Painted Faces (Ganguro, Kogal and Yamamba)

[Sinestra]

I had a question about a trend thats going on in japan with girls painting their faces brown i think the name for these girls are Ganguro. Does anyone know why this trend started and if there is any special or signifcant behind it or is it just a fad?

[NoSanninWa]

Oh dear. This again. I'm not sure if we've got another ganguro, kogal or yamamba thread around, but I think I'll take the time to answer your question regardless.

This fad began when it became popular for girls to go on expensive trips to Hawaii. Since most young girls couldn't afford these trips on their own, they slept with rich men who could afford them. These rather sleezy girls got their sugar daddies to take them on long trips to Hawaii from which they came back quite tanned. Once it became popular amongst that clique to become tanned, immitators sprang up. Girls started to go to tanning salons so that they could pretend that they were also going on ultra expensive trips. Then it escalated with girls deciding that their faces weren't quite tanned enough, to establish their credentials as leaders in their peer group, so they tanned even more as a mark of their greatness.

Well... that's how it started. Now you know why girls who follow this trend are considered to be the sorts who would sleep with men for money or favors. This then leads into discussions of enjo kousai, which means 'assisted dating.' Enjo kousai is a term for school girls who offer to sleep with grown men for money, gifts or trips. And I find it shocking that there are so many Japanese school girl prostitues that it has its own word.

[Catgirls]

Originally Posted by Sinestra

I had a question about a trend thats going on in japan with girls painting their faces brown i think the name for these girls are Ganguro. Does anyone know why this trend started and if there is any special or signifcant behind it or is it just a fad?

I'll post my obligatory Wikipedia.com link and then I'm sure someone from Japan can fill it in a bit better.

-> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganguro

Ganguro (ガングロ), literally "black-face", is a fashion trend among Japanese girls which peaked in popularity from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, an outgrowth of chapatsu hair dyeing. The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo are the center of ganguro fashion.

The basic look consists of bleached hair, a deep tan, both black and white eyeliners, false eyelashes, platform shoes (usually sandals or boots), and brightly colored outfits. Also typical of the "Ganguro Gal" look are cell phones covered with purikura stickers, tie-dyed sarongs, mini-skirts, hibiscus flower hairpins, and lots of bracelets, rings and necklaces.

Extreme trend followers further bleach their hair up to a platinum blond shade, get even deeper tans, wear white lipstick, multicolored pastel eyeshadows and tiny metallic or glittery adhesives around the bottom rim of the eye sockets (See Yamanba). Popular Ganguro magazines include: Egg, Popteen, and Ego System.

In an interview with Tony Barrell, Creator of FRUiTS magazine, Shoichi Aoki, stated: "Ganguro was a phenomenon that was specific to Shibuya, about 1km away from Harajuku - which we have been talking about - and they were totally different so FRUiTS as a rule didn’t really take them up. Only a few times we’ve covered ganguro in our magazine. Where they came from is actually a mystery, no one really knows but there is some speculation that they were girls who were infatuated or fascinated with Janet Jackson or black American musicians or perhaps Naomi Campbell, the supermodel, but it’s still a mystery what their origins were."

There is some dispute surrounding the etymology of the word "ganguro." Many claim the name itself, "Black face" support this. This also goes against Ganguro itself, because many people are seeing it as racist and comparing it to the "Black Face" of early 1900's culture in America.

(read more)

The write up here is fairly comprehensive. There’s more to the entry if you’re interested, follow the white rabbit.

/Edit: damn...way pwned by NoSanninWa.

[Yakult]

Originally Posted by NoSanninWa

Oh dear. This again. I'm not sure if we've got another ganguro, kogal or yamamba thread around, but I think I'll take the time to answer your question regardless.

This fad began when it became popular for girls to go on expensive trips to Hawaii. Since most young girls couldn't afford these trips on their own, they slept with rich men who could afford them. These rather sleezy girls got their sugar daddies to take them on long trips to Hawaii from which they came back quite tanned. Once it became popular amongst that clique to become tanned, immitators sprang up. Girls started to go to tanning salons so that they could pretend that they were also going on ultra expensive trips. Then it escalated with girls deciding that their faces weren't quite tanned enough, to establish their credentials as leaders in their peer group, so they tanned even more as a mark of their greatness.

