Gyaru History: 1980s-2000

やっほー～！Gyaru blog time~

Breaking news... I HATE my Gyaru 101 blog, so I deleted it!

It's the first blog I ever posted, so I'm trying to give myself a smidgen of grace here... But ack!!! It's dreadful!!! Therefore, drumroll please... I'm rewriting it! Right here, right now! Since I've written many blogs explaining what I was trying to convey in the original blog, I will be linking to them quite a bit, just so this revised version doesn't get too bogged down with my history lessons. God knows the original most certainly did... Prepare for some of the information to be quite a bit different, because little 18-year-old me was horrifically misinformed! Pardon me while I wallow in humiliation... Anyway! I think this blog will be significantly superior in every way, so...~

Take a seat, students! Antama is about to yap!

The term Gyaru (ギャル) is the Japanese loanword of the English word "girl."

The term first began to be used in Japan sometime within the 1970's and into the 1980's, with a multitude of connotations and meanings. As the use of the word Gyaru can be traced back to the 1970's, many incorrectly believe that the Gyaru subculture itself began in the 70's proper, but this is inaccurate. 

Gyaru, as we understand it today, is more of a product of the 80s with the rise of another specific subculture: Bodikon. For an in-depth exploration of Bodikon and the historical factors that play into it, please check out my blog, but to keep things brief, Bodikon came about during the Bubble Era of Japan. The Bubble Era was a time of immense economic prosperity, and young people across Japan suddenly had a lot more disposable income. Young women in particular enjoyed this economic bubble, as this was one of the first times women in Japan began working outside of the home on a large scale.

As Japan's economy flourished, things like nightlife became popular amongst these young people. Clubbing and discotheques were especially popular, and that's where the Bodikon trend took root. University students and young corporate professionals alike would flock to the hottest nightclubs starting in Osaka, but the scene eventually exploded in Tokyo. Here, many a girl would don her tightest, most form-fitting dresses and high heels for a night of dancing the night away. 

Bodikon fashion, 1980's

Club and discotheque culture quickly became very mainstream in Japan. Once again, more information on the evolution of Bodikon and the club scene can be found in my blog, but as the 80's wore on and the 1990's dawned, Bodikon was one of the leading youth trends. Late-night variety shows aired specials that showcased the activities in the clubs, particularly those of Juliana's Tokyo, as they had their own "Juliana's Live" TV specials starting in 1992. VHS tapes from the clubs, as well as CDs of the music that dominated the scene, were sold to consumers. Soon enough, the media coverage held a massive spotlight on the Bodikon scene, and there was a large audience that enjoyed it. 

Bodikon at its most extreme

Of course, the clubs and discos mainly kept to a young adult clientele, but that didn't stop a certain demographic from wanting in on the action.

Like I mentioned before, in 1991, a new club popped up in Tokyo: Juliana's. Juliana's was a big hit, with their aforementioned live TV specials and record sales, and because they did something no other club had ever done before... They were the first club in Japan to play techno music! By the mid-90s, it had cemented itself as a Bodikon hotspot, and the teenage admirers of Bodikon would often fake their ages and use fake IDs to get in. They would often be clocked immediately by club staff and patrons, calling them kokosei gyaru, or "high school girls," which was shortened to Kogyaru. This is the first instance of the name Gyaru as we know it being used.

As trends shifted and Bodikon fizzled out, the Kogyaru did not disappear. They began tanning, dyeing their hair, wearing extreme makeup, and incorporating their school uniforms into their looks. Some traded in their uniform blazers for cardigans, they started wearing loose socks that hung over their shoes, and shortened their skirts. From 1994 and further into the 90s, there was also a boom in the Loco Girl (ロコガール) aesthetic, meant to emulate "local girls" from Hawaii, that influenced Kogyaru aesthetics (I'm planning to write a blog about this, so I'll link more in-depth information when it becomes available). 

Kogyaru, 1990s

At this point, many people attribute the rise of Gyaru fashion to a desire to rebel against traditional Japanese beauty standards, but that's not entirely accurate either. As Kogyaru was born from residual Bubble Era prosperity, the main focus was on consumer culture, following trends, and standing out; they took cues from fashion trends overseas, particularly those of Black Americans and Native Hawaiians. It's hard to stress just how mainstream Kogyaru became as the 90's wore on, but all this to say, the rebellious nature of Kogyaru was by and large a byproduct, not the entire motivation. Kogyaru was meant to be trendy and fashionable, and it was not necessarily a political/social statement on the way women and girls were treated in Japan.

Shibuya 109

The department store Shibuya 109 became increasingly essential to the Kogyaru population, as well. Shibuya had long been a hub for youth fashion trends (especially Yankii), and as the Kogyaru style became more and more mainstream, a multitude of stores began catering to the tastes of Kogals. Shibuya 109 was so beloved, in fact, that the shopping bags (shoppers) from the stores within became part of the Kogyaru uniform, so to speak. The mall remains a cornerstone of Gyaru culture today.

Namie Amuro

In 1995, a certain celebrity emerged and immediately struck a chord with Kogyaru. Born in Okinawa, Namie Amuro began her career as an idol in 1991 with the group Super Monkeys. Although it took some time for the group to see success, their single "Try Me" was a hit; it was produced by the Eurobeat legend David Rogers, and it led the other Super Monkey's members to form a sub-group under Avex Trax, with Amuro following suit in 1995. Her style, which she credits American stars like Janet Jackson and TLC for inspiring, and her early Eurobeat-inspired sound made her into a Kogyaru icon almost immediately. Kogals began emulating her heavily and created what is believed to be the first Gyaru substyle: Amuro. Platform boots, black turtlenecks, and miniskirts (especially ones in the classic Burberry plaid) became wardrobe staples for the Kogals trying to mimic their favorite idol.

Amuro style

Another style was inspired by a celebrity around the late 90's. Debuting in 1998, Ayumi Hamasaki was pursued by producer Max Matsura (who also worked with Namie Amuro), at first to sing at the nightclub Velfarre in 1996; she turned the offer down, but she eventually agreed to work with Matsura and prepared to debut throughout 1997. Hamasaki achieved near-immediate success, and she was a massive hit with the Kogyaru crowd. In a 2000 NTV documentary focusing on Hamasaki, gals were featured talking about how much her music spoke to them. 

Ayumi Hamasaki in promotional material for Tu-Ka, 2000-2003

Like Namie Amuro, gals began emulating her style, as well, being called "Ayu-gals" as a further homage to the idol.

Ayu-gal style

Soon enough, the term Kogyaru was reserved for gals in high school, with Gyaru becoming the broader umbrella term. Gyaru continued to evolve and remained in the public consciousness in Japan, with more styles and higher extremes being reached as the years passed. And none of that would have happened if a few high school girls never decided to sneak into Tokyo nightclubs in the 1980s.

If you've made it to the end, thank you so much for reading! It's a bit bittersweet to be writing this, since I'm replacing my first-ever Gyaru blog, but I think this is a good thing all the same! I feel so much better about the information I've featured here, and I feel confident that this is a good-enough summary of early Gyaru culture without making this 500,000 words long, lol~ Like always, feel free to comment whatever you like~ I'll be back again soon with another Gyaru blog~!

Remember, Antama loves you~!

Kiss kiss~ ☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)chu