Japanese notes by Galina Vorobyova. Abstract Japanese subcultures

The concept of subculture. Japanese street fashion……………………...4
Lolita……………………………………………………………… …...6
General information………………………………………………………. ..6
Gothic Lolita……………………………………………………..7
Sweet Lolita……………………………………………………………7
Classical Lolita…………………………………………………..8

Gyaru……………………………………………………………………… ...9
General information………………………………………………………. ..9
Gyaruo………………………………………………………………… ….9
Ganguro…………………………………………………………… …...10
Kogyaru……………………………………………………………… ….12

Fruits (Harajuku Style)………………………………………………... 13
Visual Kei………………………………………………………………15
Cosplay…………………………………………………………… …..19

INTRODUCTION
Youth subcultures are often seen as deviant, expressing some degree of opposition to the mainstream culture. They develop most often on the basis of peculiar styles in clothing and music and are associated with the development of a consumer society that creates more and more product markets, aimed primarily at young people. Youth cultures are cultures of conspicuous consumption. The emergence of youth subcultures is also associated with an increase in the share and importance of free time, leisure, around which all relationships are formed; they also focus more on friendships and peer groups than on family. In addition, the growth of living standards makes it possible to carry out large-scale experiments with the way of life, the search for other, different from the culture of adults, cultural foundations for one's existence.
In each country, this process manifests itself in its own way. AT this abstract I would like to consider the features of modern youth cultures on the example of Japan.

The concept of youth subculture. Japanese street fashion
Subculture - a system of values ​​and norms, attitudes, ways of behaving and life styles of a certain social group, which differs from the culture prevailing in society, although it is associated with it.
In modern society, there are a significant number of such subcultures. These are class, ethnic, youth subcultures, etc.
What are the characteristics of a subculture in general? A subculture is usually a special case of a culture as a whole. It is always distinguished by some locality and, to a certain extent, isolation, to one degree or another loyal to the main values ​​of the dominant culture, although there are exceptions. Subculture is not necessarily a negative characteristic, an important nuance of its content is the moment of otherness, dissimilarity, non-trunk, non-commonality in the development of value preferences, as well as with a certain independence and even autonomy.
The concept of subculture implies the existence of a dominant culture, the presence of a value-normative consensus in society. However, the postmodern society is characterized by cultural fragmentation, multiculturalism, which makes the existence of a holistic culture very problematic. Rather, modern culture is a certain set of conflicting subcultures.
Japanese "street fashion" - a term used to describe the popular style elements, trends and phenomena of Japanese youth fashion and its subcultures.
Japan began to imitate Western fashion from the middle 19th 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 recently often used as an abbreviation JSF.
Often foreign and European brands are used to create their own style. Some of these styles are "chic" and "glamorous" like haute couture existing 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 has always been present in Tokyo's underground scene and has grown with its western directions popularity, also influenced Japanese fashion. Popular music trends from other genres also influence fashion in Japan, as many teenagers want to look like their favorite stars.
Also, in the most fashion trends In Japanese fashion, there is a great desire of Japanese youth to resemble Europeans and even Africans, which is due to the centuries-old closeness of Japan from other countries. So, for example, gothic fashion tends to gravitate toward European (in particular French and German) culture of the 17th-18th centuries, while fans of lighter and more joyful trends tend to look like tanned Californians or even black hip-hop performers.
There are the following main types of Japanese subcultures:

Lolita;
Gyaru;
Fruits (Harajuku style);
Visual Key;
Cosplay.

Lolita
General information
Lolita fashion is a Japanese subculture based on the style of the timesVictorian era, as well as on the costumes of the era Rococo . Elements have been added to some substyles gothic fashion . Lolita is one of Japan's most popular subcultures and has left its mark on fashion, music and culture. This style is often erroneously called Gothic & Lolita - by analogy with the most popular magazine dedicated to this subculture "Gothic & Lolita Bible", but this name can only be used in relation to a separate substyle. A Lolita costume usually consists of a knee-length skirt or dress, headpiece, blouse, and high heeled shoes (or platform boots).
The exact time of appearance of the style is not known. It is likely that this movement began in the late 1970s, when the well-known labels Pink House, Milk and Angelic Pretty began to sell clothes that became the prototype of the future style. Shortly thereafter, there were Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, and Metamorphose temps de fille . In the 1990s, the Lolita style began to be popularized thanks to the group Malice Mizer , or rather its guitarist and one of the leaders mana and other musical groups using in their creative activity style visual kei where "Lolita" took a special place. The style spread in the direction from its origins in the region Kansai, towards Tokyo , after which he became famous throughout the country. Today, "Lolita" is one of the most sought after subcultures in Japan.
Lolita Types:

Gothic Lolita (Gothic&Lolita);
Sweet Lolita (Sweet Lolita);
Classic Lolita;
Punk Lolita - Punk Lolita adds a touch of punk fashion to Lolita's style. So Punk Lolita combines the elegant style of Lolita with the aggressive style of punk. The most popular clothes are blouses or T-shirts and skirts, although dresses are also popular. Among the shoes, boots and boots with double soles are popular. The main Punk Lolita brands are A+Lidel, Putumayo, h. NAOTO and Na+H. This style was inspired by Vivienne Westwood.;
Guro Lolita - Lolita acting out the image of a "broken doll" or "innocent victim" with the help of elements such as fake blood, bandages, etc., to show a variety of injuries. Guro Lolita - Influence eroguro for Lolita fashion;
Hime Lolita, or Princess Lolita, is a style in Lolita fashion that emphasizes aristocratic or "royal" style. This trend appeared in the 2000s, thanks to the brand " Jesus Diamante ", whose owner Toyotaka Miyamae opened a store in Osaka in 2001. Miyamae created clothes inspired by the on-screen image Bridget Bordeaux , but subsequently many Hime Lolita drew inspiration from the life and appearanceMarie Antoinette. Girls who wear such clothes are usually referred to as hime girl and ageha comparing their elegance to a butterfly;
Oji (boy style, oji for prince) is the masculine version of Lolita, influenced by teenage and older men's fashions from the Victorian era.

