When the time for our project began to lurk towards us this semester, my initial reaction was panic. There are many interesting things from Japan that Americans are aware of, especially many products from Japan, but I wanted to do a project that was different and interested me at the same time. One day I came across a Tumblr blog about gyaru. I had always seen pictures of these girls adorned with thick makeup, styled hair, and trendy clothes. Since I had a prior interest in makeup and hair, I found that this look and culture drew me in. This is why for my final project I decided to study gyaru fashion subculture. This is a brief video posted on how to be gyaru.
For many years now, Japan has been known for their wide array of different fashion. Many fashion blogs are popular for their “Japanese Street Fashion” blogs and celebrities such as Katy Perry, Gwen Stefani, and Lady Gaga have all been seen with dressed in clothes and makeup with Japanese influence and vice versa. The fashion conscious movement in Japan has evolved into many different subcultures in the cities, creating many different districts known for certain styles. For instance in the Shibuya district, located in Tokyo, gyaru is a very prominent style that young women that has slowly influenced others, such as men and married women, dress in. Shibuya’s main style is “ero kawaii” or erotic and cute. gyaru, the Japanese transliteration for the word "gal" is one of the popular styles that have been garnering interest not only in Japan but throughout other Asian countries and is slowly moving towards the West as well [8].
Celebrities with Japanese influence
As mentioned before, Japanese fashion is not just limited to gyaru, but there are many different fashion subcultures that have grown along with gyaru. Within 60 years Japanese fashion evolved greatly from the more traditional styles of Japanese clothing. The roots of gyaru began in the 70s when consumerism grew due to the introduction of designer brands. The term gyaru was coined in 1972 in a Wrangler jeans ad, but it wasn't until 1979 where it was prominently mentioned in a Sawada Kenji song ("Oh! Gyaru") that people began using it [1]. Consumerism hit its peak in the 1980s and Japan hit a bubble economy [9]. Gyaru cannot be labeled as one specific look. The reason being that there are many different subcategories of gyaru, and along with these subcategories people often mix and match different style, so often it is really hard to categorize specifically. There is no gyaru look that is really set in stone. The easiest way to identify a gyaru girl is if they have heavy makeup and are dressed in a trendy manner. Although many often seem to label the type of clothing and makeup as western mimicry, Japan has taken the little bit of influence that they received from the West and transformed it into their own unique brand of style.
Since there are so many subcategories of gyaru, I will only go over the prominent and or more controversial and distinct styles that were/are worn by gyaru girls. The youth that follow these trends are often seen to be misfits and seen as a form of youth rebellion. Japan had always been more of a patriarchal society. Before Western influence, women were all expected to act and dress in their given roles. It was not until 1945-1960s after the Second World War that Japanese people become more influenced by American culture and formed tribes called “zoku” and members of these different tribes wore more deviant styles are acted out [8]. We will be looking at some of the history of how these girls’ subcultures were produced as well to understand the public perception. So let us get started.
First, I will be looking at B-gyaru girls. People often inaccurately label Baika, Bosozoku, and B-gals altogether with B-gyaru, but they are two distinct categories. Often, the “B” in B-gyaru is mistakenly known to mean “black” because of these girls’ tan skin color and their tendency to wear more urban style dress and hairstyles. However, unlike the derogatory nature of meaning, people often say that the “B” in B-gyaru actually comes from the “B” in R&B. The reason is because these girls dress like the hip hop artist that are predominantly of African American descent. These girls do go for a more street style look but the amount of influence varies. Another way that they usually distinguish themselves is often, most B-gyaru girls get real tans whereas other forms of gyaru use makeup and artificial tans to achieve their look. There is a feminine element in all the gyaru styles, so even this somewhat tougher look has a very womanly take. These girls try to go for a very nonchalant and blasé attitude, so when they pose for cameras, often they are seen posing with calm and confident poses. Baika, Bosozoku, or B-gals are also somewhat similar to B-gyaru and wear hip hop style clothing, but are more inclined towards biker chic and more of a punk influence in their wardrobe. These girls can also have influences from Yanki (Yankee) as well as miruteri (military) because they all have similar elements and articles of clothing that are popular within the subculture.
B-gal with head phone, B-gal modeling clothes, baika gals
The next culture I looked at was Hime gyaru. It literally means “princess gal”. These girls can be identified easily because they dress in a very princess-esque and girly manner. Their clothes are usually white or pink and they dye their hair a range of blond to brown. As seen in the picture below, these girls often times tend to have very garish hairstyle adorned with many accessories such as bows and roses to achieve that lovely princess look they are opting for (as seen in the picture below). The over teased hair can either be out of their own hair or they can buy wigs and extensions. The big hair and big accessories help the girls achieve a tiny looking face. Depending on the preference of the person, they can try to go for a more sophisticated and mature hime look or a cuter and more infantile version of the look. This look is often mistaken as Lolita, but there are very interestingly similar but actually have very different aspects and lifestyles.
