Japan is probably one of the most amazing countries in the world due to the unusualness of its traditions and rules, both in the past and in the present. Surely the island location of this state played a major role in this, but ethnographers probably know better and already have a lot of research on this topic.
There are many young people you can meet on the streets of Europe, but Japanese street fashion is still several times more unusual!
Don't believe me? Look...
Japan began to imitate Western fashion from the middle XIX century. By the beginning of the 21st century, such a phenomenon as Japanese street fashion had formed. The term Japanese street fashion or its English equivalent - Japanese Street Fashion has recently been often used in the form of the abbreviation JSF.
Foreign and European brands are often used to create their own style. Some of these styles are "chic" and "glamorous", similar to the high fashion found in Europe. The history and status of these trends have been reviewed by Shoichi Aoki since 1997 in the fashion magazine Fruits, which is one of the most popular among fashion fans in Japan.
Later, Japanese hip-hop, which was always present in Tokyo's underground scene and gained increasing popularity along with its Western influences, also influenced Japanese fashion.
Popular music trends from other genres also influence fashion in Japan, as many teenagers want to be like their favorite stars.
Also, in the most fashionable trends in Japanese fashion, there is a great desire of Japanese youth to be like Europeans and even Africans, which is due to the centuries-old closeness of Japan from other countries. For example, gothic fashion trends gravitate towards European (in particular French and German) culture of the 17th-18th centuries, and fans of lighter and more joyful trends strive to resemble tanned Californians or even black hip-hop performers, which is reflected in the Japanese subculture of kogyaru .
Contemporary Japanese street fashion
Although styles have changed frequently over the years, the main styles have remained popular in Japan. Usually fashion trends sets the culture of such districts and quarters of Tokyo as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Ganza and Odaiba.
Lolita
One of the most famous destinations in the West from Japanese street fashion, cultivating infantilism and Gothic style in clothing among Japanese girls. The spread of this trend is truly enormous. In the Lolita subtypes there are both gothic and “sweet” glamor types, both elements of punk and gothic subculture, and elements of traditional Japanese clothing. Also, men can adhere to this image, especially musicians of the Visual kei direction, in particular, performers such as Mana, the solo project of the famous Japanese guitarist Hizaki and many other groups, especially the Kote direction. In addition, this fashion trend is common in another visual direction - Osyare kei, in which most musicians, in order to impress and attract fans, often use the Lolita style or its elements, for example, in the groups An Cafe, Lolita23q and Aicle.
There are also more male version, such as the “elegant Gothic aristocrat” - a style that embodied the Japanese ideas about European aristocratic fashion.
Ganguro
Ganguro fashion has become popular among Japanese girls in beginning of XXI century. Typically dressed in ganguro style, she wears colorful accessories, miniskirts and sarongs dyed with knotted batik. The ganguro style is characterized by bleached hair, a dark tan, false eyelashes, black and white eyeliner, bracelets, earrings, rings, necklaces and platform boots.
Gyaru
The gyaru subculture is so similar to the ganguro subculture that it is possible to mistake one style for the other. However, the gyaru style is distinguished from ganguro by the same characteristics, but increased several times, since the ideal is attractive girls from warm American cities and states, as well as popular black performers of hip-hop, pop and other mainstream styles of modern music. Girls spend a significant amount of time in tanning salons to give their skin a deep tan and look like these performers. In Japanese slang, kogyaru are schoolgirls who wear miniskirts, prefer pink in their clothes, dye their hair blonde, and have a “fake” tan.
Fruits (Harajuku style)
On this moment second after “lolita” from the most popular Japanese youth styles. It originated mainly in the Harajuku quarter of Tokyo's Shibuya district, as a result of which it is officially called the Harajuku style. The name originated in 1997 when famous photographer Soichi Aoki founded a magazine of the same name dedicated to strange fashion, and began photographing outrageous passersby right on the streets. Now the magazine “Fruits” can be found in every corner of the planet. The style has become popular in both Europe and America. The main principle of the style is a collection of various fashion elements, brands and items of clothing to suit the taste of the wearer, according to the “vinaigrette” principle.
So, a person dressing in this style can immediately put on glasses, a medical bandage on his face, a hat, shorts, a shirt or T-shirt, a jacket and the main feature of this style is a lot of accessories. In Japanese music, this culture is reflected in the "Oshare kei" movement, where musicians often become models for copying. In the West, the style is often confused with the emo subculture, but this is wrong, since in general, the style preaches an optimistic view of life, infantility and does not have any connections with emo.
Visual Kei
A person who dresses in this style uses a lot of makeup and does unusual hairstyles in all the colors of the rainbow. Androgyny is a popular aspect of style, but is used more likely to attract girls, or, together with false homosexuality, to shock and create a provocative image, rather than to indicate the sexual interests of the wearer. This trend originated in the mid-80s on the wave of popularity of such groups as X Japan, COLOR and the like. Since the root of the style lies in the environment of rock music, Visual Kei is also a type of world rock, metal, gothic and punk subcultures. But due to the conflict between Visual Kei fans and fans of Western metal music, it is customary to separate these movements.