Sweet Lolita
Sweet Lolita, also known as ama-loli in Japanese, originated from the Rococo and Edwardian Victorian eras. The main focus is on the childish aspect of Lolita and the "sweet" childhood. The foundation appearance sweet lolita is bright, cheerful "candy" colors
The cosmetics used in this style are traditional for other lolitas. The natural look is emphasized in order to preserve the "childish" feel of the face. For Sweet Lolita, the emphasis on infantilism, as a childish aspect of style, is important. Costumes consist of an umbrella, lace, bows, ribbon and should emphasize wit in design. Popular themes for sweet lolitas are references to Alice in Wonderland, fruits, sweets, and classic fairy tales. Jewelry also reflects this theme.

Classic Lolita
Classical Lolita is a more mature example of Lolita that focuses on Baroque, Regency, and Rococo styles. The colors and patterns used in classic lolita can be seen as a cross between gothic and sweet styles. This look can be seen as a more sophisticated, mature Lolita style due to its use of small, intricate patterns as well as more subdued colors in the fabric and overall design.
The makeup used in classic Lolita makeup is often a more subdued version of sweet lolita makeup, with an emphasis on natural look. The main brands of classic lolita clothing are: Juliette and Justine, Innocent World, Victorian Maiden, Triple Fortune, and Mary Magdalene.

Gyaru

General information
Gyaru– Japanese transcription gal from distorted Englishyoung woman(English) Girl). The term can mean both the Japanese subculture, popular among girls, and the way of life itself.
The name comes from the 1970s from a brand of jeans called "GALS" with the advertising slogan "I can't live without men", which became the motto of young girls. Its use reached its peak in the 1980s. Now the term is used to describe infantile girls with no interest in family and work, with a childish image. Since its inception, gyaru has been one of the most important elementsJapanese street fashion.
Variations:

Ganguro Gyaru;
Kogyaru;
Mago Gyaru - high school gyaru;
Oyajigaru (from oyaji "uncle, middle-aged man" and gyaru) - a rough, street version of gyaru. It cultivates profanity, rude "male" behavior and alcohol;
Onegyaru - gyaru who graduated high school, and thus become more mature;
Ogyaru - dirty or disheveled gyaru who can ignore the daily baths or abandon your appearance;
Gyaruo;
Amura - followers of the singer Namie Amuro;
B-Gyaru - stick to the R style
Banba (Bamba) - bright things, platform sandals, makeup is not so bright, there are no clearly visible white eyeliners and stickers on the face, hair color is bright neon shades;
Tsuyome - Both the appearance and the character of these people are more rude. The difference is high over the knee boots. Sunburn - the power and the presence thereof at the personal discretion of the representative. But the difference in style is that there are no clear outlines of white eyes, and in clothes they are not averse to putting on leather goods, studded with shards and chains;
Baika / Bozosoku - a darker style, mostly black colors, but, of course, not without bright elements, something remotely resembles a cross between a rocker and a representative of rockability, the make-up is more calm;
Ganjiro / Shiro Gyaru

Variations:

Militiri;
Rock;
biker;
American casual;
Surfer;
host;
Adult.

Kogyaru (Kotyagaru)
Kogyaru (short for Japanese ko:ko:sei- “a student of a higher general education school” and English girl, in Japanese pronunciationgyaru - "girl") - subculture Japanese high school girls, one of the two main sub-styles gyaru , widespread in the 1990s. Characterized by cheerful bright colors, mini skirts , platform shoes, white golf, fake tan , light-colored hair, light shadows and false eyelashes. Kogyaru's constant companion ismobile phone. Kogyaru spend time in nightclubs, where they are characterized by an uninhibited behavior. Kogyar must be distinguished from ganguro despite their apparent similarity. Kogyaru call their boyfriends hommei-kun
In addition to visual signs, the culture of kogyaru is characterized by freedom of morals, paying great attention to the material side of life and moving away from some moral principles traditional for Japanese society. Representatives of the subculture used the services of dating clubs, but the most famous phenomenon was characteristic of kogyaru “ Enjo-kosai" - casual sex or spending time together without sexual services with adult men for money, which then bought various fashionable, usually branded, things. For their behavior, the kogyaru were criticized and scorned by many sectors of society, who considered them to be unspiritual.