Hime gyaru girl with many hair accessories and big hair
Wedding dress adorned with roses
Both styles can be similar, but most people often do not realize there are many different subcategories of Lolita. The styles that people often mistaken as Lolita are: sweet Lolita or ama-loli, some classic Lolita, and Hime Lolita. Hime Lolita is often credited to find its influences from hime gyaru. Lookwise, hime gyaru and the styles of Lolita mentioned do look very similar. Both styles are very feminine and adorned with accessories that look “princess-y”. However, there are many differences that make these subcultures distinct. The clothes, makeup, and accessories of this culture have slightly different styles; loli is more inclined towards rococo, Romantic and Victorian styles and are more cute and childish. Hime is more modern and dramatic. Lolita style also consists of lots of layers and it is important to cover up. They want to achieve that “cupcake” shape by wearing petticoats and bell skirts. While gyaru girls tend to be more flashy, sexy, and outgoing, surprisingly Lolita girls are not like that (which may be surprising based on their name). Even if “Lolita” may act as a signifier and signify the idea “sex”, according to Miller, Japan has “loanwords” in the language where English words are adopted and made into pseudo-Anglicisms. These are often taken as “wasei-eigo” or “gairaigo”.
The reason I brought this point up is because “Lolita” does not signify what it signifies in the West as it does in the East. “Lolita” may direct the mind to the Lolita complex and signify sex; the east perceives it more as a group of confused or lost young women and their rejection of adulthood. Or as Evers and Macias puts it, “arty girls in the grips of complicated relationships with gender, femininity, and the painful process of growing up.” [7]. Therefore because of these qualities in Loli girls, they tend to be more child-like and have a more vulnerable and mysterious appearance. The gyaru are much flashier and are more seen as socialites. Looking at the photos of gyaru and loli girls, one can see that the gyaru girls pose very confidently and looks directly at the camera, whereas the loli girls pose in a very demure manner and tend to pose with a look of curiosity or completely avert their gazes. If they do pose for pictures, it is in a very bashful way. As Macias stated, “The Lolita look evolved out of the Japanese underground scene. The Hime Gals (bless them) seem to have scant in their pretty little heads but the desire to play dress-up and look like a million bucks. If both the Hime Gals and the Lolitas seem to belong together in the same rococo painting, it’s purely a weird accident of parallel evolution.” [7] In the picture below, it may be hard to distinguish the gyaru and loli girls, but if you look closely, you can tell that the Gyaru girls are wearing all brand names and dressed more chicly. The loli girls look more childlike and are all not looking at the camera. They are also dressed in more of a Victorian style. Also hime gyaru girls usually wear heels and loli girls never do.
Himer gyaru girls trying to look cute
Lolita girls
Another form of gyaru, possibly the most easily identifiable style of gyaru is kôkôsei gyaru (or kogal for short). Often, the terms “gyaru” and “kogyaru” are used interchangeably. These girls are the ones that may actually fuel the Lolita fantasy of Japanese men. Kogal means “high school gal” and their look is distinctive. They appear to be high school girls with a darker skin tone and lighter hair color. They choose this style to go against school standards. They wear school uniforms and an automatic and definite trait will be them wearing loose socks.
Kogal girls wearing signature loose socks
This look was popularized by a popstar named Namie Amuro, who promoted this look. Kogals are seen as conspicuous consumers and the general public views them as spoiled little girls who waste their parents’ money. Traditionalist and/or critics of this culture view these girls as mirroring the spiritual emptiness in modern Japanese life. Another reason for their public persecution may be the numerous cases of enjo-kōsai. Enjo-kōsai means “assisted or compensated dating” and it is a practice where older men give money and/or gifts to women for escorting them or sexual favors. On the 1996 issue of Gendai Weekly, the words “The old man is nothing but a purse” were printed and stunned the nation. Those words were expressed by an eighth-grade girl who made $4,000 a month “meeting” middle-aged [4]. Because of cases like this, people often make many witticisms and wisecracks about their socks. Some people would say loose socks are equivalent to loose sex. According to Yonehara Yasumasa (the founder of egg magazine), the first kogal were delinquent private school students with rich delinquent boyfriends. The boys were in gangs that cruised around Shibuya, and they were called chiimaa (teamer). These adolescents were infamous for mugging and intimidating weak middle aged men. What is somewhat ironic is that most kogals were relatively well off and only did this out of boredom and to buy more things [2]. Unlike the Lolita girls, these girls were ready to grow up, so they began to rebel by dating older men and eroticizing their appearance. They tanned their skin to appear healthier and more “current”. These girls, as seen in the photos, want to be seen as objects of desire and want to look sexy while at the same time maintaining their youthful appearance by acting more cutesy. They act the way they want to in public, being rambunctious and outgoing. There was another style from kogal that evolved after kogal had peaked in 1999, and that style is ganguro.
