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For better or for worse, Japanese media (and men) seem to be obsessed with watching, analyzing, and categorizing the behavior trends of young Japanese females, particularly those of high school and college age. Some of this fascination is linked to pornography (for example, the recent "Ko-gal" media phenomenon mentioned in the "Shibuya Girls" link), but much of it seems to stem from the belief that schoolgirls represent the vanguard of consumerism, and therefore hold the key to cashing in on fashion items and pop cultural products. From clothes and accesories to music and manga preferences, the consumer habits and fashion tastes of Japanese girls and young women have been the subject of endless marketing surveys, special TV documentaries, magazine articles, and ethnographies. Shibuya girls--usually in the late teen to early twenties range--seem to hold a special place in the media's eye, but "shôjo" (young girl, typically of high school age) culture has also received much attention.
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"Japanese Crossing" (Savvy Traveler Interview about Shibuya/Girls, with audio) |
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