3 more weeks, and a quick jump to Osaka

Tons of gals sitting around Centaagai doing their make-up like old times.

This was at 10:30 when trains wind down so they quickly dispersed after this picture and only so many were gathered for 10 minutes. This is so not common on Centaagai, instead most use the "center street" to actually walk to another place. But it was nostalgic and rare so enjoy the nostalgia with me. <3

Lip Service Roomwear!

Oh lawdy. I do not want to leave my house anymore. I think people could become hikkikomori because Lip Service roomwear was bought. The roomwear and Betty Boop release opened Friday and they had such pieces!

IN LOVE!

It's the center one, a two piece set!

I really was lusting over the onsie on the left, but onsies aren't that practical to sleep in, they're just cute.

I want to buy more! >_<;;

I also got the Betty Boop set, but I'll post that later since it's actual clothing not just lazy bed manatee clothing.

Men's Egg PlaYz

I was out and about in Shibuya and I hear a truck passing blasting music. This is a really common way for musicians to advertise themselves in Japan. Ne-Yo and Enimenem also had trucks blasting their music when their records hit Japan. But I turn to see this!

 Mens EGG got a music group

The music group is called PlaYz, and sounds a bit Johnnys-kei, aka typical male group pop. The five members are: Ayumu (who got a major make-over... or make-under?), Yukihide, Katsumi, Kazuaki and Yuki, all Men's Egg models.

In this pic it does look a bit like 4 twinks and their leather daddy.

As for the quality of their music, judge for yourself:

Their video has gotten 240,000+ views which livedoor says is good. This is from their "mini-album" Love on the Street. Time will tell on their staying power. Although this is absolutely not what I want for my Men's Egg Night ^_^;;;

Weekend fun

Friday day after classes I headed to 109 to pickup my Lip Service roomwear + Betty Boop dress. I also got an adorable set from One*Spo <3

Using the clean mirror and the clean room.

Jacket: h&m

Shirt: Moussy

Shorts: Zara

Leggings: tutuHA

My Lippy girls were shocked I was so casual, but sigh... school sometimes makes you ultra casual ^_^;;

I was trying to un-lazy myself so I went for fluffy hair and a cashmere beret from One*Spo for the night.

Doll eyes with thick low seperation on the lower eyelashes. 

Tip: use a clear eyelash adhesive for the bottom, go for black on the top lashes

I look dazed here <_<;;

 

 

I was channeling Rin with a One*Spo set and pigtails. It was gold night with Onespo good love and gold eyeshadow from MAC. 

Good weekend. Possibly too much drinking, but it was insanity/good to end Saturday night but eating ramen in Kabukicho and chatting with bosozoku from Kyoto and surrouded by OraOra boys, hosts and hostesses at 7 in the morning on Sunday.

Onward, ho!

I am soon to be ending my stay in Japan. I head back to Houston on December 17th for a while. At least until Summer if not until Fall. I'm sad of course, because I love the shopping, the style, my daily grind and my good friends here. However, I love my man and miss my animals. Also, Texas is a pretty damn awesome place.

 

Yo Persians, imma let you finish, but my Luna has the best flat face ever!

 

Japanese hats for cats, so wrong so rightt

Disapproving basset hound sees what you did thar

When people in the US and Japan ask me if I like living here, I find I can't give a simple yes/no answer anymore. It's a whole lot more complicated than that. Without going into a 8 paragraph discussion on it, I will simply say those who think Japan is OMGYAYPONIEZHARAJUKUAWEZOMMMEZ have not lived here for a long time.

Japan just isn't the endgame for me. My man works in the States and I would like to be a college professor and going to graduate school happens in America. I do plan to go back to teach English in Japan for a while before actually starting graduate school, but the rules will definitely change since as a working stiff my ability to do several gal fashion trends that I like will be limited (weekend gal love). So right now, ignoring the hardships of living here, is a really special time for me to enjoy and dress for myself the way I want to present myself.

Of course I will continue to report on gal fashion and I have way too many saved posts on genres that I need to step-up and post ^_^; At most it will just be six months until I move back here, so only directly shopping for Spring will escape my grasp ^_^;;

I will be away in Osaka for 2 days this week, I just can't seem to stay away. <3

...that is all

Ora Ora kei and trend rising

I've been wanting to talk about OraOra Kei for a while now. Actually my first post on the Doll mentions it, but I guess I need to dive deeper into it. OraOra-kei has kanji attached to it 悪羅悪羅系 the kanji has a nonsensical meaning of evil smooth. However it's more the pronunciation that's important since Ora is the manly sound used by yanki to say "hey" or "look here".