Ganguro girl picking her nose
Looking at ganguro (which means black face), one can see that it is an exaggeration of Kogal. At first glance, it may be puzzling to some why these girls dress the way they do. The melted brown foundation they put on their faces, the white pearly makeup that is streaked on top of their features to bring out what the brown washed out, all of these aspects of ganguro terrified the male dominated media. These girls are deemed very unladylike and would often pick their noses, burp, and fart in public for all to see.
As stated on Neojaponisme.com, “The extreme character of the kogal movement post-’99 immediately displaced mainstream society’s original feelings of curiosity and lust with something new: massive antagonism” [2]. Calling them “yamamba” or witches, these girls were destroyed by the “male press” or oyaji zasshi. In Bad Girls of Japan, the essay “Black Faces, Witches, and Racism against Girls” even a Japanese female stated, “In all honesty, I have seen very few girls sporting the style that brings me even close to thinking, ‘Without that makeup, she must be a beauty, what a waste’ ”[6]. In Bad girls, it stated that commentary on the girls often “entwined with a derogatory and pseudo-Darwinian commentary about dark-skinned girls” [6]. However, if one were to look at a ganguro girl’s background, the way they dress may be a little bit more comprehensible. These girls come from a lower socioeconomic class, so often they do not have college aspirations. People also state that many of these girls tend to be less cute than kogal girls, so perhaps the ganguro look offered them an escape and bond with other girls with similar struggles. According to Dick Hebdige, “Girls have invented their own uniforms in order to mark themselves in opposition to the values of mainstream society. But she is angered that, ‘society just merrily misinterprets [the look] as a form of animal coloring or tribal decoration’ [10].
Ganguro girls
Gyaru culture is something that is so simple, but has greatly affected Japanese society. Although compared to the rise in the late 1990s and early 2000s there may be less gyaru girls, there are still plenty out there showing themselves. Some have added changes to their style and borrowed different style elements to create new subcategories. This is a picture of gyaru mamas. These are young woman who have transitioned into motherhood and instead of retiring their gyaru fashion, they choose to continue their lifestyle, embellishing their babies' strollers with trendy prints and still managing to look fierce [5]. Seeing the photos of these women, you can see that they still pose in a very calm and confident manner.
Gyaru mamas
Not only women, but this fashion movement influenced some men to dress in this manner. They are called gyaru-o (male gyaru). The men tanned their skin and bleached their hair. They would also where some forms of makeup (skin, eye, and nails). Often, they style them in fashion mullets. Many of these men were looked down upon because the "normal" men would often make fun of them for their effeminacy[6].
Gyaru-o in a photobooth
Since more and more Japanese women prefer being pale, a new genre of gyaru called "shiro gyaru" (porcelain gal) or "white gyaru" has become more popular[5]. They take the same style as gyaru girls, but keep their skin white. These girls have been appealing to the masses because they have the beautiful skin, but they also have the glamour and trendy element of gyaru girls. These girls are the ones that have been appealing to the other Asian countries, such as China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc. Another look that goes really well with shiro gyaru is Koakuma Ageha (which means "little devil"), which got popular in c.2008 [1].
Shiro gyaru girl looking ero kawaii, girl looking innocent
The influence has not only spread to Asian countries, but has moved towards the West, thanks to social media outlets such as Youtube and Tumblr. The interesting mix of "sex" and "cute" are appealing to the West. Also, the makeup techniques allow for a dramatic eye look, but due to the lack of color and neutral colors, this look is flexible and can go with both night and day looks. These foreigners are called gaijin gyaru (foreigner gyaru)[5].
Gaijin gyaru from America
After seeing so many images of Gyaru girls, one may wonder why these girls continue to do this look. There is so much money, effort, and time that goes into this look. As seen with ganguro girls, not a lot of them are considered attractive. So one may wonder why they go through with this culture. Although the number of gyaru girls have declined since the early 2000s, the there are still hardcore gyaru girls that continue this look after growing up. The look is something that gives these girls a sense of identity in the busy and tumultuous city. It is something that helps them stand out among the "normal" people and also meet people of similar interests and socioeconomic backgrounds. Even if a look is considered to be, in general, "weird", standing with your friends that are dressed the same gives you confidence and helps you not care about what other say. These girls are so closely knit that they even have their own words and text that they use called gyaru moji [3]. This look exists because it is a way for young women who want to grow up to express their desire with the way they look during that ambiguous transition. The reason it may stay popular within the Japanese fashion world may be its flexibility and ability to modify to the current trends.
