Japanese Subcultures

Page history last edited by Julia Geisler 7 mos ago

Cosplay

Short for "costume roleplay"
Participants wear elaborate costumes and accessories, depicting a specific character or idea.
Originated in Japan, but is quickly spreading through North America, Europe, and more recently in South America and Australia.
Often influenced by manga, anime, graphic novels, comic books, video games, and fantasy movies.
Centered around wearing costumes and reenacting scenes or behaviors inspired by their source.
Tokyo's Akihabara district has housed a large number of cosplay cafe's catered towards devoted anime and cosplay fans since 1998.
Semiannual COMIKET event held in summer and winter attract hundreds of thousands of manga otaku and many thousands of cosplayers.
A recent trend in cosplay stems from online social networks, where users can share, rate, and socialize with other characters. (See: http://www.cosplay.com)
Cheap costumes range from around 70 dollars, and expensive ones sells for over 600 dollars.
As cosplay becomes more and more of a household name, many businesses are seeking ways to profit from this new phenomenon, and various print media seek out cosplayers for featured editorials.

Movement among Japanese musicians, characterized by eccentric and often flamboyant looks.
Typically involves striking make-up, unusual hair styles, and elaborate costumes.
Influences from Western phenomena including glam, gloth, and cyberpunk.
Visual Kei emerged in the late 1980s because of bands such as X Japan, Buck-Tick, and Color.
Fans of Visual Kei bands will often dress up for concerts, group meetings, and other events where they think they will see people who enjoy Visual Kei.
Began declining in mainsteam popularity by 1999, mostly due to the death of X Japan's lead guitarist Hideto Matsumoto.
Then, in 2007, the genre began to emerge again as X Japan came back onto the music scene. Visual Kei bands enjoyed a boost in public awareness, which the media described as "Neo-Visual Kei."

Popular among girls and young women in urban Japan.
Kogal phenomenon emerged in mid-1990s.
Characterized by excessive materialism especially in fashion, music, and social activities.
The "look" roughly resembles that of a California "Valley Girl."
A Kogal's look typically consists of a mini skirt, platform boots, excessive make-up, bleach blonde hair, artificial suntans, white and black eyeliner, and designer suntans.

Primarily influenced by Victorian children's clothing.
Due to its popularity, several substyles have emerged including Gothic Lolita, Sweet Lolita, Classic Lolita, and Punk Lolita.
Mass-marketed and widely visible in the streets of Tokyo and Osaka, on television, in manga, and computer games.
A magazine called the Gothic & Lolita Bible, is said to have played an instrumental role in the promotion and standardization of the style. The magazine includes fashion tips, photos, and sewing patterns for the DIY lolita.
Characterized by a knee length skirt or dress, headdress, blouse, petticoat, knee high socks, and high heel or platform shoes.
Followers of the style do not consider it overtly sexual, and instead consider themselves Victorian children or baby dolls who look "cute" rather than sexy.

Japanese subculture associated with motorcycle glubs and gangs.
First seen in the 1950s when the Japanese automobile industry began expanding rapidly.
Often engage in reckless driving, weave in and out of traffic, excessive speeding, and running red lights.
The stereotypical Bōsōzoku is often portrayed in Japanese media including anime, manga, and films.
Often wear jumpsuits or a military-issued overcoat, usually worn open with no shirt underneath, to show off their bandaged torsos.
Uniforms are usually adorned with militaristic slogans, rising sun patches, or ancient Chinese characters.
Favor hairstyles typical to that of a greaser/rocker look, and punch perms are often considered standard.
Females are known to dress in a similar style, but in a femine manner. They favor long, and often dyed hair, high-heeled boots, and excessive make-up.

Japanese expression for people between the ages of 15 and 34 who lack full time employment, or are unemployed, excluding homemakers and students.
The word freeter or freeta was first used in the late 1980s as a result of the bubble economy. It is a combination of the English word "free" and the German word "Arbeiter," meaning worker.
Freeters do not begin a career after high school or university, and instead elect to live as so called "parasite singles" with their parents.
In the beginning, freeters were somewhat glamorized as people pursuing their dreams and living life to its fullest.
Freeters that DO work seek employment in convenience stores, supermarkets, fast food restaurants, and other low paying, low skill industries.
Their low income makes it difficult to start a family, and their lack of qualifications make it difficult to find a career later in life.

Geisha are female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as traditional music and dance.
Young women who wish to become geisha must often begin their training after the completion of high school or even college.
These women study traditional instruments such as the bamboo flute and drums, as well as traditional songs, dance, tea ceremony, literature, and poetry.
In modern Japan, Geisha are a rare site. In the 1920s, there were over 800,000, but today estimates range from between 1,000 and 2,000.
Geisha are often hired to attend parties and gatherings.
Their purpose is to entertain their customers by dancing, reciting verse, playing musical instruments, or engaging in light conversation.