Bo:so:zoku
While the bosozozoku style (Japanese for "aggressive motorcycle gang") was popular in the 90s and has now virtually disappeared, it is still used in various kinds works for comic effect, the stereotypical appearance of bosōzoku is often depicted and even ridiculed in many forms of Japanese media, anime, manga and films. A typical bōsōzoku is often depicted wearing a uniform consisting of a paratrooper's outfit, like those worn by laborers or so-called "tokko-fuku" (???), (coats with military slogans written on the back), they are usually worn without shirts (on the bare torso) along with rolled up baggy pants and high boots.
The image of rockers from the rock and roll era, in particular the style of Elvis Presley, is also popular. The bosozoku movement intersects with the biker subculture; bosozoku often paint their own. Often this image is used in anime to create a comical image of hooligans or yakuza "sixes". One such example is the character Ryu Umemiya in the manga and anime Shaman King and teacher Onizuka during his youth from the anime GTO.
Cosplay
Cosplay (short for “costume play”) is more of a cultural phenomenon than a fashion style. Cosplayers often involve dressing up as home-made or store-bought costumes of characters from video games, anime, movies, or manga, as well as members of popular groups or J-pop idols. Very closely associated with the “visual kei” and “lolita” styles.
Fashion industry and popular brands
Although street fashion in Japan is loose and there is no fashion manufacturer that can claim a monopoly in this area, a number of designers such as Issey Miyake, Yamamoto Yohji, and Rei Kawakubo are said to be Comme des Gar?ons. three recognized trendsetters of Japanese fashion. They became famous back in the 80s and are still popular brands.
The street fashion style was deliberately promoted by Onitsuka Tiger (now known as ASICS). Japan is also known for its significant consumption of foreign branded luxury goods. According to JETRO in 2006, Japan consumed 41% of the world's luxury goods
Influence at Western culture
In the early 90s In the last century, Japanese street fashion moved to America, from where it spread throughout Europe. This was largely facilitated by such subcultures as hip-hop, rave, as well as BMXing, skateboarding, surfing, etc. From that moment on, it received official status and began to be called street style.
Social aspect
Since the main features of Japanese youth fashion are: the desire to be like Europeans or Americans, shocking and strong nonconformism with the desire to stand out, the reasons for the emergence of such trends should be sought in the history and culture of Japan when for centuries the country was closed from other countries and lands, and in the country Strict moral laws and principles were in effect. As a result, young people, with their characteristic maximalism, accepted Western culture and the freedom received after the Restoration in Japanese society. Subsequently, similar trends among Japanese youth further changed the views of Japanese society.
Japanese street fashion in pop culture
Famous American singer and composer Marilyn Manson, was a close friend of guitarist hide (the father of Visual kei) and used elements of the second wave of this direction in his image, which was later picked up by many industrial metal bands such as Deathstars.
Pop singer Gwen Stefani is a well-known fan of the Harajuku style and has featured it in some of her songs and videos. Vocalist of the group Tokio Hotel imitates Visual Kei.
Interesting, but in places strange country, Yes? Although probably the rest of the world seems strange to the Japanese :-) Let's take a closer look:
Japan began to imitate Western fashion with mid-19th centuries. By the beginning of the 21st century, such a phenomenon as Japanese street fashion had formed. The term Japanese street fashion or its English equivalent - Japanese Street Fashion has recently been often used in the form of the abbreviation JSF.
Foreign and European brands are often used to create their own style. Some of these styles are "chic" and "glamorous", similar to the high fashion found in Europe. The history and status of these trends have been reviewed by Shoichi Aoki since 1997 in the fashion magazine Fruits, which is one of the most popular among fashion fans in Japan.
Later, Japanese hip-hop, which was always present in Tokyo's underground scene and gained increasing popularity along with its Western influences, also influenced Japanese fashion.
Popular music trends from other genres also influence fashion in Japan, as many teenagers want to be like their favorite stars.
Also, in the most fashionable trends in Japanese fashion, there is a great desire of Japanese youth to be like Europeans and even Africans, which is due to the centuries-old closeness of Japan from other countries. For example, gothic fashion trends gravitate towards European (in particular French and German) culture of the 17th-18th centuries, and fans of lighter and more joyful trends strive to resemble tanned Californians or even black hip-hop performers, which is reflected in the Japanese subculture of kogyaru .
Contemporary Japanese street fashion
Although styles have changed frequently over the years, the main styles have remained popular in Japan. Typically, fashion trends are set by the culture of such districts and quarters of Tokyo as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Ganza and Odaiba.
Lolita
One of the most famous trends in the West from Japanese street fashion, cultivating infantilism and Gothic style in clothing among Japanese girls. The spread of this trend is truly enormous. In the Lolita subtypes there are both gothic and “sweet” glamor types, both elements of punk and gothic subculture, and elements of traditional Japanese clothing. Also, men can adhere to this image, especially musicians of the Visual kei direction, in particular, performers such as Mana, the solo project of the famous Japanese guitarist Hizaki and many other groups, especially the Kote direction. In addition, this fashion trend is common in another visual direction - Osyare kei, in which most musicians, in order to impress and attract fans, often use the Lolita style or its elements, for example, in the groups An Cafe, Lolita23q and Aicle.