This is my final project update. For my project, I will take into consideration what Professor Mizenko said to focus on, so I will focus a little on the enjo-kōsai in Kogyaru girl culture. Along with this I will focus on the difference between Loli and Hime, because like Professor Mizenko said, it is very interesting that they can be so similar yet so different at the same time. I find ganguro girls fascinating, so I will focus a little more on them as well as why they have declined in Japan. I would also like to touch a little more on the history of Japanese consumerism and fashion (as well as the history of Western influence) so that I can have a better understanding of the development of identity through these subgroups. Hopefully, along the way, I can find more interesting visual representations that I could analyze.
For my project, I have decided to research on the Gyaru subculture/fashion. For additional sources, I feel like the last few articles we were required to read really fit in with my topic. Like Professor Mizenko suggested, I will be using ideas from the Laurie Miller article as well as "Japanese Fashion Subcultures" and "Japanese Street Style". I feel like I will be comparing the western ideal of what beauty is and how it influenced Japanese culture, and how Japan evolved it into their own brand of beauty. Along with those articles, there is also a book called "Bad girls of Japan" by Laurie Miller that goes more in depth with this subculture. "Globalization, Culture, and Inequality in Asia" is another book I will look into for more information and ideas. The gyaru look has spread across the globe and people can be seen all around the world recreating the look.
For my final project, I will research on Gyaru fashion. Not many people may know of Gyaru, but if they were to see an image of a gyaru girl they would have an idea what it is. Gyaru is simply a transliteration of the English word "gal". It is the very hip and trendy, fashion conscious movement in young women. Women typically dye their hair lighter and tan their skin; it is described as being "girly-glam" style. Although that is the typical look, gyaru has many subcategories and other subcultures are influenced by gyaru as well.
I will be focusing on the Western influence and consumerism in gyaru subculture. I chose this topic because I always found Japanese women in this subculture so unique and interesting. They look so different from the traditional Japanese woman and they look somewhat Caucasian, but not really. It was interesting how the women go through so much effort to look the way they do every day. Gyaru was really popular in Japan, but now is spreading around the world.
This piece is called "In The Floating World (Full Moon Night)" by, Yoshitomo Nara. This lithograph was done in 1999. I did this piece because I really like how the artist incorporated Ukiyo-e into his piece, making it look like the little child barged into the image and causing terror.
What makes this image interesting is how the image has so many different "layers" to it when there really are no dimensions in this print. It is a really flat image. In one way, it looks like the girl actually bit the head off of the man, but in another way it looks like she may have just drawn over the print. Also with the little girl, Yoshitomo Nara drew her with very blunt lines and her face lack's shadows, but the way her eyes are drawn really add a sort of dimension to this print. They are somewhat mysterious, and really offset her dull and pale skin. She looks pissed off, hungry, evil, and empty all at once. It kind of looks like she just woke up from a nap or is about to take a nap and is extremely cranky. So cranky, that she would chomp somebody's head off. The title is written in red on the bottom of the print, making it look like it was written with the blood of the unfortunate victim. It's great how Yoshitomo Nara would draw the girl in place of a regular full moon and completely change the print from being a standard Ukiyo-e print into this mischievous and playful work.
This piece is called, "Fish Market" by Chiho Aoshima. Chiho Aoshima is a part of Takashi Murakami's KaiKai KiKi collective. This work was done in 1999 and is a digital print on cellophane. I did this piece because I thought it was really weird and it drew my attention rather than her other works, which are really colorful and look ethereal.
Like her other works, this piece has a mixture of what appears to be innocent and light with a sort of dark and gothic feel. The woman and the fish getting butchered all have smiles on their faces. They are set in a unknown white space and it makes the print lack depth. it almost looks as if she's just floating along chopping up fish. Her and the fish all have a somewhat infantile look to them. it's sort of creepy when your eyes see the blood dripping knife and then you notice all the butchered fish and pools of blood. From there you can also see and realize that her eyes (and the fish's eyes) look somewhat hollow and just staring at the viewer. She may look like a fragile innocent women with her pigtails and wiping off her sweat, but the overall picture gives a very eery feel.
"Round About Midnight No.7" (1977) by, MARUYAMA Hiroshi
Edition 7/50
Woodblock print
19 1/4x 253/8
MARUYAMA Hiroshi was born in Tochigi prefecture in 1953. He graduated from Tokyo School of Fine Arts. The artist works in abstract style, playing with different forms. Merritt and Yamada wrote of his work, "prints of the 1970's featured wide bands of deftly printed color undulating across dark backgrounds".
