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Harajuku Girl, you've got that wicked style.


I'm sure you're all aware of Gwen Stefani's obsession with the "Harajuku Girl" and how she's their "biggest fan" (though I will fight her for that place). So, I'm here to educate you on the history, style and variation on the famed Harajuku Girl.

The Beginning: Bad Girls

It all began in 1972 in Tokyo. A bunch of uniform clad girls sit at the rail station smoking cigarettes and looking mean. They call themselves Sukeban, meaning Female (suke) Boss (ban). Though they look as harmless as a troubled teens anyone willing to take a second glance are blissfully unaware of the razor wrapped in cloth concealed between their breasts, which will be pulled out if any fight should break out. Others members of this all female gang carry chains and bamboo swords "borrowed" from the school gym. The Sukeban began when a group of girls decided to do what their gang member boyfriends were doing, they pick-pocketed, shop-lifted, sniffed paint thinner and fought hard. This was all totally acceptable to them, but if you were EVER to cheat on your boyfriend prepare to suffer cigarette burns below the belt.
After the Sukeban slowly died out due to improper protrail there came another gang in the mid 1980's who simply called themselves Lady's. They were almost the same as Sukeban, but tougher and with motorcycles.

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The Middle: Sexy Gals

In the mid to late 90's school the school uniform in Japan changed drastically, the girls shortened their skirts, loosened their socks and increased the size of their blazers. Hell, it was even cool to wear your uniform out on a Saturday night if you ticked all the boxes. These girls with dark tans, a million key chains and their cells phones and an adorable disposition called themselves Kogal meaning Child Gal. Unfortunately in 1996 the Kogal trend came under fire when the "Paid Dating" secret was found out. Kogal's would prey on lonely Japanese business men who would pay the Kogals to date them, most of the time there was no sex involved but sometimes there was, a few men were arrested. Kogal is still really trendy.

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Gonguro Gals and Ogal Gals: These girls are hard to miss. They darken their skin so much that they appear as a different race. They bleach their hair golden and wear the tiniest skirts you've ever seen. They use calligraphy ink as eyeliner and white concealer as lip-stick. They're obsessed with Para Para dancing (a type of dance involving complicated hand movements) and they sit on plastic mats outside burger joints. Because they blow all their money on tanning, clothing and nightclub entries they find it unnecessary to go home to Mum and Dad, meaning the don't shower or eat. People were generally scared of the Gonguro (it literally means Black Face) and found them incredibly dirty. Eventually the Gonguro figured out how stupid they looked and the phase was over. But was quickly replaced by Ogal (meaning Dirty/Cute Gal) who were a little less tanned, a little dirtier and covered in more diamantes.

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The End: As of Now

Now Tokyo is over-run with only 3 kinds of Harajuku girl. Gothic and Lolita girls, Harajuku girls and Shibuya109 girls. Typically they are all variations on the above girls. They Para Para dance, obsess over material goods and love all things cute. These girls truly are art in themselves. They've created major fashion movements and inspired millions. Though we're all waiting for the teens of Japan to present us with something new, they never cease to amaze!

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Sources: Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno (book), Fruits magazine, egg magazine, Fruits (book), Fresh Fruits (book), Gothic and Lolita (book).
Posted on May 5th, 2008 at 10:08pm

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