There is also a more masculine option, such as the “elegant gothic aristocrat” - a style that embodies Japanese ideas about European aristocratic fashion.
Ganguro
Ganguro fashion became popular among Japanese girls at the beginning of the 21st century. A typical girl dressed in ganguro style wears colorful accessories, miniskirts and sarongs dyed with knotted batik. The ganguro style is characterized by bleached hair, a dark tan, false eyelashes, black and white eyeliner, bracelets, earrings, rings, necklaces and platform boots.
Gyaru
The gyaru subculture is so similar to the ganguro subculture that it is possible to mistake one style for the other. However, the gyaru style is distinguished from ganguro by the same characteristics, but increased several times, since the ideal is attractive girls from warm American cities and states, as well as popular black performers of hip-hop, pop and other mainstream styles of modern music. Girls spend a significant amount of time in tanning salons to give their skin a deep tan and look like these performers. In Japanese slang, kogyaru are schoolgirls who wear miniskirts, prefer pink in their clothes, dye their hair blonde, and have a “fake” tan.
Fruits (Harajuku style)
At the moment, it is the second most popular Japanese youth style after “lolita”. It originated mainly in the Harajuku quarter of Tokyo's Shibuya district, as a result of which it is officially called the Harajuku style. The name arose in 1997, when the famous photographer Soichi Aoki founded the magazine of the same name, dedicated to strange fashion, and began photographing outrageous passers-by right on the streets. Now the magazine “Fruits” can be found in every corner of the planet. The style has become popular in both Europe and America. The main principle of the style is a collection of various fashion elements, brands and items of clothing to suit the taste of the wearer, according to the “vinaigrette” principle.
So, a person dressing in this style can immediately put on glasses, a medical bandage on his face, a hat, shorts, a shirt or T-shirt, a jacket and the main feature of this style is a lot of accessories. In Japanese music, this culture is reflected in the "Oshare kei" movement, where musicians often become models for copying. In the West, the style is often confused with the emo subculture, but this is wrong, since in general, the style preaches an optimistic view of life, infantility and does not have any connections with emo.
Visual Kei
A person who dresses in this style uses a lot of makeup and does unusual hairstyles in all the colors of the rainbow. Androgyny is a popular aspect of style, but is used more likely to attract girls, or, together with false homosexuality, to shock and create a provocative image, rather than to indicate the sexual interests of the wearer. This trend originated in the mid-80s on the wave of popularity of such groups as X Japan, COLOR and the like. Since the root of the style lies in the environment of rock music, Visual Kei is also a type of world rock, metal, gothic and punk subcultures. But due to the conflict between Visual Kei fans and fans of Western metal music, it is customary to separate these movements.
Bo:so:zoku
While the bosozozoku style (Japanese for “aggressive motorcycle gang”) was popular in the 90s and has now virtually disappeared, it is still used in various works to create comic effect, stereotypical The species bosozozoku is often depicted and even ridiculed in many forms of Japanese media, anime, manga and films. A typical bōsōzoku is often depicted wearing a uniform consisting of a paratrooper's outfit, like those worn by laborers or so-called "tokko-fuku" (特攻服), (a coat with military slogans written on the back), usually worn without a shirt (on the bare torso) along with rolled up baggy pants and high boots.
The image of rockers from the rock and roll era, in particular the style of Elvis Presley, is also popular. The bosozoku movement overlaps with the biker subculture; bosozoku often paint their motorcycles. Often this image is used in anime to create a comical image of hooligans or yakuza "sixes". One such example is the character Ryu Umemiya in the manga and anime Shaman King and teacher Onizuka during his youth from the anime GTO.
Cosplay
Cosplay, Japanese for "role-playing costume," is more of a cultural phenomenon than a fashion style. Cosplay fans often dress up as home-made or store-bought costumes of characters from video games, anime, movies, or manga, as well as members of popular groups or J-pop idols. Very closely associated with the “visual kei” and “lolita” styles.
Fashion industry and popular brands
Although street fashion in Japan is loose and there is no fashion manufacturer that can claim a monopoly in this area, a number of designers such as Issey Miyake, Yamamoto Yohji, and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons are said to be three recognized trendsetters of Japanese fashion. They became famous back in the 80s and are still popular brands.
The street fashion style was deliberately promoted by Onitsuka Tiger (now known as ASICS). Japan is also known for its significant consumption of foreign branded luxury goods. According to JETRO in 2006, Japan consumed 41% of the world's luxury goods
Influence on Western culture
In the early 90s In the last century, Japanese street fashion moved to America, from where it spread throughout Europe. This was largely facilitated by such subcultures as hip-hop, rave, as well as BMXing, skateboarding, surfing, etc. From that moment on, it received official status and began to be called street style.