This print is called "Round About Midnight No. 7". It appears to have been named after Miles Davis' 1956 album, Round About Midnight". At the time of this print's production, Japan was one of the most responsive cultures to American music. Kissaten (or Japanese style coffee shops) were dispersed around the cities. They played popular jazz music on great stereos; these were great places for people to just hang out. MARUYAMI Hiroshi was one of the youths that were very much involved in this movement and loved jazz.
This piece is a woodblock print piece. The colored bands that gradate form two trumpet bells. One could look at this piece and think that is all to it, but there was a lot more thought and time that must have gone through this piece. The way the colors blend so seamlessly into the the black background must have took a lot of time and technique. The choice of colors seem thought out nicely. The blues and greens over the black give this print a sense of quiescence but also how the colors sweep up and down give it a sense of motion. There are also warm colors (red, orange, and yellow) that are spiked between the blues and greens giving the image a little punch. The white down the middle is interesting because in the midst of the blacks and blues it stands out and draws the viewer in initially; afterwards, it lets the viewers make out the shape of the two trumpets and start getting a sense of what the print may try to convey.
When I first saw this piece, I did not know the background of the piece and just tried to look at it and figure out how I felt. I didn't even know it was a woodblock print because it was so different from typical woodblock styles. I felt very peaceful looking at the piece, but thought that the white had a interesting, almost violent affect on the piece. It didn't ruin the piece, but it was a nice sharp contrast compared to the calm waves of color. After learning of the background information of this piece, I felt I understood what MARUYAMA was trying to portray. The ways the bold bands are arranged and based on the color choices, it seems that MARUYAMA may have been trying to render a sense of sound or movement. The way the colors form valleys and the shading make it seem like the colors are angled toward the viewer, so it's almost as if the colors are coming at you. After listening to Miles Davis' album, I could get a sense of why he chose the particular color combination he used. The instruments used were played very soothingly but there would be times in the song where the instruments would crescendo and play with a bang, or there would be times the music would pause and then play with a bang. What I got from this print is that when the artist listened to jazz, they felt a sense of serenity but also felt a little festive and fun. It seems like he is trying to show the essence of jazz.
This is a piece by HIROSHIGE Utagawa. This print is depicting a scene of two oiran or courtesans at the entrance of Yoshiwara pleasure quarters in Edo, leaving for work. There are cherry blossoms behind them, illuminated by the paper lanterns and the full moon. The Yoshiwara pleasure quarter glows compared to the outside of the entrance.
Initially looking at the print, the quality of the print is rather dull. It is a loose print and the paper was faded and had a couple creases on the edges. The print is mostly blue and black based, with little splashes of tan color and white. The ink quality of the print was dull and the colors either bled outside of the lines. Some of the ink did not fill inside the lines completely, so some of the paper is showing. There are a couple blue splotch stains throughout the print. The blues and black colors are not distinct so some of the women's hairs blend into the clothing and into the crowd of people. The edges of the moon are not sharp and overall there is little definition throughout the print. The print's width was longer than the height, so it was perhaps chūban or aiban. The print looks somewhat realistic in a sense that the author made a successful effort in creating depth. The objects and people themselves are not drawn realistically but the angles and proportions are good enough in creating some depth. Since the artist drew both the inside of Yoshiwara and outside, as the viewer it is as if you are standing right in the middle and witnessing the whole scene.
Looking at the scene as a whole, it appears to be a spring night in Edo, and it appears that people that were travelling and touring are leaving as well as the two oiran who are leaving for an evening's work. There are a few people in this print, and they all appear to be different classes mingling around or perhaps just leaving Yoshiwara. There are lower class people (indicated by the tanned skin), and either higher class women or entertainers with fairer skin. There are also children in this print. The courtesans look different from the other women. Starting from their posture (the courtesans backs are more hunched, where as the other women are standing straight) to the way they are dressed, they almost look like outcasts, being forced out of Yoshiwara. All the faces are either covered or lowered except for the courtesan on the left. The faces of these people are drawn in a very typical manner, although not very detailed. The street outside of Yoshiwara appears to be dimly lit and very dreary compared to the very well lit, almost celestial looking pleasure quarters.
The courtesans are looking back towards the pleasure quarters with a sense of longing and almost look as if they do not want to leave. There are elements of classic ukiyo-e, such as the full moon and the flower blossoms in the background of the scene. Ukiyo-e, meaning "pictures of the floating world", is defined to be the genre of woodblock print that showed, as stated by Asai Ryōi "... Living only for the moment, turning our full attention to the pleasures of the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms and the maple leaves; singing songs, drinking wine, diverting ourselves in just floating, floating; ... refusing to be disheartened, like a gourd floating along with the river current: this is what we call the floating world...". So these images give the sense of pleasure and serenity around the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters. The blossoms almost don't look like flowers, but stars or lights that illuminate the town. It gives the viewer a moment to admire the beauty and enjoy the scenery. The people in the scene all blend very nicely with the sky and ground because they are all wearing blue or bits of blue, which highlights the pleasure headquarters more. Interestingly, the street outside of the entrance does not have any light shedding on it. There are people there as well, but they sort of blend into the walls and their faces are not drawn.
