Japan is known for many of its interesting and bizarre subcultures, and in this article, I will be sharing 10 of these Japanese sub-cultures you might not have heard of!
Content Overview:
1. Gyaru
Gyaru translates into “Gal” in English. This subculture group basically represents young girls who adopt surfer styles by dying their hair blond, getting fake tans, etc.
This trend started with high school girls adapting the way they wear their school uniforms such that the skirts are super short and their socks are incredibly saggy.
Subsequently, over the years, the trend evolved, with girls starting to slather dark makeup on their faces whilst highlighting certain features on their face (eyes, mouth, etc) with white makeup.
2. Lolita
This fashion style is mainly based on the clothes women used to wear in the Victorian era. They wear dresses filled with petticoats, high collared dresses, bonnets and bring around frilly parasols, etc.
Lolita is a broad generalized term as there are several other variations. Some of which are sweet lolita where women dress very femininely in frilly dresses, or Wa Lolita where women are dressed in traditional Japanese clothing with modern twists such as above knee length colorful kimonos.
3. Gothic
Gothic on the other hand is the opposite of Lolita fashion. They take on a dark, elegant look instead of feminine, frilly dresses.
4. Visual Kei
Visual Kei is a genre of music in the Japanese pop culture that has established itself with its unusual style of dressing as well as music.
It adopts a genre similar to heavy metal, with costumes that resemble a mix of lolitas, goths, vampires, etc with a dark vibe. They also spot interesting colored hair that is not commonly seen on the streets daily.
5. Male Hosts
These men make their living by drinking with older women at bars or clubs. They deck themselves head to toe with expensive clothes, lots of cologne, and interestingly styled hair.
This way of dressing has been termed as “Gyaruo”, the male version of “Gyaru”. Their jobs consist of sitting and drinking with these older women while sweet-talking them once in a while.
6. Cosplay
People all over the world participate in cosplay. It is basically just people mimicking and dressing up as characters from cartoons or animations.
These are more commonly seen at events as compared to in daily life. It is similar to people dressing up for Comic-Con in the US, but in Japan, it’s for events such as the International Anime Fair, or Jump Fiesta.
7. Decora
Decora means decorative when translated from Japanese which is depicted exactly in the picture above.
To put it briefly, people from this subculture overly dress in colors and decorative items or accessories. These decorations/ things that they put on themselves usually attract a lot of attention. This includes toys that make lots of sounds or have flashing lights.
8. Mori Kei
The term “Mori Kei” when directly translated into English basically means “Forest Style”. These people dress to look like the forest with common color themes such as green and brown.
Moreover, there is even a literal rule book for dressing up in this style written by a woman named “Choco”. You can check it out here!
According to her, this style is adapted with the impression of a person who lives or aspires to live in an enchanted forest.
9. Yankee & Bosozoku
Yankees are similar to delinquents who project vibes as if they belong to a gang.
Bosozoku is an older subculture and refers to biker gangs.
Furthermore, Bosozokus are known for making often illegal modifications to their bikes and their flashy outfits. As of now, they are not as common anymore, and it is very unlikely for you to come across one either.
10. Zentai
This is definitely one of the strangest subcultures that I have ever come across. People who are part of this subculture wear spandex bodysuits in various colors that cover even their faces.
Much of this subculture is unknown although it is speculated that it originates from a strong interest in superheroes.
Thus, I conclude my list of 10 subcultures in Japan that you should take note of. I hope this has provided you with a deeper insight into the Japanese culture and stay tuned for more!
Subsequently, if you’d like to find out more about Japanese culture, head over here for more! There are travel guides, food recommendations, etc.