the new workplace roles women had but also their expectation of being subservient in the work force as well.
What are some of your next moves or projects you’re excited about? Is there anyone you want to work with?
Haha, there’s always something new! I am a typical ADHD type of person! Constantly experiencing and creating new things in order to maintain my passion for life. Right now, I’m working on my new zine, which is a very biased food guide to Kabukicho Chinese Cuisine for Tabf [Tokyo Art Book Fair] this year. Then gonna have an exhibition with my friend, a real artist [he deserves the title in every way!] named Daniel about an asteroid “7593Shigemi” [it really exists]. It’s a extremely spiritual story we are gonna make it as an exhibition. Stay tuned!
Actually, just last night I had a new idea about my next zine. I think it’s going to be about detoxes, including cleansing the body, heart, and soul. I’m obsessed with all kinds of spiritual stuff and found there must be some connection between the ideas of the “human design chart” and Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture Meridian Chart. It may become my next personal project! Honestly, I want to collaborate with more people from all different genres.
Lastly, what advice would you give to artists just starting out?
Don't be afraid to make mistakes! Mistakes are our real teachers, who guide us in the right direction.
Shigemi shot by Mayu Uchida
Words by Ora Margolis
Photos by Mayu Uchida
Selected Photos by Sly Morikawa
More of Shigemi’s work can be found on her Instagram and website
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