The opening of Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion at GOMA is an opportunity to highlight the way Japanese culture has enriched Brisbane's creative, culinary and social scenes.
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Language and culture
Anime, streetwear fashion and Harajuku culture have piqued interest in learning Japanese just as much as its usefulness for business, economics or technical careers.
Taeko Matsunaga, a member of the Australia Japan Society Queensland, said the majority of its members are Australians interested in Japanese culture.
Many studied the language in high school and participated in exchange programs, and are able to keep up that interest through the Internet.
Ms Matsunaga said her personal view was that Japanese and Australian cultures shared one key commonality.
"I think we're both open to different cultures. In Japan we like foreign cultures. When you look at Japanese TV shows or websites, I notice that ads for tourism in Australian come up very frequently," she said.
The Brisbane Japanese Language and Culture Group on popular website Meetup has over 1400 members, and the 18th Japanese Film Festival wrapped up on October 26, after screening its biggest program yet.
Style
Over the past 20 years a diverse range of Japanese stores have come to Brisbane, selling everything from Harajuku streetwear, to kimono fabrics, to elegant contemporary label Dogstar.
Japanese designer Masayo Yasuki started the fashion house to support herself after moving to Brisbane to study marketing, and now has stores in the city, Paddington and Woolloongabba.
She said the label's style is influenced heavily by her heritage.
"If you look at the Japanese kimono, it is not sexy or revealing. In the same way, our clothes aren't sexy or stereotypically glamorous," she said.
"Dogstar fashion isn't about exposing. It's what you don't see that creates individual beauty."
Brisbane-based Bailey Ikky launched the online store Harajuku Station two years ago to sell the instantly recognisable Lolita style of clothing.
Ikky says every time she was asked where she bought her outfits she took 30 minutes to respond, so she decided to set up the store as a one-stop shop for cute Japanese fashion.
Apartment stocks cult, underground men's clothing from Japanese labels including Comme de Garçons and Neighbourhood. The store is now in its third location since opening in 2006, a heritage building on Charlotte Street in the city.
Kazuyo Kashiwagi has introduced her country's style to Brisbane in a unique way, selling bags made from vintage kimonos in her West End store Kazuyo's Collection. The store was established in 2004, and she now also runs classes for those who want to learn how to make their own kimono bags.
Food
Japanese food has been unreservedly embraced by the Brisbane community, and it's as diverse as the fashion.
Gyoza, irrestistably tasty Japanese dumplings, went mainstream when Harajuku Gyoza opened in Fortitude Valley, offering the winning combination of dumplings and beer. Their Nutella banana and salted caramel dessert gyozas are legendary.
You can also get your dose of gyoza at Gyoza Bar on Ann Street, Mizu Cuisine in Tenerife and West End, and the innovattive Wagaya in Fortitude Valley, where you order from a computer screen in your booth and have food brought straight to you.
Bird's Nest at West End was created by high school friends Emi Kamada and Marie Yokoyama, who travelled to Japan to learn the age-old cooking methods of Yakitori. The Japanese street food is a skewered chicken dish that dates to the 17th century, traditionally cooked over white charcoal. Book early for Bird's Nest to ensure a spot.
And of course, there are the ubiquitous sushi roll stores and trains. Sushi is so popular in Brisbane that a group of locals have started a website to review the options. Some top sushi restaurants include Sake in the CBD, Ginga Bar in South Brisbane and San Kai in South Bank.