Social aspect
Since the main features of Japanese youth fashion are: the desire to be like Europeans or Americans, shocking and strong nonconformism with the desire to stand out, the reasons for the emergence of such trends should be sought in the history and culture of Japan when for centuries the country was closed from other countries and lands, and in the country Strict moral laws and principles were in effect. As a result, young people, with their characteristic maximalism, accepted Western culture and the freedom received after the Restoration in Japanese society. Subsequently, similar trends among Japanese youth further changed the views of Japanese society.
Japanese street fashion in pop culture
The famous American singer and composer Marilyn Manson was a close friend of guitarist hide (the father of Visual kei) and used elements of the second wave of this movement in his image, which was later picked up by many industrial metal bands such as Deathstars.
Pop singer Gwen Stefani is a well-known fan of the Harajuku style and has featured it in some of her songs and videos. The vocalist of Tokio Hotel imitates Visual Kei.
One day in Germany, while walking with friends, it started to rain, and we took shelter under a canopy. A family of young Japanese with children was sitting nearby. Since we were forced to stay there for quite a long time, I started talking with them. It turned out that they had been living in Germany for several years; the husband worked as an engineer. I asked if they were going to return to Japan. The engineer replied that they preferred to live in Germany because in Japan people live to work, and in Germany they work to live. The Japanese have an image of workaholics who are ready to work day and night for the prosperity of their company. However, I have heard that today's youth are more concerned about personal problems, and have begun to have a cooler attitude towards public interests and work. The reason is that previous generations, with great effort, created a powerful economy and abundance, the tide has ended, the tide has begun, and the new generation believes that it is not necessary to work like that. Generalizing is a matter for specialists, and I will only talk about my observations.
Japanese youth pay a lot of attention to sports. I witnessed the annual All-Japan Student Marathon through the streets of Kyoto and the annual All-Japan High School Baseball Championship （野球）. These competitions are broadcast on national television in and attract everyone's attention. The photo shows the Kyoto University baseball team and their support group. The performances of support groups are very emotional and interesting.
There are people who are into music or dancing; in the Harajuku area, every Sunday you can see guys with Elvis hairstyles in leather or denim clothes, depending on the time of year, dancing rock and roll, lighting up those around them, who also join in.
In the same area, closer to the NHK broadcasting building, you can listen to the performance various groups musicians. They just perform for spectators and listeners, none of them collect money.
Youth and children often participate in various campaigns, for example, in campaigns to raise money for victims of some natural disasters.
For some young people, self-expression through clothing is a goal in itself.
Strangely dressed young people gather in the Harajuku area of Tokyo on Sundays. They stand and just long to be looked at and photographed.
But there are young people who dress unusually in everyday life in order to attract attention. There are girls who dress like dolls. It’s quite strange to see girls with a big bow on their heads and wearing clothes with a lot of frills on the street or in a cafe. They say that they do not want to become adults and continue to play as children. and snowstorms. Such clothes surprised me so much with their inappropriateness that I tried to find out from the Japanese why young girls do not feel sorry for their health. They told me that girls hope to attract their betrothed in this way. Had to in the cold winter time
seeing mothers with teenage daughters. The mothers were dressed for the season, and the daughters were bare-legged.
In general, many girls seem to be indifferent to whether the things they put on fit together. I've seen black tights and sneakers with a light translucent white dress in the summer, and white lace shorts with a black sweater and leather jacket in the winter... One of my compatriots living in Japan says about the girls: “It looks like they dress in the dark and don’t see, what you put on.”
When the Sony company began producing the world's first transistor radios, society was worried that young people were going into their own world, listening to the radio on headphones and not paying attention to their surroundings. Now society is much more concerned about the fact that young people do not let go of smartphones, mobile phones, etc. and live in virtual space.
In Japan, there is a tradition to celebrate coming of age in early January.
Municipalities invite and honor everyone who has turned 20 during the past year. All the girls come to the holiday with unusual hairstyles and beautiful kimonos. They say that it is for this occasion that kimonos are specially bought, while even for a wedding they rent them. Young men come to the holiday in dark European suits or Japanese national clothes. But there are also exceptions. For example, I saw a young man who came in a bright yellow suit, crimson shoes and hair dyed crimson. This is the day when youth enters
adult life , and you can see many happy smiles on their faces. It seems to me that this is very
good tradition , which gives young people a sense of their importance to society. Japanese youth subcultures- a number of subcultures among Japanese youth, distinguished by their own philosophy, clothing style and musical preferences. Inextricably linked with
street fashion street fashion(ストリートファッション|sutori:to fassen). With the emergence of increasingly disparate and dissimilar directions, a term with a broader meaning was needed. Such a concept, designed to cover all fashion trends in clothing, was the term “Japanese street fashion,” which refers to the appearance of fashionable Japanese youth on the streets of Harajuku and Shibuya. Outside of Japan, the term "Japanese street fashion" is usually used to refer to Harajuku fashion, while within Japan it refers to all youth fashion trends and even broader: for all youth subcultures. Sometimes it even becomes synonymous with all Japanese subcultures in general.