Yoshiwara was the red light (Akasen) district of Edo, or present day Tokyo. People involved in mizu shōbai (night time entertainment business) would have included: kabuki (theater), dancers, tea-shop girls, Kanō (painters), courtesans, and geisha. There were different types of courtesans such as: yūjo (prostitutes), shinzō (senior female students), kamuro (young female students), tayū (high-ranking courtesans), kōshi-jōro (just under tayū), hashi-jōro (lower-ranking courtesans), and oiran (prostitutes who were also entertainers). Unlike courtesans, geishas were never sexually involved with their clients. Stepping into Yoshiwara was like stepping into an alternate world. Social classes weren't as drawn out in the district, as long as a customer had money, they were all treated equally. Although people were discouraged from visiting Yoshiwara, many people entered in and out.
My interpretation of this print was that Yoshiwara is almost like this ethereal heavenly place people want to go to, like the Garden of Eden in the Bible or at least a heaven like place. The way they are looking back at the pleasure quarters longingly makes it seem like the people that go there just want to stay there. It might be the fact that they have to leave their residence and go to a foreign and not cozy environment to "entertain" their clients. The children seem reluctant to leave as well. The one little boy looks like he is being dragged out. The two children in the front do not look very happy leaving; it looks like they are asking for something. In fact, everyone in this print does not look happy leaving the quarters, going to the drab street. It is as if in Yoshiwara, you can be anyone, but the harsh reality of the world hits you when you leave. The way the moon illuminates the pleasure center seems to imply that in Yoshiwara, you can bask in all your pleasures and just be happy with your stay.
For some background information on the artist, HIROSHIGE Utagawa (also known as HIROSHIGE Andō) was born in 1797 and died in October 12, 1858. He also used his pen name HIROSHIGE Ichiyūsai. A Japanese ukiyo-e artist, was one of the last greatest artist in this field. He was born in Edo, which may be where his inspiration for this print may have come from. It is told that he wanted to become a ukiyo-e artist when he saw another artist, Hokusai's prints. He was an apprentice for his ukiyo-e master, TOYOHIRO Utagawa. Despite finding an early pen name and school license early on in his career, HIROSHIGE did not publish original works until six years after. He had a few moderately successful works, but he did not really gain recognition until his work, "Famous Places in the Eastern Capital" in 1831. "The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō" was the series of prints that truly established his career. He retired and became a Buddhist monk in 1856. This was also the year he began his One Hundred Views of Edo. His work began with common ukiyo-e themes such as women and actors. After the death of his sensei, his work evolved into more landscapes and unique uses of color. HIROSHIGE was known for his seasonal allusions, use of unusual vantage points, bold choices of colors. His works had some Western influence so he could achieve a sense of depth. Tourism in Japan during the Edo period was increasing so there was an increased interest in travelling. Many of his works were inspired by his own travels.
This image is the aftermath of Kamei Koreaki's Sino-Japanese War scene in Port Arthur. Immediately, as the viewer, our eyes go to the ground overflowing with dead bodies. The deceased are dressed in very humble clothes and they appear to be unarmed. There are so many limbs and people piled so it is hard to make out how many people were killed, or rather it is difficult to make out that they are people until you see a few faces peeking through the bodies. They almost blend into the rocks.
In contrast to the corpses, the soldiers are dressed in very dark uniforms that all match and they are all standing around the bodies. There is one person that appears to be in charge, on the very right side of the photo. His stance in very assertive and seems to be watching over the whole scene. All the people their appear to be of East Asian descent, but the soldiers are wearing more Western looking uniforms.
Overall, the majority of the soldiers' gazes are towards the pit that is being dug up. Some of the soldiers appear to be bored or irritated because some have their arms crossed or seem to be goofing off with their fellow soldiers. While some appear bored, others appear to stand very awkwardly, not knowing what to do with themselves in the midst of such dense air. The interesting this about this photo it the fact that all the soldiers' gazes are averted from the viewer and the very apparent mass of dead people.
The faces of the people looking at the camera are darkened and barely visible. Their avoiding posture almost has the opposite effect of trying to ignore them and makes the corpses more obvious. The bodies are lightened and almost form a path towards the pit being dug up. From my interpretation , the soldiers almost have a solemn and sort of regretful posture. They don't really look like soldiers that won a prideful victory. There is a very obvious tension in this photo, where the defeaters has overcome the enemy and are left with dead people that aren't their enemy anymore. The way the photographer had the village or homes of the people in the background faintly showing reminds the viewers that these people all lived normal lives and had families, and it's almost as if that is a faded memory.
