Traditional standing flower bouquets outside Saturday’s Swagger store opening in Harajuku – the stand+bouquet+sign format can be found at the opening of anything from shoe stores to ramen restaurants.

But how did it evolve into this particular format? The desire for Gigglyroy, Shibuya Nuts, Mad Foot, DJ Hasabe et al. to communicate to other members of the community (and each other) that they stand, if not behind Swagger, close enough to be in the photograph.

The that fact that street brands wish to be associated with the bouquet-flower-at-shop-opening format in the first place. Drawing on a rich cultural heretige vs not following the herd, speaks volumes about the immediacy and universal appreciation of tangible media, tradition, peer pressure and a desire to show communicate strong social ties.

A 200 meter queue of punters shepherded by q-ushers waiting to enter the store. One of the sweeter aspects of the iPhone, Harry Potter, ++ coverage was the commentary and assumption about people’s willingness to queue to be amongst the first to experience the new. Here in Omotesando it’s simply JAQiT – it’s Just Another Queue in Tokyo.