Modern youth subcultures
The center of Japanese youth subcultures is the Harajuku quarter in the Shibuya area, where the “Lolita” style and the mixed “fruits” style appeared. Shibuya is also the birthplace of gyaru, and the Akihabara quarter in the Chiyoda district is a mecca for fans of Japanese animation (anime) and comics (manga). At the moment, there are several main areas of typically Japanese subcultures.
Lolita
Fashion "Lolita" (Japanese: ロリータ・ファッション Rori:ta fassen?) - a subculture based on the style of the times victorian era, as well as on costumes of the Rococo era and partly on elements of Gothic fashion. "Lolita" is one of the most popular subcultures in Japan, leaving its mark in fashion, music and fine arts. A Lolita costume usually consists of a knee-length skirt or dress, a headdress, a blouse and high heels (or platform boots).
Shop for Lolita in Harajuku
Prototypes of the future “Lolita” fashion can already be seen in the fashion of the Rococo era, for example, in the fashion of Europe at that time. Combining elements of the Victorian era and Rococo, Lolita also borrowed Western traditions and elements of Japanese street fashion itself. Despite the fact that Lolita fashion imitates typical European images, it has become a purely Japanese fashion and cultural trend. The ancestor of the style was the “Gothic Lolita” subculture. A more common name in Romaji is Gothic & Lolita. Journalist Suzuki Mariko, who researched the issue, said that the term came about because of the "gothic" elements in their clothing. She also said that when she met girls “dressed like dolls” in Harajuku in May 1998, she learned that they called the style “Gothic & Lolita.” Terms such as gosu-rori, goth and rori, gothic Lolita, gothic and Lolita, “gothic Lolita” fashion and “gothic Lolita” style can also be used equally.
The name of the most popular magazine dedicated to the Lolita subculture, “Gothic & Lolita Bible,” also refers to the name of the progenitor subculture of this trend. Therefore, all related styles are often mistakenly called Gothic & Lolita.
In addition to the Gothic, the “Lolita” direction includes “sweet” (infantility, bright, “candy” colors), classic (the most detailed imitation of Baroque and Rococo styles), punk, guro (victim style: fake blood, bandages, etc. are used as props . p.) and other sub-styles.
Gyaru(Japanese ギャル?) - Japanese transcription of gal from the distorted English girl(English Girl). The term may mean popular among girls Japanese subculture, which peaked in the 1990s, and the way of life itself. The name comes from the 1970s advertising slogan of the jeans brand "GALS" - "I can't live without men", which became the motto of young girls. Today's gyaru, like their varieties kogyaru and ganguro, have earned the nicknames "oya o nakaseru" (making parents cry) and "daraku jokusei" (degenerate schoolgirls) for breaking traditional Japanese taboos and indulging in Western values. The motto of the kogyaru is Biba jibun! (“Long live I!”). They stand out for their frivolous behavior, positive thinking, love for bright fashionable clothes, special ideas about the ideals of beauty. Men, the so-called “gyaruo,” can also belong to the gyaru subculture. Since their inception, gyaru have become one of the most important elements of Japanese street fashion.
The rise in popularity of gyaru in the 1970s was associated with the appearance of the first gyaru magazine, Popteen, which became a cult favorite among Japanese women of that time and taught them how to be sexy. Subsequently, many different gyaru publications appeared, such as “Street Jam” and “Happie”, with most of their creators coming from the porn industry. In the 1980s, many gyaru joined the ranks of the so-called “Yankiis”. These were the Kogyaru who were expelled from schools for refusing to wear traditional school uniforms in an effort to demonstrate their independence to adults. The Gyaru visited the Shibuya area, where fashion magazine photographers could always find them.
In the mid-1990s, kogyaru culture became famous throughout Japan due to media coverage of the practice of enjo-kosai (paid dates), which effectively allowed journalists to make the word gyaru synonymous with prostitution. Documentary Baunsu KO gaurusu, directed by Masato Harada in 1997, depicts kogyara and gyaru as young girls who go into prostitution for fashion and expensive accessories.
The Kogyaru also have a special slang called Kogyarudo (コギャル語), an essential element of their culture. For example, they call their boyfriends ikemen (Japanese: イケ面 "cool dude"?), which is cho: kawaii (超かわいい - "very cute"). The kogyaru herself (gyaru-yatte, "his gyaru") buys gyaru-fuku (gyaru clothes) from a gyaru-kei seppu (gyaru store), if, of course, she can find something that is not "really super sickening" (超マジ で むかつく, chō: maji de mukatsuku). Gyaru is often used foreign words, Latin abbreviations of Japanese phrases or simply foreign endings without taking into account Japanese syntax. For example, the suffix “-ingu” (from the English -ing) can be added to words, for example, getting (Japanese: ゲッティング?, “to receive”). Another feature is the use of the suffix -ra. It means "like" or "taken from" and suggests the similarity of the subject matter with the pop idol of Japanese young girls, singer Namie Amuro (from whose name the suffix was taken)
The Harajuku area is a cult place for adherents of Japanese street fashion. This area is primarily known for youth subculture Harajuku Garuzu (Japanese 原宿ガールズ?, from the English Harajuku Girls - “Harajuku girls”), with its characteristic bright costumes, an abundance of accessories and a “combination of incongruous” costumes can include both gothic and cyberpunk, and club neon colors . Separately, we can highlight the “punk direction,” for which plaid and leather pants, the use of chains and other rock attributes are typical.
