Kogal (コギャル kogyaru?) is a subculture of girls and young women in urban Japan, one of several types of so-called gyaru. For the term in biology see Subculture (biology. For the song by New Order see Sub-culture (song. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. is a Japanese Transliteration of the English word Gal. The name originated from a 1970s brand of Jeans called "gals" with They are characterized by conspicuously displaying their disposable income through distinctive tastes in fashion, music, and social activity. Conspicuous consumption is a term used to describe the lavish spending on goods and services acquired mainly for the purpose of displaying Income or Wealth. Disposable income is Gross income minus Income tax on that income In general, the kogal "look" roughly approximates a sun-tanned California Valley Girl, and indeed, there are even some linguistic similarities between these Western groups and Kogal. Valley Girl (less commonly Val) is a term referred to affluent middle-class young girls living in the neighborhood of San Fernando Valley. Both subcultures have derived entire sets of slang terms (such as "Kogalese" (コギャル語 kogyaru-go?)). Slang is the use of highly informal Words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's Dialect or Language. Kogals are not to be confused with the ganguro subculture, although they are similar. is an alternative Fashion trend among young Japanese women which peaked in popularity around the year 2000 but remains evident today
Kogals are known for wearing platform boots, a miniskirt, copious amounts of makeup, hair coloring (usually blonde or brown), artificial suntans, and designer accessories. The miniskirt (often hyphenated as mini-skirt) is a Skirt with If in school uniform, the look typically includes skirts pinned very high and loose socks (large baggy socks that go up to the knee). School uniforms are common in primary and Secondary schools in many nations Loose socks ( Japanese: ルーズソックス rūzu sokkusu) are a type of Sock that was popular among Japanese high school girls Kogals' busy social lives and desire for new material goods lead them to be among the first consumers of Japanese mobile phone technology, and their taste in clothes tends toward Burberry scarves and Louis Vuitton handbags. In Japan, Mobile phones have become ubiquitous In Japanese mobile phones are called keitai denwa, literally "portable telephones" and are often known simply Burberry ( is a British luxury fashion house manufacturing Clothing and fashion accessories. Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton ( pronounced /lwi vɥitɔ̃/ or sometimes shortened to LV, is a French luxury fashion Kogals spend much of their free time (and their parents' income) shopping, and their culture centers on the Shibuya district of Tokyo, in particular the 109 building, although major Japanese cities are sure to have a small population. is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008 it had an estimated Population of 208371 and a density of 13540 persons officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. During the summer, kogals may sometimes be seen at the beach. They are generally not seen in high-end department stores.
Critics of the Kogal subculture decry its materialism as reflecting a larger psychological or spiritual emptiness in modern Japanese life. The Philosophy of materialism holds that the only thing that can be truly proven to exist is Matter, and is considered a form of Physicalism. Some kogals support their lifestyle with allowances from wealthy parents, living a "freeter" or "parasite single" existence that grates against traditional principles of duty and industry. (other spellings below is a Japanese expression for people between the age of 15 and 34 who lack full time employment or are unemployed excluding homemakers and students Parasite single (パラサイトシングル parasaito shinguru) is a Japanese term for people who live with their Parents until their late twenties More may engage in the practice of "compensated dating", or enjo kōsai, which may at times border on quasi-legal prostitution. (shortened form) means "compensated Dating " and is a practice which originated in Japan where older men give money and/or luxury gifts to attractive women for their Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. Internet-based usage of this term has led some Western observers to the mistake of believing that "kogal" means "prostitute".
The kogal phenomenon emerged in the mid-1990s and its effects can still be seen today in its numerous off-shoots of sub-categories, although conservative tastes in dress and hair color seem to be on the upswing. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 The Gothic Lolita aesthetic has been described as a reaction to the kogal look, since it attempts to reclaim childhood innocence, though skeptics point out that most Lolita merely model after J-rock cosplay and spend just as much, if not more money on their appearance when compared to kogals. Gothic Lolita or " GothLoli " (ゴスロリ —) gosurorii) sometimes " Loli-Goth " has two definitions short for "costume play" is a type of performance art whose participants outfit themselves with often-elaborate Costumes and Accessories, as a specific
The term's etymology is disputed. The most common theory is that it was derived from the Japanese word for "high school", kōtō gakkō (高等学校?), or kōkō (高校?) for short, although others claim that it comes from ko (子), the Japanese word for "girl" or "child". The "gal" originates from English. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States See gyaru. is a Japanese Transliteration of the English word Gal. The name originated from a 1970s brand of Jeans called "gals" with
Media
The Ribon manga Gals! featured kogals as main characters during its 1999-2002 run, and also spawned an 52-episode anime series of the same name. is a monthly Japanese Shōjo Manga magazine published by Shueisha, first issued in August 1955 Gals! is a Shōjo Manga written by Mangaka Mihona Fujii. The Manga was serialized in Ribon and
Episode six in the third season of BBC's Japanorama documentary series covers kogal, ganguro and yamanba "bad girl" culture. Japanorama is a series of documentaries presented by Jonathan Ross, exploring various facets of popular culture and trends of modern-day Japan is an alternative Fashion trend among young Japanese women which peaked in popularity around the year 2000 but remains evident today is an alternative Fashion trend among young Japanese women which peaked in popularity around the year 2000 but remains evident today
A japanese drama titled Gal Circle prominently features gals.
See also
Further resources
- Complete list of Gyaru GAL styles with photos.
- "Those Naughty Teenage Girls: Japanese Kogals, Slang, and Media Assessments", by Laura Miller. The term Modern Girl (モダンガール modan gaaru) in 1920s Japan came to symbolize the changing Gender roles and social shifts in women's Gender roles " Essex girl " is a Pejorative term used in the United Kingdom, to imply someone is a stereotypically promiscuous blonde unintelligent woman from Valley Girl (less commonly Val) is a term referred to affluent middle-class young girls living in the neighborhood of San Fernando Valley. Bimbo is a term that emerged in popular English language usage in the early 20th century to describe an often attractive yet unintelligent woman Journal of Linguistic Anthropology: Volume 14: Number 2 (2004).
- Metropolis – Feature – "No heels, no life"
- Discussion of Japanese High School Girls and the poetry they inspire
Dictionary
kogal
-noun
- (uncountable) A subculture of conspicuous consumption among young women in urban Japan, typified by dyed hair, artificial suntan, platform boots, miniskirts, and expensive accessories.
- (countable) A member of this subculture.
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