Ganguro
Ganguro (ガングロ) is an alternative fashion trend among young Japanese women.
The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo were the centers of ganguro fashion and it was started by rebellious youth who contradicted the traditional Japanese concept of beauty; pale skin, dark hair and neutral makeup tones. Ganguro instead tanned their skin, bleached their hair and used a lot of colourful makeup.[1]
The word ganguro translates to "blackface" and means heavily-sunburned face,[2] it is derived from the slang term gangankuroi (ガンガン黒い) meaning extremely dark.[3] The translation as blackface should not be confused with blackface makeup from the United States. Ganguro has a connection to Japanese folklore of ghosts and demons who are depicted with a similar appearance such as those in kabuki and noh costumes. This connection is further noted in the offshoot style called yamanba which is named after a mountain witch in Japanese folklore.[4]
The ganguro trend started in the mid-1990s and reached its peak by the latter half although became almost obsolete by 2000 as a bihaku craze emerged among young women who wanted to imitate the look of their favourite popular singers,[3] specifically Ayumi Hamasaki[5] who debuted at the time. The ganguro trend faded out afterwards and never caught on again.[6]
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Characteristics [edit]
Ganguro appeared as a new fashion style in Japan in the early 1990s and was prevalent mostly among young women. In ganguro fashion, a deep tan is combined with hair dyed in shades of orange to blonde, or a silver grey known as "high bleached". Black ink is used as eye-liner and white concealer is used as lipstick and eyeshadow. False eyelashes, plastic facial gems, and pearl powder are often added to this. Platform shoes and brightly coloured outfits complete the ganguro look. Also typical of ganguro fashion are tie-dyed sarongs, miniskirts, stickers on the face, and many bracelets, rings, and necklaces.[4]
Ganguro falls into the larger subculture of gyaru (from English "gal"), a slang term used for various groups of young women, usually referring to overly childish women. Researchers in the field of Japanese studies believe that ganguro is a form of revenge against traditional Japanese society due to resentment of neglect, isolation, and constraint of Japanese society. This is their attempt at individuality, self-expression, and freedom, in open defiance of school standards and regulations.
Fashion magazines like Egg and Ageha have had a direct influence on the ganguro. Other popular ganguro magazines include Popteen and Ego System. The ganguro culture is often linked with para para, a Japanese dance style. However, most para para dancers are not ganguro, and most ganguro are not para para dancers, though there are many who are ganguro or gal and dance para para.
One of the most famous early ganguro girls was known as Buriteri, nicknamed after the black soy sauce used to flavor yellowtail fish in teriyaki cooking. Egg made her a star by frequently featuring her in its pages during the height of the ganguro craze. After modelling and advertising for the Shibuya tanning salon "Blacky", social pressure and negative press convinced Buriteri to retire from the ganguro lifestyle.[7]
Yamanba and manba [edit]
Yamanba (ヤマンバ) and manba (マンバ) are styles which developed from Ganguro. Old school Yamanba and Manba (particularly known as 2004 Manba) featured dark tans and white lipstick, pastel eye make-up, tiny metallic or glittery adhesives below the eyes, brightly coloured circle lenses, plastic dayglo-coloured clothing, and incongruous accessories, such as Hawaiian leis. Stickers on the face died out shortly after 2004 and, for a while, Yamanba died. Manba is now more extreme, and hair is often multicoloured and usually synthetic. 2008's Manba has seen a darker tan, and no facial stickers. Hair is usually neon/bright colours, with pink being a favourite. Wool ("dreadlocks"), extensions and clips are worn to make hair appear longer. Clothing remains the same, although leis are worn less frequently now.[4]
Manba and Yamanba are not to be confused. Yamanba have white make-up only above the eye, while Manba has makeup below the eye also.[citation needed] Stuffed animals, bracelets, bells and hibiscuses are worn.[citation needed] The male equivalent is called a "Center guy" (センター街 Sentāgai),[citation needed] a pun on the name of a pedestrian shopping street near Shibuya Station in Tokyo where Yamanba and center guys are often seen.
Etymology [edit]
Ganguro practitioners say that the term derives from the phrase ganganguro (ガンガン黒, exceptionally dark). The term yamanba derives from Yama-uba, the name of a mountain hag in Japanese folklore whom the fashion is thought to resemble. Ganguro is now used to describe girls, or gals, with a tan, lightened hair and some brand clothing. This can often be confused with Oneegyaru (Big Sister Gal) and Serebu (Celeb), although Oneegyaru is usually associated with a lot of expensive gal brands and Serebu focuses on expensive western fashions.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Nicole Mowbray (2004-04-04). "Japanese girls choose whiter shade of pale | World news | The Observer". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^ http://eow.alc.co.jp/ガングロ/UTF-8/
- ^ a b http://www.ryuukou-maro.net/39.html
- ^ a b c "提言論文 かわいいマンバ － ガングロII・2004（2004年） - J-marketing.net produced by JMR生活総合研究所". Jmrlsi.co.jp. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^ 姫島, 貴人 (2001). ロードガイア. 文芸社. ISBN 4835511018.
- ^ http://npn.co.jp/article/detail/22033181/
- ^ Macias, Patrick; Evers, Izumi (2007). Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno: Tokyo Teen Fashion Subculture Handbook. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-8118-5690-4.
External links [edit]
- The Ganguro Effect
- "British followers of Japanese fashion"—BBC World Service article
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