Fruits (Harajuku style)
The history of Harajuku began at the end of World War II. American soldiers and their families began to occupy the area that is now Harajuku. Since the young Japanese in this area could join Western culture, this place has become its symbol.
In 1958, the Central Apartments were built in the area and were quickly occupied by fashion designers, models, and photographers. In 1964, when the Summer Olympics arrived in Tokyo, the Harajuku area was further developed and the Harajuku area was slowly beginning to take on its modern form.After the Olympic Games, the young people who idly hung around the area became known as the Harajuku-zoku, or Harajuku people. They began to develop their culture. As a result, at the present moment, the Harajuku area is the center of fashion for the people of Japan.
Harajuku became famous in the 1980s for street performers and wildly dressed teenagers who gathered there on Sundays. As soon as Omotesando became a pedestrian street, many boutiques and fashion stores appeared there, which attracted tourists.
Fruits is a style that combines all the most incomprehensible, no matter how strange it may sound. On the streets of Russia or Belarus, the opportunity to meet people dressed in the style of Fruits is quite rare. But in the land of the Rising Sun, in the homeland of this style, Fruts is almost
every third. The second name of the style is Harajuku Style. The style originated not so long ago and it was in Harajuku, thanks to the local fashion magazine called "FRUITS!". In general, the name speaks for itself, since in English "Fruit" means "fruit". The style combines incongruous, often home-made baubles, items from world brands combined with second-hand items... The style follows only one rule - Do not repeat yourself!
Gwen Stefani, former soloist No Doubt is a big fan
Harajuku of style and under the impression shone the song "Harajuku Girls" to Harajuku girls. If you carefully listen to her own songs "Rich Girl" and "What Are You Waiting For", then again
Harajuku girls are mentioned. The most popular "trend" in fruits is all possible variations on the theme of punk and cyberpunk: pink leather jackets with steel spikes, corsets, small coffins in the form of handbags - and this is not a complete list of everyday outfits for "fruitists"! The main concentration of revived futuristic Barbies and crazy Elvises, dancing to the real Japanese rock and roll, is observed in the areas of Shibiya, Ginza, Yoyogi Park, and, of course, Harajuku! And each of these areas has its own special feature of fruit-style. Ordinary clothes from world brands are combined with trash clothes from second-hand!
Fruits doesn't have much to do. They just stand on the streets, meet friends, go to the chic Shibuya department stores to change in the dressing room and take over again in a new outfit. All their free time is devoted to this, and all their time is free.
Being fashionable in Japan is a huge waste. When one "typical Shibuya girl" whose outfit cost 50,000 yen (approximately $500) was asked why it cost her so much, she uttered a single word - "accessories". Very often, expensive jewelry is side by side on Fruits with colored wire and necklaces made from cheap rubber toys. Everything else is a wild mixture of second-hand-made clothes, popular brands: Gap, Zara, Levi`s and luxury brands: Gucci, Miu Miu, Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, Louis Vuitton, Martin Margiela, etc.
Now the interest in fruits is so great that photography exhibitions and fashion shows with the participation of fruits are held all over the world. And in 2001 and 2005, two books were released (they are called Fruits and Fresh Fruits, respectively) with a mega-crazy selection of juicy and bright fruits!
Only at first glance it seems that this fashion resembles a fruit salad that has become cloying due to the abundance of ingredients. The trend is clearly visible in it, only it changes every two weeks: today - orange hair with a blue strand, huge platforms, piercings in the nose, on the tongue and lips, and tomorrow - straight bangs, ballet slippers and a key on the neck. But, what is most interesting, Shibuya dress differently than Harajuku or Ginza.

Visual Kei
Visual Kei (Jap. Vijuaru kei) is a subculture that emerged from Japanese rock and glam in the 1980s. "Visual kei" literally means "visual style". This is how musicians from Japan began to call themselves, using unusual paraphernalia, the main purpose of which was to shock the viewer visually. Visual kei fans are called visual kids. In addition, from the point of view of the Japanese, a man with painted nails, long hair and tinted eyes is not "blue", but quite the opposite - a ladies' man.
This style was invented in Japan by groups such as X Japan, Luna Sea, Malice Mizer and others, influenced by Western glam rock bands. The essence of Visual Key is to convey a part of the soul and one's talent not only through music, but also through appearance: to shock people and thus attract listeners. Thus, music and appearance are combined and carry a common meaning. Visualism is directed towards the androgynous ideal of man.
Visual kei often borrows imagery from Japanese animation (anime), visual arts (manga), and video games as part of Japanese culture. Musicians use extraordinary costumes, specific makeup, attractive hairstyles, most often dyed and unusual. The costumes of visual kei musicians actively use elements of the traditional women's fashion. Marilyn Manson - a prime example"non-Japanese Visual kei". Marilyn Manson and Hide (the one from "X-Japan") were friends - and Hide poked fun at Manson's stage persona, "borrowed" from Japanese rock musicians.
etc.................

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. Most likely, the island location of this state played the main role in this, but ethnographers know better and there are already a lot of studies on this topic.

We have already discussed such oddities of the Japanese, how or for example we already know and why. We know why you need it and how it goes

You won’t meet many young people on the streets of Europe, but the street fashion of Japan is still several times more unusual!

Don't believe? See...

Japan began to imitate Western fashion from the middle of the 19th 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 as an abbreviation of JSF.

Often foreign and European brands are used to create their own style. Some of these styles are "chic" and "glamorous", similar to the haute couture 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 has always been present in Tokyo's underground scene and has grown in 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 look like their favorite stars.

