...Japanese and a Ganguro or Lolita.
I have been fascinated with Japanese culture since the age of 11. I started learning Japanese in secondary school and carried it on through to GCSE and A-Level. I started hosting Japanese students from the age of 11 so had close interaction with a very different culture to my own. I have also visited Japan three times. Once when I was 15 and again when I was 17 with my school for a two week exchange where I was able to live for two weeks each time in a traditional Japanese house and family. I have made the greatest friends who I still keep in touch with and learnt the most incredible things, tried the most delicious foods and shared and learnt about their beliefs and culture. I also revisited Japan in May this year to stay with my friend who teaches and has been living out there for three years now and also to re-visit my friends I made. I LOVE IT. I follow Japanese fashion regulalry through books I collect which offer collections of images of Japanese street fashion and I also follow Japanese fashion on social media.
Ganguro style
Ganguro is formed from around the year 2000. The Japanese youth began rebelling against the idea of traditional Japan. There was a lot of resentment about the isolation and constraint of their country and culture. They have completely contradicted the traditional Japanese image. The word Ganguro together means extremley dark and grotesque. It can be translated sometimes as meaning Blackface. The youths are completely fake tanned and wear white concealer on their eyes and face, depending on the type of Ganguro you are depends on whether you have the make up above or below the eye or both and whether you have stickers on your face or not. Some say it originates from Japanese folklore of the Kabuki and noh costume which is featured in traditional Japanese theatre and is a story of a mountain hag.
You can find these girls in the Shibuya and Ikebukuro district of Tokyo and I have seen these girls first hand. They are truely incredible and I admire their self expression and sense of freedom.
This Ganguro style in particular reminds me so much of tribalism, I feel like they have strong resemblances to the more traditional african tribes I have researched with their dreaded hair, beads, extensions and their markings on their faces with make ups feel amost indian.
Lolita girls
(Sweet Lolita)
The sweet Lolita girls can be found mainly in the Harajuku district of Tokyo. There style is stongly influenced by the Victorian and Edwardian dress. It is very fantasy based and very childlike. The girls do not wear a lot of make up but hair and dress is always in very pastel colours. They have been very influenced by Japanese pop stars who dress like this who are called the visual Kei. It is thought however to be orinated to rebel against the idea of the exposure of the skin being sexy and instead they wanted to make cute sexy. There are also Gothic Lolitas and Punk Lolitas who again I have met and witnessed first hand in Harajuku.
Yoshiko Kurata
I met yoshiko at the Tim Walker exhibition in London. She was walking around the exhibition by herself taking pictures and I couldn't resist but to approach her. She is lovely and sooo Kawaiii! Her style is similar to that of the Lolita but a mix between all of them. I think she has westernised her style slightly. She has a blog which I now follow ; 'White Holic' on blogger where she mentions me! :) and we have been talking on Facebook about meeting up in London or even in Japan in the future as she has never met anyone so passionate as me about Japanese fashion. She is Studying fashion at Westminster University. She is returning to Chiba, Tokyo- Japan in February. We had a great chat about where I had been and I spoke to her in Japanese which she was very impressed with. She inspired me for my take on this project. So Thank you Yoshiko! Arigatou gozimasu. Douzou yoroshiku Onegaishimasu!
I asked if I could take a picture! ( Shashin o tottemoii desuka? )
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