Well... that's how it started. Now you know why girls who follow this trend are considered to be the sorts who would sleep with men for money or favors. This then leads into discussions of enjo kousai, which means 'assisted dating.' Enjo kousai is a term for school girls who offer to sleep with grown men for money, gifts or trips. And I find it shocking that there are so many Japanese school girl prostitues that it has its own word.

Wow... sleep with old men for money and items x_x I never knew that (:

[NoSanninWa]

Originally Posted by Catgirls

-> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganguro The write up here is fairly comprehensive. There’s more to the entry if you’re interested, follow the white rabbit.

The white rabit goes far indeed. There's a lot for people to discover about the seemy side of Japanese culture.

Unfortunately the information I gave about its origins isn't available online any place that I know if. I learned it from a Japanese fashion student who was a guest at a anime convention and I believe what she said.

[Catgirls]

Originally Posted by NoSanninWa

Unfortunately the information I gave about its origins isn't available online any place that I know if. I learned it from a Japanese fashion student who was a guest at a anime convention and I believe what she said.

Yeah, your post is actually very interesting indeed. I had heard of this "fashion" trend a while ago, but not some of the facts you posted. Much of what I knew was on the Wikipeidia entry. Hmmm...maybe in needs to be updated?

[Eclipze]

At first glance of the thread title, I had thought it had something to do with soccer fans painting their faces with their country or soccer club flags/logos.

Boy was I fooled.

[aahhsin]

Originally Posted by NoSanninWa

Oh dear. This again. I'm not sure if we've got another ganguro, kogal or yamamba thread around, but I think I'll take the time to answer your question regardless.

This fad began when it became popular for girls to go on expensive trips to Hawaii. Since most young girls couldn't afford these trips on their own, they slept with rich men who could afford them. These rather sleezy girls got their sugar daddies to take them on long trips to Hawaii from which they came back quite tanned. Once it became popular amongst that clique to become tanned, immitators sprang up. Girls started to go to tanning salons so that they could pretend that they were also going on ultra expensive trips. Then it escalated with girls deciding that their faces weren't quite tanned enough, to establish their credentials as leaders in their peer group, so they tanned even more as a mark of their greatness.

Well... that's how it started. Now you know why girls who follow this trend are considered to be the sorts who would sleep with men for money or favors. This then leads into discussions of enjo kousai, which means 'assisted dating.' Enjo kousai is a term for school girls who offer to sleep with grown men for money, gifts or trips. And I find it shocking that there are so many Japanese school girl prostitues that it has its own word.

I think I'll go to Japan, and be a rich arrogant American there. They'll have to come for me! Foreigners (From My point of view, you techincal nazis) love rich Americans!

[raikage]

Originally Posted by aahhsin

I think I'll go to Japan, and be a rich arrogant American there. They'll have to come for me! Foreigners (From My point of view, you techincal nazis) love rich Americans!

If I recall correctly, you're Asian (like myself), right?

They won't care about you.

[DaFool]

Ahaha if only I can capture a photo of an advertisement for skin-whitening lotion.

The world is funny indeed and full of idiots who want the exact opposite of what they have.

[Lina Inverse]

Originally Posted by Sinestra

I had a question about a trend thats going on in japan with girls painting their faces brown i think the name for these girls are Ganguro. Does anyone know why this trend started and if there is any special or signifcant behind it or is it just a fad?

These ganguro are absolutely *ugly* beyond belief...
Painting your face brwon... just how braindead *can* you possibly get!?
One of the things which are really great about Japan is that they generally don't have this truly disgusting tanning craze, but of course there have to be some braindead retards who still do it

Ok, enough of my rant, but it always pisses me off if I see this crap.

[Sinestra]

well thanks to everyone who posted i really had no idea it was like that. I am was really shocked when i read about it i mean damn high school girls paid dates and sleeping with minors. I am not going to judge who the japanese do things cause thats not my place, more than anything i find it amusing. Being a black american my self i would love to go there and talk to one of these girls and see there reaction talking to someone who skin naturally brown all year round.

[sorvani]

Originally Posted by NoSanninWa

And I find it shocking that there are so many Japanese school girl prostitues that it has its own word.

and TV drama's like Kamisama mou sukoishi dake. The main character contracts HIV for selling herself as a schoolgirl, just to go to a concert. Ok there is alot more to the story, but my point is they wouldn't have made her get it from prostitution if it wasn't so common.