These trendy girls of Tokyo are somewhat like the Bubble Sisters in that they appreciate African American Culture soooooo much, that they want to be MORE like their nubian sisters.
The "GANGURO" are girls who regularly go to tanning salons to maintain a dark-brown tan year-round (or apply a dark-brown foundation). They also dye their hair brown or gold and wear blue contact lenses. The "ganguro gal" are the brownskin girls and The "gonguro gal" are the more deep brownskin.
The "Yamanba gal", which roughly translates as "mountain hag or witch" from Japanese folklore (The Japanese dictionary defines it as a character in Noh and kabuki plays), is silver, white or brown dyed hair, with an DARK brown or hard-TAN face, outrageous makeup with white lipstick, white eye shadow around the eyes (a racoon or panda look), silvery hair, and some glitter or fake tear drops on the cheek. They also have a loud, gregarious (but not wicked) way of talking and laughing.
The fact that Ganguro literally translates to ("Black Face") or that ganguro girls often mention they belong to a "minzoku", meaning "ethnic tribe" doesn't help the PR nightmare that is "High Fashion" in Japan right now. But it should serve as an example of how another culture might appropriate sections of another culture and make it thier own. Even if, in the native country, it might be perceived as "politically incorrect", they use it for a greater purpose.
However, I like to call this look, the Asian Chickenhead. Known for exploiting every trend to the max, they don't want to work and yet sustain a high-class lifestyle, made possible by parents, husbands or shady jobs sometimes, like the ever popular phone-sex business.
It's not surprising to hear that many of the ganguro and yamanba are high school dropouts. Some earn their money by working at hostess bars or cabarets (even while underage). Some don't go home very often. Some do go home, but their parents are always out or they seem to be invisible.
Most of them seem to like afro-american music and style, many even getting a perm to imitate the afro-american hair. On the other hand, a deeper discussion of the afro-american history and background does not exist in this trend. .
Young mothers are also prone to the ganguro style and are known as "garu-mama" (girl-mama), which gives them back a feeling of independence and freedom. according to Birgit Amadori, who is doing her thesis (in German) on this subject, "The ganguro girls, frustrated by the work and consumption oriented japanese society, vented their feelings NOT by boycotting all types of consume like the punk-movement [of the late 70's] but pushed it to the limit and only live for [consumerism]. Nozomi, 19, says 'As long as there will be ganguro girls, I will be one.'"
Live for Mass Consumption!! Wow, remind you of our own MTV driven consumer hell we live in?
By the way, did you know that national tanning salon is named "Blacky."
Go ahead. Blow up my guestbook.
IS Ganguro WRONG?? Are WE wrong?
for those that want more info...
Here are some articles
1 | 2 | 3 | 4
or play the Gangurro Game where you have to charm a gangurro girl into having sex with you.
Ganguro Girl 1.5