I had heard from others how wonderful it was visiting Japan, with their foreign customs and beautiful scenery. So after a long time of contemplating, I decided to go to Japan. After a long and tiring journey to the Far East, I finally arrived in Japan! This country is so different from America, starting with the people to the architecture and even the plants. I arrived at the inn that I was supposed to stay. The building was unlike one I've ever seen. The foundation of the building seems to be wood and the windows are covered with some kind of paper. Two Japanese men looked like they came back form a long day of farming or whatnot to the inn and were greeted by two beautiful women in their traditional dresses (or known as kimonos). I too, was greeted by the lovely women. I looked over to exchange a smile at one of them, but she turned her gaze away from mine. She escorted me inside.
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Inside the building was more foreign than the exterior. The "doors" inside were sliding doors and were covered with the paper material the windows. The floors were wooden and some covered with mats. As I was being escorted to my room, I gazed into a room where the door was ajar. There, I saw a glimpse of another Japanese woman in blue and yellow pouring tea for a couple men. Her movements seem very steady and gentle at the same time. It was so fascinating to see this in person. I had heard of Japanese woman having girlish hobbies, but I never expected to see it so soon. I'm guessing the people she was serving were other tourists like me or businessmen. It's fascinating how the women here seem to avoid eye contact. I continued walking and got to my room to rest. I was excited for the next couple days to come.
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Of course, the first place to go when arriving in Japan was Mount Fuji. I had heard it was beautiful and of course as a tourist I had to go see it! Getting there proved to be quite a nuisance. I had to take a boat over to get there. But it was definitely worth the trouble. At the foot of the mountain, I looked up. The top of the mountain was soaring into the skies and was hard to see where the mountain ended and where the clouds started. I was too exhausted to climb it and was still in my right mind so I left. We crossed Motosu Lake and hiked up towards where our things were. I took a look back once again to see the mountain. Ahhhh, from here, I could see the top of the mountain and it looked exactly like the pictures I had seen. We continued our trek down towards our things, but on the way back, we passed by a small village. There I saw a couple things that were so bizarre to me.
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Contrary to the refined and cultured parts of Japan I had seen with the inn I was staying at, this village completely boggled my mind. I'm not exactly sure what they were wearing, but we saw 4 grown men in these ridiculously primitive tribal outfits. I had never seen images like this in photos of Japan. Unlike the fair skinned women I had seen, these men were dark and wrinkly, probably from working out in the sun. And they were so...naked. The Japanese people I was exposed to were always covered head to toe and were always averting their gaze. These people stared intensely at me and my group I traveled with as we passed through. It was not something that offended me, but it was so fascinating and I realized that this place was so foreign to me. I had no idea of what kind of culture these people were raised in. I thought I knew, but this village filled with field workers and unrefined men and women proved me otherwise. The long trek had exhausted me and I was ready to sleep when I got back to the inn.
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The next day, I was curious of the education system in Japan. I heard recommendations to go to Kobe College in Nishinomiya, so I took up the recommendation and went there. When I got there, it was definitely an interesting experience, seeing as though it was a women's liberal arts college. The women here, once again, proved that my idea of a Japanese woman was very narrow and only represented a small percentage of the rest of the women. I attended a play that they presented. It was weird seeing just women, not just normal women performing, but these foreign women attempting to act out John Milton's Comus. Overall it was entertaining, and I can't wait to see what other adventure Japan will hold for me...
This is a photograph of a place called Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarters in Tokyo, Japan. In the picture, there are two men in the lower left corner staring up at the building. On the balcony of the building, there are rows of beautiful women staring out into the street. The street looks pretty bare.
According to Wikipedia and the title of the photo, this was the red light district in Tokyo where men and women prostitutes entertained customers. The photo is washed out with most of the colors being very dull, however the photographer manipulated the colors of the photograph by painting over the kimonos with brighter colors so that the viewers eyes go directly towards them and they are the focus of the photo. The photo was taken at a lower angle so that the women on the balcony appear higher and displayed for the people on the street to see, almost like one's prized trophy collection. Even though it looks like a very mundane day, the women look very bright and always there, ready to serve.
This is a photograph is called "Arranging Flowers". It is of two women, as said in the title, arranging flowers. One is wearing a dusty pink kimono while the other is wearing an ivory kimono. They are arranging white, purple, and red flowers. In the background there are drawings of flowers and mountains, giving this photo an overall feeling of peace and a sense of serenity.