Also, in the most fashionable trends of Japanese fashion, there is a great desire of Japanese youth to be like Europeans and even Africans, which is caused by the centuries-old closeness of Japan from other countries. So, 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 tendencies tend to look like tanned Californians or even black hip-hop performers, which is reflected in the Japanese subculture kogyaru .

Modern Japanese street fashion

Although styles have changed frequently over the years, the mainstream has 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 clothes among Japanese girls. The spread of this trend is truly enormous. In subspecies of Lolita, there are both gothic and "sweet" glamorous types, both elements of the punk and gothic subculture, and elements of the traditional Japanese clothes. Also, men can adhere to this image, especially visual kei musicians, in particular, performers such as Mana, solo project the famous Japanese guitarist Hizaki and many other bands, especially the direction of Kote. In addition, this fashion trend is common in another visual trend - Osyare kei, in which most musicians often use the lolita style or its elements in order to impress and attract fans, for example, in An Cafe, Lolita23q and Aicle.

There is also a more masculine variant, such as "elegant gothic aristocrat" - a style that embodied the Japanese idea of ​​​​European aristocratic fashion.

Ganguro

Ganguro fashion has become popular among Japanese girls in early XXI century. A typical ganguro girl wears colorful accessories, miniskirts and sarongs dyed with knotted batik. The ganguro style is characterized by bleached hair, 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 signs, but increased several times, since the ideal is attractive girls American warm cities and states, as well as popular black hip-hop, pop and other mainstream artists contemporary music. Girls spend considerable time in tanning salons to give their skin a deep tan and be like these performers. In Japanese slang, kogyaru refers to schoolgirls wearing miniskirts who prefer pink color in clothes that dye their hair like blondes and have a "fake" tan.

Fruits (Harajuku style)

At the moment, the second after the "lolita" of the most popular Japanese youth styles. It originated mainly in Tokyo's Harajuku quarter of Shibuya, as a result of which it is officially called the Harajuku style. The name originated in 1997 when famous photographer Soichi Aoki founded a bizarre fashion magazine of the same name and began photographing outrageous passers-by right on the streets. Now Fruits magazine can be found in every corner of the planet. The style has become popular both in Europe and America. The main principle of the style is a collection of various fashionable elements, brands and garments to 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, jacket and main feature This style has many accessories. In Japanese music, this culture is reflected in the direction of "Oshare kei", where musicians often become a model for copying. In the West, the style is often confused with the emo subculture, but this is erroneous, because in general, the style preaches an optimistic outlook on life, infantilism and has no connection with emo.

Visual Kei

A person dressing in this style uses a lot of makeup and makes unusual hairstyles in all colors of the rainbow. Androgyny is a popular aspect of the style, but is used more to attract girls, or, along with a false gay, to outrageous and create a provocative image than to indicate the sexual interests of the wearer. This direction originated in the mid-80s in the wake of the 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 kind 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 style of bo:so:zoku (Japanese for "aggressive gang riding motorcycles") was popular in the 90s and has now almost disappeared, it is still used in different kind works for comic effect, the stereotypical bo:so:zoku look is often portrayed and even ridiculed in many forms of Japanese media, anime, manga, and films. The typical bo:so:zoku is often depicted wearing a uniform consisting of parachuting gear, like those worn by laborers or the so-called "tokko-fuku" (特攻服), (coats with military slogans written on the back), they are usually worn without a shirt (on a naked torso) along with rolled up baggy pants and high boots.

The image of rockers of the rock and roll era is also popular, in particular, the style of Elvis Presley. The bosozoku movement intersects with the biker subculture, with bosozoku often painting their motorcycles. Often this image is used in anime to create a comical image of hooligans or "sixes" of the yakuza. One such example is the character Ryu Umemiya in the manga and anime Shaman King and Onizuka's teacher during his youth from the GTO anime.

cosplay

Cosplay, (short for the English "costume play" - "costume game"), is more of a cultural phenomenon than fashion style. Cosplay fans often dress up in custom-made or store-bought costumes for video game, anime, movie, or manga characters, as well as contestants. popular bands 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 free and there is no fashion manufacturer that can claim a monopoly in this area, it is said that a number of designers such as Issei Miyake, Yamamoto Yoji, and Rei Kawakubo Comme des Garçons are the three recognized trendsetters of Japanese fashion. They became famous back in the 80s and still remain popular brands.

Purposefully promoted the style of street fashion company "Onitsuka Tiger" (now known as ASICS). Japan is also known for its substantial consumption of foreign branded luxury goods. According to JETRO data for 2006, Japan consumed 41% of the world's luxury goods.

Influence at Western culture

In the early 90s. of 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 streetstyle.

Social aspect

Since the main features of the Japanese youth fashion are: the desire to be like Europeans or Americans, shocking and strong non-conformism with a desire to stand out, then 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 harsh moral laws and principles were in force in the country . 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 have 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 then 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. Tokio Hotel's vocalist mimics Visual Kei.

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, therefore, the term "Japanese street fashion" is also often associated with subcultures, sometimes these terms replace each other. Most of the subcultures appeared as a protest against traditional Japanese ideals of beauty and social norms.