Girls in Harajuku
The Harajuku Garuzu subculture emerged in the mid-1990s, with the appearance of young people wearing costumes consisting of a huge variety of clothing items and accessories on the streets of Harajuku. The variety of elements in the outfits of representatives of this subculture is enormous, and the number of their possible combinations is almost limitless: on a person dressed in this way, one could see elements of European costumes mixed with Japanese ones, expensive clothes along with handicrafts or second-hand clothes. This did not go unnoticed by representatives of the fashion industry. In 1997, photographer Shoichi Aoki released the first issue of the monthly FRUITS, named after the emerging subculture, the first issue of which consisted of photographs of teenagers from the streets of Harajuku. In the same issue of the magazine, Aoki expressed his view of the movement, declaring the appearance of “fruit” to be a cultural revolution and a rebellion against stereotyped appearance. The most important property The author considered the movement democratic, the opportunity for any person to join fashion, regardless of financial capabilities. Here Aoki saw a chance to confront the big brands that dictate trends in the fashion industry. The magazine immediately gained great popularity and received the status of an international publication. At the same time, the “fruits” fashion was noticed by famous Japanese designers such as Yohji Yamamoto and Mihara Yasuhiro. Thanks to them, Harajuku fashion receives even greater impetus for further development.
The essence of the “fruits” ideology lies in the ability of each person to create his own ideal of modern beauty, accessible to people with any financial capabilities, and in the rejection of cliches and templates imposed from above. The main role in creating a costume is played by imagination and an almost unlimited possibility of choice. So, one day a teenager or young man can appear on the street dressed in military style - in a foreign military uniform, taking with him a gas mask as an accessory - and the next day dress up in a Pokemon costume and put on boots with very high soles. Subsequently, the fruit style was integrated into Japanese street fashion in general, glorifying Tokyo fashion.
Gradually, fruit fashion became a global trend. Thanks to Aoki and several fashion brands Fashion shows and fruits festivals took place in the USA and Australia. This subculture has also penetrated into Russia. One of the representatives of Russian fruits described the development of this trend in Russia as follows:
Russian fruits, of course, are close to Japanese culture: anime, j-rock, j-pop and much more. It is difficult to imagine a person who belongs to fruits and does not at least feel sympathy for Japan. I came to this subculture when I became interested in anime, and I started watching anime when I became interested in Japan. Now I take Japanese language courses and listen to Japanese music. I also really like to draw, especially in the style of manga (comics) and anime.
Russian fruits differ from the Japanese in some ways. For example, in Russia they can borrow some trends from gyaru, although traditionally the youth of Harajuku ignores gyaru, and some - gothic lolitas - are their staunch opponents.
Fruits, along with fashion from Harajuku, have found themselves in Japanese music, in the subgenre of visual kei - oshare kei. Initially, some oshiare groups were also called "dekora-kei" (another name for fruits) due to their demonstrative adherence to Harajuku fashion. This allowed some bands, notably An Cafe and SuG, to label their music as "Harajuku dance-rock" and popularize the fruits fashion through it.
visual kei
Visual kei fans in Harajuku
Main article: Visual kei
The musical genre Visual kei (Japanese: ヴィジュアル系 Vijuaru kei?) arose from Japanese rock as a result of mixing it with glam rock, metal and punk rock in the 1980s. "Visual kei" literally means "visual style". It is characterized by the use of makeup, complex hairstyles, colorful costumes, and its followers often resort to androgynous aesthetics.
Thanks to fans, visual kei, as a subculture, was able to acquire a fashion component, at the same time absorbing elements of the lolita and fruit styles, as well as more traditional Japanese ideas about male beauty. Among visual kei fans you can also find metalheads.
In appearance musicians of visual kei groups, features of “gothic lolitas” appeared. In turn, the second wave of visual kei, with such representatives as Malice Mizer, enriched the Gothic & Lolita subculture, influencing its development with its own appearance popularizing this fashion among visual kei fans. Subsequently, “Gothic Lolita” and visual kei formed an interconnected pair of phenomena that fed each other: in magazines dedicated to “Lolitas”, articles about artists and visual kei releases became commonplace, and the most famous publication about the “Lolita” subculture, Gothic & Lolita Bible, was created under featuring Mana from Malice Mizer. The use of “Lolita” attire has become common among visual kei musicians. Typical examples include the images of the former guitarist of the band Aicle Keita, the bass guitarist of the band NoGoD, or the guitarist and vocalist of the death metal band Blood Stain Child. Many visual kei musicians have spoken about their interest in this trend in fashion.
