Platform shoes, miniskirts, dyed hair and dark skin. A group of ganguro gals is crossing the huge junction in Shibuya, laughing and talking while their heels are clicking on the even pavement. The girls are deeply tanned; their dyed blonde, silver or brown hair is adorned with hairpieces and sparkly slides. White lipstick and eye shadow is used as make up, combined with false eyelashes and black eyeliner. Their skirts and tops are in bright colours like pink or yellow and their jewellery is shining in the sunlight.

Ganguro (“gan” = face and “guro” = black) is one of the ‘older’ fashion trends among young Japanese women (and sometimes young men as well) which occurred around the year 2000. Ganguro gals are mostly hanging around Shibuya and Ikebukuro which are also known as the most famous fashion districts in Tokyo.

The frequently asked question is how such a trend could take over Japan when most of the girls prefer black hair and pale skin or follow the styles of their J-Pop idols. First, not everyone in Japan likes the ganguro style. Prejudices and negative statements are spread in the Japanese media when a small group of girls decided that they want to be different. New styles were combined, following the new American and European trends and suddenly the ganguro’s were populating the streets of Tokyo. The fashion magazine “Egg” (‘get wild and be sexy’) is famous for its articles about the newest ganguro trends and fashion styles.

There are also different styles of being a ganguro gal. The most famous is the ‘normal’ ganguro version. ‘Gonguro-Ganguro’ is known as another style- the girls prefer a very dark tan with super white make-up and lipstick and, of course, bleached hair. Another popular version of the ganguro style is the ‘Yamanba’, characterized by panda style make-up, ragtagged accessories and coloured extensions.

Now, what do you think about such a trend? Top or flop?

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