The first youth subcultures in Japan appeared thanks to young people experimenting on the streets of Tokyo. Initially, this phenomenon was simply called street fashion(ストリートファッション|sutori:to fassen). With the advent of increasingly disparate and dissimilar areas, 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", referring 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 in relation to Harajuku fashion, while in Japan itself it is used for all youth fashion trends and even more broadly: 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 region, where the lolita style and the mixed fruit 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
Lolita fashion (ロリータ・ファッション Rory:ta fassen?) is a subculture based on the style of the Victorian era, as well as Rococo era costumes and some elements of gothic fashion. Lolita is one of the most mass subcultures Japan, which left a mark in fashion, music and fine arts. A Lolita costume usually consists of a knee-length skirt or dress, headpiece, blouse, and high heeled shoes (or platform boots).

Shop for Lolita in Harajuku
The prototypes of the future lolita fashion can already be seen in the fashion of the Rococo era, for example, in the fashion of the then Europe. 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 looks, it has become a purely Japanese fashion and cultural direction. The gothic lolita subculture was the ancestor of the style. A more common romaji name is Gothic & Lolita. Journalist Suzuki Mariko, who researched the issue, said that the term came from the "gothic" elements in their clothing. She also said that when she met in May 1998 in Harajuku with girls "dressed like dolls", she learned that they called the style "Gothic & Lolita". Terms such as gosu-rory, goth and rory, gothic lolita, gothic and lolita, fashion "gothic lolita" and style "gothic lolita" 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 this direction. Therefore, all related styles are often erroneously referred to as Gothic & Lolita.
In addition to the gothic, the “lolita” direction includes “sweet” (infancy, 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 substyles.

Gyaru(Japanese ギャル?) - Japanese transcription of gal from a distorted english girl(English Girl). The term can mean both the Japanese subculture popular among girls, which peaked in the 1990s, and the lifestyle itself. The name comes from the advertising slogan of the 1970s jeans brand "GALS" - "I can not live without men", which became the motto of young girls. The current gyaru, like their varieties of kogyaru and ganguro, have earned the nicknames "oya o nakaseru" (make parents cry) and "daraku jokusei" (degenerate schoolgirls) for breaking traditional taboos for Japanese women and being fascinated by Western values. Kogyaru's motto is Biba jibun! (“Hail me!”). They are distinguished by frivolous behavior, positive thinking, love for bright fashionable clothes, special ideas about the ideals of beauty. Men can also belong to the gyaru subculture, the so-called "gyaruo". 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 among Japanese women of that time and taught them how to be sexy. Subsequently, a wide variety of 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". They were kogyaru, expelled from schools for refusing to wear traditional school uniforms in an effort to demonstrate their independence to adults. Gyaru frequented 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 dating"), which effectively allowed journalists to make the word "gyaru" synonymous with prostitution. The 1997 documentary Baunsu KO gaurusu by Masato Harada describes kogyaru and gyaru as young girls going into prostitution for fashion and expensive accessories.
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 (イケ 面 "cool dude"?), which is cho: kawaii (超 かわいい - "very cute"). The kogyaru (gyaru-yate, "his gyaru") herself buys gyaru-fuku (gyaru clothes) from the gyaru-kei shoppu (gyaru shop) unless, of course, she can find something that isn't "truly super nauseating" (超マジ で むかつく, cho: maji de mukatsuku). Gyaru is often used foreign words, Latin abbreviations of Japanese phrases, or just foreign endings without regard to Japanese syntax. For example, the suffix "-ingu" (from English -ing) can be added to words, for example, gettingu (Jap. ゲッティング?, "to receive"). Another feature is the use of the -ra suffix. It means "like" or "taken from" and refers to the similarity of the subject matter to Japanese young girl pop idol singer Namie Amuro (from whose name the suffix was taken)

The Harajuku area is a cult place for adherents of Japanese street fashion. First of all, this area is known for the youth subculture Harajuku garuzu (Japanese 原宿 ガールズ?, from the English Harajuku Girls - “Harajuku girls”), with their characteristic bright costumes, an abundance of accessories and a “combination of incongruous” The costume can include both gothic and cyberpunk and club neon colors. Separately, one can single out the “punk direction”, which is typical of plaid and leather pants, the use of chains and other rock attributes.

Girls in Harajuku
The subculture "harajuku garuzu" emerged in the mid-1990s, along with the appearance on the streets of Harajuku of young people in costumes consisting of huge amount variety of clothing and accessories. The variety of elements of outfits of representatives of this subculture is huge, 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 needlework or second-hand clothes. This has not gone unnoticed by 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 was 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" as a cultural revolution and a rebellion against the stereotyped appearance. The most important property The author considered the movement to be democratic, the ability of any person to join fashion, regardless of financial capabilities. Here Aoki saw a chance to take on the big brands that set the trends in the fashion industry. The magazine immediately gained great popularity and received the status of an international publication. At the same time, fruit fashion was noticed by famous Japanese designers such as Yoji Yamamoto and Mihara Yasuhiro. Thanks to them, Harajuku fashion gets even more impetus for further development.
The essence of the Fruits ideology lies in the ability of each person to create their own ideal of modern beauty, accessible to people with any financial possibilities, and in the rejection of stamps and patterns imposed from above. The main role in creating a costume is played by imagination and an almost unlimited choice. So, one day a teenager or a young man may appear on the street dressed in military style - in a foreign military uniform, taking a gas mask with him 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 has become a global trend. Thanks to Aoki and several fashion brands, fashion shows and fruit festivals have been held in the US and Australia. This subculture 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 would belong to fruits and not feel at least sympathy for Japan. I came into this subculture when I got into anime, and I started watching anime when I became interested in Japan. Now I go to Japanese language courses, I listen to Japanese music. I also love to draw, especially in the style of manga (comics) and anime.
Russian fruits differ from the Japanese in some features. For example, in Russia they can borrow some tendencies from gyaru, although traditionally Harajuku youth ignores gyaru, and some - gothic lolitas - are their staunch opponents.
Fruits, along with fashion from Harajuku, found themselves in Japanese music, in the visual kei subgenre - oshare kei. Initially, some osyare groups were also called "decora-kei" (one of the names for fruits) because of 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 fruit fashion through it.