Bosozoku
Bosozoku(Japanese: 暴走族?, lit. “aggressive racing clan”) - a semi-criminal subculture of bikers, numbering more than 42.5 thousand people in 2009. Bosozoku were so unruly and scandalous that the Japanese government eventually had to create special correctional facilities to curb them. Because of this, many teenagers ended up in juvenile detention centers and through them came even closer to the criminal world. The passion for theatrical effects, hooligan acts, and condemnation from the media and society have created a stable negative and scandalous reputation for bosozoku. All this pushed them into contact with the yakuza, right up to the transformation of bosozoku into fighters and performers of various dirty work for some mafia clans, who saw in the racers potential recruits to replenish the groups. Demonstration of mutual sympathy between part of the bosozoku and some representatives Japanese mafia was also beneficial to both parties. In contrast to this practice, some bosozoku went into open confrontation with the yakuza. One of the most famous fighters against the criminalization of the subculture is Makoto, who founded the Yokohama Alliance for this purpose. However, he himself was sentenced to prison for attacking one of his group members, who, as it turned out, was a drug dealer.
They were originally called Kaminarizoku (雷族?, “Thunder Clans”). Popular rumor saw them as ex-kamikazes, who, due to the end of the war, did not have time to give their lives for the emperor and were seeking thrills. Modern name subculture appeared by chance in June 1972.
Akihabara-kei and anime culture
Girls in maid costumes at one of the maid cafes
“Otaku” in Japan is called a person who is passionate about something, but outside the country, including in Russia, this concept is usually used in relation to fans of anime and manga. In Japan, the slang term for otaku who are into anime and manga is "Akihabara-kei", which refers to young people who spend all their time in the Akihabara area and are interested in the world of anime and its elements, such as maid cafes, idols and computer games. The Akihabara area is an important center of Japanese modern culture. In the 2000s, he became strongly associated with the Japanese gaming industry and major anime and manga publishers.
One of the central elements of otaku culture is the concept of moe (Japanese: 萌え?), meaning fetishization or attraction to fictional characters. Scholars of Japanese pop culture view this term in different ways. Joseph L. Dela Pena believes that the term contains pure and protective feelings towards female characters. Jason Thompson of Otaku USA magazine uses the term moe to refer to young and attractive anime characters, emphasizing the role beautiful woman in Japanese culture. Scot von Schilling associates moe in little girls with "longing for fatherhood" in middle-aged men. At the same time, the famous Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, known for his pro-feminist views, said:
It's difficult. They immediately turned into objects of fetishism. I mean, if we want to be positive and popular, we have no choice but to portray them as attractive as possible. But now there are too many people who portray [these heroines] as if they want to have [such girls] as a pet. And there are more and more such people.
At the same time, more and more objects and phenomena of Japanese life are being subjected to the so-called “moefification” in Japan. For example, attractive girls and girls drawn in anime style have been used in advertising and decoration of tool boxes, road signs, garbage bags, sake, watermelons, and even Japanese airlines, which resulted in the image of Pikachu on one of the All Nippon Airways planes. Although this practice is quite common and is called "moe anthropomorphism", many Japanese consider it somewhat absurd to use moe with most such things.
To others important point is a fascination with so-called idols. In this case, idols refer to popular and attractive young music artists, models and actresses. For example, models from men's magazines will be called gravure idol, porn actresses - AV idol, singers and actors are usually called simply idols. Idols occupy an important place in the culture of Akihabara, for example, fans of a particular idol can purchase a special book with his photographs, a collectible CD with songs, or moe-themed porn films. There are so-called idol agencies that produce J-pop groups made up entirely of idols, such as the iconic Morning Musume. In other cases, idols famous in other areas may form groups or simply start musical career, like the famous JAM Project and Aya Hirano.
For all this, Akihabara has a huge entertainment network. The most famous of them are maid cafes, manga cafes, shops of various collectible and souvenir products, karaoke clubs, etc. Maid Cafe (English: Maid Cafe) is one of the main highlights of Akihabara. Their main feature is waitresses cosplaying as French maids (cosplay is one of the main elements of otaku culture, the so-called costume game. The maid uniform is one of the types of “uniform fetish” here, as well as the popular moe from anime), as well as special menus and attitude to clients. For example, waitresses, for a fee, can sing a song, play the role of a younger/older sister, or simply take a photo with a client. Such maid cafes have become so popular that some large cafes have opened their branches in countries such as China, South Korea, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Canada and the United States of America.
(Material taken from the free encyclopedia)
If earlier Japan was famous for its high aesthetic taste with deep symbolism running through almost everything - from kimonos to tea ceremonies, today Japan is famous for its oddities. It is in this country that you can see a giant robot on the street, a machine selling dirty laundry, and men dressed as maids working as waiters.
We will tell you about the 10 strangest subcultures whose homeland is Japan.
1. Gyaru
Today's gyaru have earned the nicknames "making parents cry" and "degenerate schoolgirls" for breaking traditional Japanese taboos and embracing Western values. They are distinguished by their frivolous behavior, positive thinking, love of bright fashionable clothes, and special ideas about the ideals of beauty.
