---
node: heisei
type: period
slug: heisei_era
title: "Heisei era"
lead: "In the Heisei era Tokyo street fashion drew global attention — Harajuku, gyaru and Lolita styles — while Uniqlo grew into a worldwide fast-fashion brand and the kimono became largely ceremonial with a vintage-led revival."
published: 2026-07-27
updated: 2026-07-27
---

## Overview

Youth street styles made Tokyo a reference point: the layered looks of Harajuku and Ura-Hara, gyaru and ganguro, Lolita and gothic, and decora, documented by street magazines and exported under the Cool Japan banner.

## Key garments and style

Mass fashion was reshaped by domestic fast fashion. Uniqlo's late-1990s fleece boom launched a global expansion in the 2000s, and its casual basics, alongside GU and other chains, dominated everyday wardrobes.

## Transition

Everyday kimono wear kept shrinking, sustained by rentals and vintage, and the Reiwa era would foreground sustainability and gender-neutral dress.