Ganguro - Japanese Girls Gone... Tan?

Shibuya - Known the world over as the fashion center of Japan, many strange and unique fashions run amuck: Lolita, Gothic Lolita, FrUiTs, but one style seems to be the most unusual of them all, and that style is 'Ganguro.'

With bleached, almost white hair, and very deep, dark tans, Ganguro is one style that stands out. It takes the traditional Japanese portrayal of beauty - pale skin, dark hair and conservative dressing - and flips is upside down. These girls are wild and continue to prove that Japanese fashion is a way of expression, not just what's in Vogue.

The look is said to be inspired by 'California School Girls', people that young Japanese women have been trying to imitate for some time. And like any style, it has more than a few sub-categories.

For example, there are the Himegyaru, who choose to dress in more of a princess style as opposed to the usual bright colours and plastic bracelets. They may keep their hair white, but not as white as the Manba.

Manba are the more shocking and interesting of the subcultures. Manba are a more modern division of the Yamanba, who are the original and extreme practitioners of the style. They go all the way with their tan, often gaining a shade so dark they are nicknamed 'Black Face', which the name is said to be derived from (Ganguro = 'Black Face' in Japanese slang.) They indulge in the most expensive clothing and accessories, from extensions to colored contact-lenses. They also wear a LOT of contrasting, white makeup, including white lipstick, white contouring makeup and white eye makeup in very large areas (also known as the Panda eyes.). Once upon a time they where also known for their cute face-stickers, but these have now moved out of fashion.

Ganguro is not a cheap hobby, either. Girls are stereotyped as spoiled brats, and are often teased with things such as "Do you have daddy's credit card?" Seems even in Japan one cannot escape such an outlook.

Ganguro however, are also almost always portrayed badly in Japanese media. It is not uncommon to hear rumors and misconceptions such as that Ganguro don't wash in order to keep their tans and makeup.

Another common story is that Ganguro are often involved in prostitution and pornography in order to finance their shopping habits. While the pornography allegations are mostly untrue (due to a high percentage of Ganguro being under the legal age), many Japanese teenagers, including Ganguro, are involved in 'compensated dating'. This Japanese term refers to dating agencies which set up older men with teenage girls. Both the agencies and the girl are paid a high amount for a 'date', and while sex is not guaranteed, it is often expected.

Ganguros also have a practice called 'Gal Circles.' These are groups of any number of Ganguro who often meet and 'hang out' in their respective cities. Each group often practice a dance style known as 'Para Para' together (which is sort of like line dancing, but cuter and with more arm movements, with each song having it's own routine.). The most respected and exclusive Gal Circle is 'Angeleek', with just 22 members in Tokyo.

While westerners may see Ganguro as a novelty or even a morbid curiosity, there are two things are are undeniable, one being that Japan is, indeed, a strange and unusual country. The other being that if you want dedication and hard work towards self-expression and style, rely on Japanese women to do it.