“Like Some Cat from Japan . . .”
The late fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto was a key influence in the creation of David Bowie’s legendary Ziggy Stardust character
In the song “Blackout” David Bowie once sang:
I’m under Japanese influence and my honor’s at stake
. . . inferring that his influence by Japanese culture had become so deep (Bowie knew only how to totally immerse himself in anything that fascinated him) that he believes his very familial honor might be in the offing.
There are touchstones of this same Nipponese sway to be found throughout Bowie’s career — from the aforementioned lyric from 1977's “Heroes” album; to the production design used in his cinematic debut, The Man Who Fell to Earth; to his acting as a spokesperson for Crystal Jun Rock Sake to, most famously; the distinctive onstage attire of his iconic persona — Ziggy Stardust.
Bowie’s initial Oriental flirtation came about in 1972 when, his ears ever to the ground in terms of music and fashion, David heard that a Japanese stylist by the name of Takahashi was working with two fellow rock musicians from his sphere —
As Bowie’s glam competitor, Marc Bolan of T. Rex, as well as future prototype Iggy Pop were being fitted by Takahashi, it wasn’t long before the soon-to-be-Ziggy paid a formal visit to Boston #151 on London’s King’s Row. There, David was introduced to Yacco Takahashi — curator of the banner clothing brand of Yamamoto Kansai, a very popular young designer in Japan.
As he glanced across the numerous displays and racks of merchandise, David was immediately taken with one design in particular — a Yamamoto-designed jumpsuit featuring rabbits in the design and known as “Woodland Creatures.” Subsequently, Bowie purchased it and several more of Kansai’s designs, including a jumpsuit with wide balloon legs and a colorful knit bodysuit.
Each of the outfits were then fitted by stylist Takahashi, who initially demurred that Kansai’s clothes were primarily designed to be worn by women. When David persisted, though, she played along — also finding it curious that Bowie required virtually no tailoring due to his very slim build at the time.*
For in his imagination, David was already strategizing what he was going to do with what turned out to be a rather large outlay of outfits. Those intentions came to light when Bowie debuted the line of clothing as part of the kickoff concert of Ziggy Stardust’s second leg in February of “73.
And on that particular night, Valentine’s Day at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, it truly was a meeting of minds. Said designer Yamamoto of the time:
Some sort of chemical reaction took place: My clothes became part of David, his songs and his music. They became part of the message he delivered to the world. (chuckling) He even wanted to go a bit crazier.
Writing in Vice Magazine, Gavin Haynes gives some insight into Bowie’s early fascination with Orientalism, an influence introduced to him by mime artist Lindsay Kemp, with whom Bowie had trained early in his career. David was especially taken with Kabuki theatre and the Japanese onnagata tradition of male actors playing female roles as they had in Shakespeare’s time.
Adds cultural critic Ian Buruma:
Kabuki is oddly fitting to Bowie,” “[It’s] a theater of extravagant, stylized gestures. At climactic moments the actors freeze, as though in a photograph, while striking a particularly dramatic pose. Bowie never became a great actor, but he did become a great poseur, in the best sense of the word; he always moves with peculiar grace.
David would subsequently visit Japan numerous times during his concert tours, with the old city of Kyoto being a particular favorite. He would even honeymoon with Iman there in May of 1992.
- (This was a bit before the notorious cocaine period of late “74-“76, but David’s natural drive had still managed to keep him fit & trim — Author)
