Project Update part deux

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.

Final Project Update.

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.

Assignment 10: Final project -->Gyaru Fashion!! :]

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.

For now, here are some possible sources:
http://neojaponisme.com/2012/02/28/the-history-of-the-gyaru-part-one/
http://tokyofashion.com/shibuya-gyaru-culture-in-decline/
http://www.japanlinked.com/Japanese-Culture/gyaru-gal-styles.html
http://209.68.50.46/nakamura/courses/japan/readings/NYT_971019.pdf