visual kei

Visual kei fans in Harajuku
Main article: Visual kei
The musical genre Visual kei (ヴィジュアル系 Vijuaru kei?) originated 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 make-up, elaborate hairstyles, flamboyant costumes, and its followers often resort to an androgynous aesthetic.
Thanks to fans, visual kei, as a subculture, was able to acquire a fashion component, while simultaneously absorbing elements of lolita, fruit, and more traditional Japanese ideas about male beauty. Metalheads can also be found among visual kei fans.
In the appearance of the musicians of visual kei groups, the features of "gothic lolitas" appeared. In turn, the second wave of visual kei, with representatives such as Malice Mizer, enriched the Gothic & Lolita subculture, influencing its development and popularizing this fashion among visual kei fans with its appearance. Subsequently, gothic lolita and visual kei formed an interconnected pair of mutually reinforcing phenomena: lolita magazines became familiar with articles about visual kei artists and releases, and the most famous publication on the lolita subculture, Gothic & Lolita Bible, was created by featuring Mana from Malice Mizer. It has become common for visual kei musicians to use lolita attire as well. Typical examples are the images of the former Aicle guitarist Keita, the bass player 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(Jap. 暴走族?, lit. "aggressive racing clan") - a semi-criminal subculture of bikers, numbering more than 42.5 thousand people in 2009. The bosozoku were so unruly and scandalous that in the end the Japanese government had to create special correctional facilities to curb them. Because of this, many teenagers ended up in juvenile colonies and through them even closer to the criminal world. Passion for theatrical effects, hooligan acts, condemnation from the media and society have created a stable negative scandalous reputation for bosozoku. All this pushed them into contact with the yakuza, up to the transformation of the 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 mutual sympathy between a part of bosozoku and some representatives Japanese mafia also beneficial to both parties. In opposition to this practice, part of the 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 a member of his group, 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 striving for thrills. The modern name of the 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 fond of something, but outside the country, including in Russia, this concept is usually used in relation to fans of anime and manga. In Japan, otaku who are interested in anime and manga use the slang term "akihabara-kei", which refers to young people who spend all their time in the Akihabara area and are fascinated by the world of anime and its elements, such as maid cafes, idols and computer games. The Akihabara area is an important center of the Japanese modern culture. In the 2000s, he became strongly associated with the Japanese game industry and major anime and manga publishers.
One of the central elements of otaku culture is the concept of moe (萌え?), meaning fetishization or attraction to fictional characters. Researchers of Japanese pop culture view the term differently. 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 of a beautiful woman in Japanese culture. Scot von Schilling connects moe in relation to little girls with "paternal longing" in middle-aged men. At the same time, the famous Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, known among other things 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 characters] 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 advertisements and designs for toolboxes, road signs, garbage bags, sake, watermelons, and even Japanese airlines, resulting 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 find it somewhat absurd to use moe along with most such things.
Another important point is the fascination with the so-called idols. In this case, popular and attractive young people are called idols. musical performers, models and actresses. For example, models of men's magazines will be called gravure idol, porn actresses - AV idol, singers and actors are usually called simply idols. Idols have an important place in the culture of Akihabara, for example, fans of one or another idol can purchase a special book with his photos, a collector's CD with songs or porn films on moe themes. There are so-called idol agencies that produce all-idol j-pop groups, such as the iconic Morning Musume. In other cases, idols who are famous in other areas may form bands or simply start a musical career, like the well-known 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 for various collectibles and souvenirs, karaoke clubs, etc. Maid Cafe (English Maid Cafe) is one of the main highlights of Akihabara. Their main feature is waitresses cosplaying French maids (cosplay is one of the main elements of otaku culture, the so-called costume game. The maid uniform here is one of the types of “uniform fetish”, as well as the popular moe from anime), as well as special menus and attitudes to clients. For example, waitresses can sing a song, play the role of a younger / older sister, or simply take a picture with a client for a fee. Such maid cafes have become so popular that some large cafes have opened their branches in countries such as China, South Korea, Taiwan, Czech Republic, Mexico, Canada and the United States of America.

(Material taken from the free encyclopedia)

The desire to stand out is characteristic of representatives of any nation. However, differences in living conditions and ways of thinking can lead to something surprising and even shocking. In this article, you will find some examples of what the Japanese are concerned about in their society.

Gyaru (ギャル)

Name ギャル gyaru comes from the English word "girl" (girl). These girls are distinguished by their defiant appearance and bright makeup, which are not at all typical for. Their behavior matches their appearance.

Gyaru fashion originates in the 70s, and its peak falls on the 90s. The appearance of the representatives of this subculture changed over time, new trends appeared. For example:

"School Girls" (コギャル)

The name comes from the abbreviation 高校ギャル ko:ko: gyaru, where to:to:- It's a high school.