The women in the photo are very shy and demure looking. Their features are painted over very lightly and delicately so it enhances their pure and innocent looking beauty. Their postures both hunched and submissive, it almost looks like they are telling the readers to watch them. Also, their painted robes match the flowers, so it looks like they are a part of the overall arrangement and as the viewer, you are supposed to admire them. They sort of pop out like the flowers do. Their gazes are averted from the viewer and they both have very gentle steady gazes. Overall they look like a part of the floral arrangement and are there for the viewers to admire and watch.
This is an image of tea houses in Ogee--Yedo. This image description states that the citizens would come out for recreation and aesthetic pleasure. There were hunting grounds nearby reserved for the emperor and the height of Ogee observed the well cultivated country as a whole. The image shows rocks, trees, flowers and a river flowing calmly behind the popular tea house. If you look very closely, there is a man sitting on top of the rocks either admiring the view or fishing. It is hard to tell whether the man is real of not. The photo is a sepia tone giving the overall image a very serene and calming effect.
The direction and winding of the river leads the viewers eyes beyond the horizon and makes them curious to see more of the town. It is almost like an arrow pointing passed the scene and toward the rest of the town. The calm waters give a sense of comfort to the viewer and the fact that the man is almost statue like (and blends into the rocks) make it seem like that this place doesn't change--that it will always stay beautiful and people can always come back for that effect.
This is a photograph of 4 samurais. They are all armed, carrying their swords. The two swords are worn as a sign of nobility or higher classes (above merchants and laborers). None of the men are smiling and all of them are standing straight with their shoulders back. Only the second samurai to the left is looking directly at the camera-- the rest are looking down with strong eyes. The photo is black and white with the colors of the samurai robes and swords coming through.
The usually hand-applied colors are green, blue, red, and yellow so it seems that the photo was manipulated by the artist. The swords may have been painted yellow so that the viewers' eyes get drawn towards them to indicate that they are samurai and present their social status. The blues and greys give the photo overall a very calm and controlled mood. The way they are standing with firm faces give the samurais a very strong image. The way I interpreted them looking down is that maybe they are trying to show each other respect by looking at the same eye level. The man staring directly at the camera shows that he has control and is drawing the viewer in.
This is a woodblock titled " Picture of Foreigners Enjoying a Banquet" by Yoshikazu in December 1860. This picture denotes a young Japanese girl dancing in front of a bunch of Caucasian men, women, and children. The girl is dressed in what appears to be western clothing. The banquet is held in a very western looking room, but outside the window a Japanese style building as well as a couple ships can be seen. One of the masts hold an American flag. The woodblock is painted in an East Asian style.
The image depicts how the Japanese girl, who looks very different compared to the sea of Caucasians, is trying her best to accommodate to the guests by dressing in a similar manner. However, the group of foreigners seem less than happy to be there and look very uncomfortable to watch the little girl. Particularly, the two men on the left corner. Another little girl on the left side of the picture is observing her very carefully, with her arms crossed and one hand on her chin. The man on the right side is looking of to the side, where possibly there might be other performances of showcases being held for the foreigners. All the people there seem to be observing the fascinating sight very carefully, not really enjoying the whole environment. In fact, there are some people in the background grimacing. The overall picture gives a very stiff, staged feeling.
The inside of the room appears very uncomfortable and the colors are all in general pretty neutral or warm, so our eyes as the viewer drift towards the blueness of the window, where there is water flowing freely with a boat floating on it. The sign in this picture is the dancing girl and she seems to signify Japan trying to interact with America by making it more comfortable for them by dressing similarly. The overall picture illustrates two different worlds coming together in a really awkward situation.
This is an ad for Newport cigarettes. According to Wikipedia, Newports are a popular brand of cigarettes among African Americans and has become popular with teens and young adults well. Known to have a full menthol flavor but not compromising the tobacco flavor, Newports appeal to the consumer for so that they could "Enjoy a full flavor menthol, without drowning pure tobacco taste".
The image depicts a club or a concert where there are many young, hip, somewhat attractive looking people dancing. In the focal point there is a couple (also very attractive looking), dancing and looking at the camera in a very carefree and happy manner. Although the woman is posing effortlessly, she is engaging the viewer with her eyes while the man watches her. The advertisement reads, "Newport Pleasure! , Fire it up!"
This advertisement seems to be aimed towards a younger audience, citing the myth of American night life. For men, it gives the idea that one can have a carefree and fun life with lots of friends and women surrounding them (seeing that only the women in the background are easy to see). For women it gives an idea that they could be the object of a man's desires, while they enjoy life smoking their cigarettes. In general, the ad depicts them as being the life of the party because they smoke Newports. Not only the people in the photo, but the color scheme of the advertisement gives the viewer that the product is refreshing and affordable. The warning label is in a very dull, flesh color and written in small font so that the viewer could over look it.
