June 23, 2010 -
PRLog -- When it comes to fashion, no heels can be too high, no clothes can be too uncomfortable;
no hair can be too outrageous. And in Japan, extreme fashion extends to nail art. French manicures no longer doing it for you? Japanese nail art is a manicure taken to the max. This claw craze began to catch on first in Tokyo. Around the turn of the millennium, Asian celebrities started to wear elaborate fake nails decorated with increasingly ornate trinkets, jewels, lace, pearls, and anime characters. It took a while for nail art to gain popularity in Japan, but nails have grown to become works of art at the Asia Nail Festival in Osaka. The Japan Nail Association has been working to promote the industry with events held in Tokyo for the past 24 years. The Osaka festival has been running for the past 14 years. But only during the last decade has the industry begun to boom and nail artists have begun to make their mark on the field of Japanese fashion. At the 2009 festival held recently in Osaka, equal numbers of contestants and models combined to make a total of 1,600 participants. Contestants competed in three basic categories: nail care, nail sculpture, and nail art. Judges in the nail sculpture contest are looking primarily for form. Are the nails beautiful to look at? Do the nails look natural? Do they have the same quality and thickness as natural nails? These areas build up points that the contestants are judged on. But the final decision rests on how the nails are coordinated with hair, make-up, and wardrobe. At each festival, contestants are given a different design theme—and this year’s was Aqua Metropolis. The title was claimed by team Neko, who came up with the idea about two months ago and put it all together in two or three weeks. Apart from the competition, the nail festival also features a trade show, were visitors have the opportunity to take a look at some of the industry’s latest innovations. Want to give this sensation a try yourself? If you don’t need your fingers for opening wine bottles or overhauling your Harley, go for it! Go ahead and just get even one nail done. Hello Kitty? Strawberry Cupcake? Jolly Roger . . . ?
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