"Black faces" (ガングロ)

If the name of this gyaru branch is written in hieroglyphs, it will be 顔 (face) + 黒 (black). This style was influenced by American films, when Japanese girls wanted to look like tanned beauties.

The public is interested in the gyaru language, in which new curious words are constantly appearing. For example, in the top 2016, the first three places are occupied by such words as “hiita” (pronounced when they are happy about something), “yoki” (good, good) and “raburitsu” (like on a social network).

However, fashion never lasts forever, and eventually many gyaru change their style.

Shironuri (白塗り)

Unlike ganguro, who try to make their face as dark as possible, representatives of shironuri, on the contrary, use white. Literally, the name of the subculture translates as "painted in white" ( Siroy- white, nuru- paint). Shironuri is one of the least common subcultures in Japan. Its representatives try to look like ghosts from classic Japanese folklore or simply attractive monsters.

Otaku (オタク)

The word otaku originally means "your home" (お宅). It is believed that in relation to people it began to be used around the late 80s and early 90s, when Miyazaki Tsutomu, who lost touch with reality due to an unhealthy love for anime and manga, committed serial murders of little girls.

Now this word no longer carries such a terrible meaning. An otaku is a person who is deeply obsessed with something (in Russian, he would be described by the word "zadrot"). So can be called both girls and boys. Usually this word is associated with ardent fans of manga and anime. Such otaku usually collect figurines and posters, buy pillows with anime characters and so on. If they had a choice, they would prefer to live in a 2D world.

This is what these guys usually look like:

Thanks to photographer Shiori Kawamoto, we have a glimpse of the otaku girls' rooms:

And this is the men's room, and in the square (otaku room in the otaku room!)

Rekijo (歴女)

Rekijo can literally be translated as "historical (歴) woman (女)". This is a kind of otaku - girls who are obsessed with pre-industrial Japan. In their free time, they visit ancient palaces, watch staged samurai fights, and read history books. These girls are trying to find themselves in bygone eras. Their interests are also manifested in the language: at their meetings they can communicate in ancient dialects.

One of the most characteristic hobbies of rekijo is the Shinsengumi unit.

Bosōzoku (暴走族)

Biker gangs, most common in the 80s. The name of the subculture consists of the words 暴走 bo:co:"rush at breakneck speed" and 族 zoku family, group. In the past, they worried the public with their wild rides and fights, but now they are because of the tightening of the rules.

Yankees

School bullies. Or young people to whom the law is not written, and who enjoy life as much as possible. Representatives of this subculture can be both boys and girls. These guys love to disturb the public. For example, despite the observance of the rules of appearance and even the original approach, the Yankees have been rioting on Coming of Age Day for several years in a row.

Their photo from coming of age 2017:

Hikikomori (引き籠り)

If some people react to social rules with a challenge and aggression, then others, on the contrary, withdraw into themselves. Name 引きこもり hikikomori comes from the word 引き籠る hikikomoru"stay at home (locked up), do not go out." Hikikomori is not just an unsociable and quiet person. This is the one who refuses society as much as possible, isolates himself in his room and contacts only with relatives with whom he lives in the same apartment. In 2013, a case was even recorded in Osaka when a man's elderly father died, and he, afraid of communicating with other people, lived with a corpse for two weeks.

A person can be called a hikikomori if he does not leave his home for more than six months, does not have any income and avoids any contact with the outside world.

There is also the concept of ニート niito(Not in Employment, Education or Training), similar in meaning to hikikomiri. It's believed that niito- these are people aged 15 to 34 years who live on someone else's content, do not work, do not attend school and do not perform household chores (cleaning, cooking, etc.). Accordingly, not every hikikomori can be called a niito.

Hikikomori is a rather frightening phenomenon in society. Most representatives of this subculture are men aged 35 to 40 years. They live with already quite elderly parents, and every year the likelihood that they will be left alone increases. To help the hikikomori, the Nadeshiko no kai group created a booklet called 「陸のひとりだけ島」 ( riku no hitori dake sima, lit. "lonely island off the mainland"), which contains short stories life of a hikikomori, provides useful tips on how to care for clothes, cook, clean, receive benefits, and more.

Often people become hikikomori from the fact that they do not find a place for themselves in society. They were bullied at school, they were haunted by failures, they were pressed by the rules, so they decided to just leave. Now the percentage of hikikomori has decreased slightly, but this does not at all indicate positive trends. After all, the population of Japan as a whole is becoming smaller ...

Lolita (ロリータ)

This is a female subculture whose representatives dress in the style of the Victorian era and rococo. Outwardly, the girls look like dolls or little girls.

There are several varieties of Lolita style:

"Sweet Lolita" (甘ロリ amarori)

"Gothic Lolita" (ゴスロリ gosurori)

Kigurumin (きぐる民)

These are positive guys who dress up as animals or characters of their favorite cartoons and delight others by walking down the street in this form. The word "kigurumi" (the name of their costumes) comes from a combination of the verb 着る kiru"to wear" and ぬいぐるみ nuigurumi « soft toy". The ending "ming" (民) means "people". That is, kigurumi are people who wear kigurumi. The first representatives of the subculture appeared in 2003.

You can see how cute kigurumin dance.