Decor is a Japanese street style that is extremely popular today. In 1997, the magazine "FRUiTS" was published, which published photographs of the most prominent representatives of street fashion in Japan. Aki Kobayashi, the first model to appear on the cover of this magazine, shared in one of the columns how she created her individual style and clothing. The style eventually became known as Decorah, and its followers began selling their products in the Japanese quarter of Harajuku. Decora girls wear an insane amount of plastic jewelry and hairpins, wear neon skirts and multi-colored knee socks, and sometimes even wear gauze headbands, which they decorate themselves.
3.Visual kei
The music genre Visual kei arose from Japanese rock as a result of mixing it with glam rock, metal and punk rock in the 1980s. "Visual kei" literally means "visual style". It is characterized by the use of makeup, complex hairstyles, colorful costumes, and its followers often resort to androgynous aesthetics. This style belongs exclusively to representatives of the “stronger” sex.
Thanks to fans, visual kei as a subculture was able to acquire a fashion component. The appearance of the musicians of visual kei groups began to show features of “Gothic Lolitas”.
4. Yankee and Bosozoku
Motorcycle gangs known as the Speed Clans or Bosozoku were popular in Japan in the early 1960s. In the 1970s, they began to appear women's formations fans of cool motorcycles. The popularity of these associations affected the statistics of the Japanese police: according to them, about 26,000 residents of the country were members of various biker gangs, but in the 1980s the number of men in these groups gradually began to decline. Which, by the way, did not stop the girls from uniting even stronger. Thus was born the “Yankee” subculture, in which one can see echoes of both Bosozoku and Sukeban styles. Their main attributes were sarashi - a white cloth that is wrapped around the chest, a robe similar to a cloak and a mask. And of course, the main “props” were scooters or motorcycles.
5. Ko Gal
The word "gal" appeared in Japanese usage in the 1980s and means "a girl who loves branded clothes." "Ko" comes from the Japanese word "kodomo", which means "child". Ko Gal representatives try to look as young as possible, while using cute childish accessories. You can recognize them by their school uniforms with shortened skirts, strong tans, bleached hair and permanent high socks. Some people, by the way, use glue to keep the socks on their calves as they should. Over time, the Ko Gal movement transformed into a subculture called "Hime Gal", where the first part means "princess". The main condition for this style is to wear frilly, hot pink clothes from the most expensive brands.
6. Ganguro
Ganguro's light Ko Gal tan acquired an extreme character. Every week, representatives of the style visit the solarium, but they don’t stop there: before going out, they generously apply dark foundation to their skin. The literal translation of the word "Gangura" is " black face". A tan is not the most important attribute of style. Representatives of the subculture always wear shoes with incredibly thick soles, miniskirts, and their hair is bleached or painted in all the colors of the rainbow. Makeup is a separate conversation: Ganguros do not skimp on black or white eyeliner for the eyes, as well as white lipstick, in addition, they wear blue contact lenses.
7. Lolita
Lolita style is the most popular subculture in Japan, which has spread widely outside the country. There are several subspecies of Lolita. Gothic are a mixture of Rococo and prefer clothing dark colors. “Sweet” Lolitas choose pastel colors, as well as lace and bows. Punk lovers combine ruffles with chains. In addition, there is a style direction called "Wa". They, in turn, prefer traditional Japanese clothing - a kimono - embroidered with hieroglyphs. Accessories popular for all types of Lolitas include hats, bonnets, umbrellas, platform shoes with ties, and frilly knee socks.
8. Kigurumi
The Kigurumi style did not last long in the Japanese fashion industry - from 2003 to 2004. And he was a very strange fashion phenomenon. The girls who spent their time hanging out in the Shibuya areas needed comfortable clothes, so they turned to cheap animal-themed sportswear they bought from party stores. In addition to Pikachu or Winnie the Pooh costumes, Kigurumi representatives wore cute accessories in the form of animals: wallets, earrings and others.
9. Manba
Manba's style is similar in many ways to Gonguro. The word comes from the name of the Japanese ugly witch Yamanba. Due to the harmfulness of frequent visits to solariums, the Manba use a very dark makeup base, hence the parallels with the witch. Gathering in groups, adherents of the style dance to the music of Para or simply move in sync to techno. Manba's clothing and accessories are always eccentric and bright. They also do not skimp on cosmetics: very white lips and huge white circles under the eyes, in addition, teenagers stick glitter and stickers directly on their faces, and their faces are framed by hair of all shades of the rainbow.
10. Otaku
Otaku" in Japan is a person who is passionate about something, but outside the country, including in Russia, this concept is usually used in relation to fans of anime and manga. In Japan, a slang term is used for otaku who are fond of anime and manga "Akihabara-kei", denoting young people who spend all their time in the Akihabara area and are interested in the world of anime and its elements, such as, for example, maid cafes - establishments in which waitresses are dressed in anime maid costumes. One of the central elements of the culture. Otaku is a moe concept meaning fetishization or attraction to fictional characters.
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