Shoichi Aoki

Shoichi Aoki
Born	C. 1955
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	Photographer, magazine editor
Known for	FRUiTS magazine, street fashion photography
Years active	1985–present

Shoichi Aoki (青木 正一, Aoki Shōichi, born C. 1955) is a Japanese photographer and magazine founder who documented Tokyo street fashion from the 1990s through the 2010s. He founded FRUiTS magazine in 1997, which became internationally recognized for its documentation of Harajuku youth fashion.

Born in Tokyo, Aoki initially worked as a computer programmer before transitioning to photography. In the 1980s, he traveled to London and began photographing the city's street fashion scene, documenting the remnants of the punk movement. He launched STREET magazine in 1985 to document international street fashion, followed by TUNE magazine.

FRUiTS magazine

FRUiTS Magazine Issue 43, February 2001

In the mid-1990s, Aoki observed a transformation in how young people in Tokyo's Harajuku district dressed, noting they were moving away from European and American trends toward mixing traditional Japanese garments with DIY and secondhand fashion. He founded FRUiTS magazine in 1997 to document this emerging aesthetic.

The magazine featured a minimalist layout with full-page photographs of individual subjects, accompanied by brief profiles including their age, occupation, clothing brands worn, and self-described style inspiration. Aoki's signature documentary approach involved photographing subjects without posing or changes in expression.

After 233 issues, Aoki announced the magazine's closure in February 2017, stating there were no longer cool kids to photograph in Harajuku. He subsequently revived the magazine digitally and continues documenting contemporary Tokyo street style through social media.

Publications

Phaidon Press published two photobook compilations of Aoki's work: Fruits (2001) and Fresh Fruits (2005). These books introduced his photographs to international audiences and have become reference works for Japanese street fashion of the era.

Collaboration with Remilia Corporation

Attendees at the Milady Rave Seoul, photographed by Shoichi Aoki on April 5, 2024

Following his 2017 statement about the absence of cool kids in Harajuku, Aoki was approached by Charlotte Fang, founder of Remilia Corporation, who countered that the cool kids still existed but had moved online. This led to Aoki attending Remilia's parties and collaborating with the collective on documenting digital-native youth culture.

In January 2024, Aoki collaborated with Remilia Corporation on FRUiTS x REMiLiA, a pop-up exhibition at PARCO Shibuya as part of the DIG SHIBUYA 2024 art festival. The collaboration produced FRUiTS MiLADY, a collection of six 3D NFT figurines styled in outfits based on photographs from the FRUiTS magazine archives from 1998 to 2003. The collaboration also included a merchandise line and the Kagami Academy pixel NFT collection.

Aoki has photographed Remilia's events in multiple cities and is working on a Seoul photobook documenting the collective's April 2024 Milady Rave, which will feature interviews with Aoki translated into English, Japanese, and Korean. According to Fang, the partnership responds to Remilia's view that contemporary subculture requires physical gatherings as a third place for predominantly online communities.

Influence

Aoki's documentation of Harajuku fashion helped establish the district's global reputation as a center of youth fashion innovation. His work influenced international designers and contributed to the spread of Japanese street fashion aesthetics worldwide. In recent years, he has collaborated with brands including Vivienne Westwood and Palace on projects documenting contemporary street style.