There is also a separate kind of anime kigurumi:

Zentai (ゼンタイ)

The full name of the subculture is 全身タイツ zenshin thai, i.e. "fitting the whole body." Zentai dress up in their colorful tight-fitting suits and go out like this to shock the public. This is an extremely small subculture, whose representatives feel absolutely protected among the crowd, hiding from others everything that can give out their personality.

Interesting, but sometimes 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 from the middle of the 19th 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 is often used in recent times as an abbreviation JSF.

Often foreign and European brands are used to create their own style. Some of these styles are "chic" and "glamorous", similar to the haute couture 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 has always been present in Tokyo's underground scene and has grown in 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 look like their favorite stars.

Also, in the most fashionable trends of Japanese fashion, there is a great desire of Japanese youth to be like Europeans and even Africans, which is caused by the centuries-old closeness of Japan from other countries. So, 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 tendencies tend to look like tanned Californians or even black hip-hop performers, which is reflected in the Japanese subculture kogyaru .

Modern Japanese street fashion

Although styles have changed frequently over the years, the mainstream has remained popular in Japan. Usually 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 clothes among Japanese girls. The spread of this trend is truly enormous. Lolita subspecies include both gothic and "sweet" glamorous styles, both elements of the punk and gothic subculture, and elements of traditional Japanese clothing. Also, men can stick to this image, especially Visual kei musicians, in particular, artists 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 trend - Osyare kei, in which most musicians often use the lolita style or its elements in order to impress and attract fans, for example, in An Cafe, Lolita23q and Aicle.

There is also a more masculine variant, such as "elegant gothic aristocrat" - a style that embodied the Japanese idea of ​​European aristocratic fashion.

Ganguro

Ganguro fashion became popular among Japanese girls at the beginning of the 21st century. A typical ganguro girl wears colorful accessories, miniskirts and sarongs dyed with knotted batik. The ganguro style is characterized by bleached hair, 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 features, but increased several times, since the ideal is attractive girls of American warm cities and states, as well as popular black performers of hip-hop, pop and other mainstream areas of modern music. Girls spend considerable time in tanning salons to give their skin a deep tan and be like these performers. In Japanese slang, kogyaru refers to schoolgirls wearing miniskirts, wearing pink clothes, dyeing their hair blonde, and having a "fake" tan.

Fruits (Harajuku style)

At the moment, the second after the "lolita" of the most popular Japanese youth styles. It originated mainly in Tokyo's Harajuku quarter of Shibuya, as a result of which it is officially called the Harajuku style. The name originated in 1997, when the famous photographer Soichi Aoki founded the eponymous magazine dedicated to strange fashion, and began photographing outrageous passers-by right on the streets. Now Fruits magazine can be found in every corner of the planet. The style has become popular both in Europe and America. The main principle of the style is a collection of various fashionable elements, brands and garments to 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 direction of "Oshare kei", where musicians often become a model for copying. In the West, the style is often confused with the emo subculture, but this is erroneous, because in general, the style preaches an optimistic outlook on life, infantilism and has no connection with emo.

Visual Kei

A person dressing in this style uses a lot of makeup and makes unusual hairstyles in all colors of the rainbow. Androgyny is a popular aspect of the style, but is used more to attract girls, or, together with false homosexuality, to outrageous and create a provocative image than to indicate the wearer's sexual interests. This direction originated in the mid-80s in the wake of the 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 kind 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 style of bo:so:zoku (Japanese for "aggressive gang riding motorcycles") was popular in the 90s and has now almost disappeared, it is still used in all sorts of works for comic effect, stereotypical the kind of bo:so:zoku is often portrayed and even ridiculed in many forms of Japanese media, anime, manga, and films. The typical bo:so:zoku is often depicted wearing a uniform consisting of parachuting gear, like those worn by laborers or the so-called "tokko-fuku" (特攻服), (coats with military slogans written on the back), they are usually worn without a shirt (on a naked torso) along with rolled up baggy pants and high boots.

The image of rockers of the rock and roll era is also popular, in particular, the style of Elvis Presley. The bosozoku movement intersects with the biker subculture, with bosozoku often painting their motorcycles. Often this image is used in anime to create a comical image of hooligans or "sixes" of the yakuza. One such example is the character Ryu Umemiya in the manga and anime Shaman King and Onizuka's teacher during his youth from the GTO anime.

cosplay

Cosplay, (short for the English "costume play" - "costume game"), is more of a cultural phenomenon than a fashion style. Cosplay fans often dress up as self-made or store-bought costumes of video game, anime, movie, or manga characters, as well as members of popular bands 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 free and there is no fashion manufacturer that can claim a monopoly in this area, it is said that a number of designers such as Issei Miyake, Yamamoto Yoji, and Rei Kawakubo Comme des Garçons are the three recognized trendsetters of Japanese fashion. They became famous back in the 80s and still remain popular brands.

Purposefully promoted the style of street fashion company "Onitsuka Tiger" (now known as ASICS). Japan is also known for its substantial consumption of foreign branded luxury goods. According to JETRO data for 2006, Japan consumed 41% of the world's luxury goods.

Influence on Western culture

In the early 90s. of 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 streetstyle.

Social aspect

Since the main features of Japanese youth fashion are: the desire to be like Europeans or Americans, shocking and strong non-conformity with a 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 acted harsh moral laws and foundations. 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 have 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 the guitarist hide (the father of Visual kei) and used elements of the second wave of this direction in his image, which was then 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. Tokio Hotel's vocalist mimics Visual Kei.