OraOraKei is a continuation of yanki culture with the addition of Onii-kei gyaru styling. I know after seeing some pictures you might think, hey this is not gyaru. But it is, and many 109-2 brands are latching onto it. Soul Franky is opening it's own OraOra side brand on 2010/1 and hunting for models currently to be the face of its brand.OraOra has risen for a lot of reasons. Mekas blog has another contestable article about them here. I will agree it has come from outside Tokyo, but its headliners are Tokyo based."

OraOra Style is characterized by

• Black
• Track suits, construction wear, or suits with a black and sometimes black+ gold theme
• Extremely tan skin
• Short cropped hair, often with Atsushi-styled lines shaved in (see below)
• Sunglasses or fake glasses, worn either on the eyes, forhead or behind the neck
• wa tattoos such as yakuza-styled sleeves or back pieces
• high brand accessories such as D&G sunglasses and Louis Vuitton pochette gange bags
  
• A group, OraOra boys are extremely group oriented aka they travel in packs
• Cars or bikes especially those that are monstorous or bosozoku culture.

 

 

Even Joy rocks some Oraora

Wa-style tattoos + glasses

The second most popular brand below Rebel according to Soul Japan readers is Natural Nine, a more street-wear Stussy looking brand.

The rise in OraOra I think has happened for four reasons.

- The lowering economy does lend itself to yanki styles.
- The sharp rise in Hosto-kei last year with 109-2 brands putting out suits for the first time, tends to support a backlash to a manlier side of gyaru: currently that's OraOra-kei
- With the Game network headlined by Dj ACE, they have been like prophets preaching as they travel.
- OraOra is supportive of a wide range of ages, Soul Japan was featuring an 18 yr old and a 43 yr old.

I think it's impossible to not look at the Game network when looking at OraOra-kei. Ace began the Game website earlier, offering OraOra clothes along with psychedelic trance cds. In essence he was beginning to sell a lifestyle. A further extension of that is DJ Ace's Rebel clothing line that he sold off the Game website. Rebel clothing has grown into a wildly popular brand (the top rated by Soul Japan viewers), with Men's Knuckle noticing the fad in August 2008 and Ladies' Egg in October 2008. Both within the gyaru/gyaruo circle, but focusing on what is a yankii fashion.


Under the Men's Knuckle umbrella, Soul Japan came out in May 2008, focusing solely on OraOra culture.

The first issue with Game members on the cover and all sporting Rebel wear.

Now another yanki culture is born. However, that is not to say Bosozoku have died out. Last time I was in Osaka I could hear roar their trade-marked capped engines made circling Osaka every 30 minutes, and I was on the 28th floor ^_^;; If anything Soul Japan tries to latch onto 3 markets at once Bosozoku/car freaks, K-1 hopefuls, and new manly Gyaru.

Oraora has two main idols. The names people repeat when saying they love OraOra.

Atsushi from Exile

The lead singer with the velvet voice and looks that attract a manly guy to say hey... I love you, not in that gay way, just I love you man.

DJ Ace who is designer of the Rebel clothing line, DJ, Producer and model.

Ace in the Center

Ora-ora is here to stay for 3 reasons.

It's not just Tokyo

The Mixi group of Soul Japan and in its introduction thread people have said they're from Shizuoka, Kanagawa, Saitama, Ibaraki, Chiba and Tokyo to name a few. Soul Japan 4 did it's release party in Fukuoka to spread the word.

It's has its own music style

Now psychedelic trance (and Goa) used to be supported by clothing makers Goa (of course) which does a loose khaki hippy style and Shanit which is full on tie-dyed hippiness.

Men's Egg model Daichi Tanaka rockin' the Goa

Sexy DJ Ace rockin' his Rebel brand

However with many of the psychadelic trance DJs actually more manly and into the then-yanki style, now OraOra-kei. The people who go to the clubs are OraOra now. When I was at the Gataka event, it was impossible to see anyone dressed in Shanit, instead they were all OraOra-kei.

It's supporters can wear it and still have a job

This was one of the big reasons Mamba died. Handing out tissues or trying to work Izakaya catch isn't a steady job, but most of the people in Soul Japan are making good wages. Buffalo Bobs, Xfrm and Vice Fairy's chief people are all OraOra-kei. They can therefore continue the fashion easily. DJs, K-1 figthers, car customizers and such are some of the good jobs OraOra boys can get. There was even a salaryman featured in Soul Japan 4.

OraOra girls

Now this has been a harder fashion to take off than for guys, mainly because it's very visually easy to group this style for women into the Rock-style genre combined with a mannish look. Brands like tutuHA, Barak, DIA and Heaven and Earth support this look.

 

A girl from the mixi Soul Japan doing full on mannish-Oraora-kei

This is not as a common as the looks presented in the October and December 2008 issues in Egg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see there's a lot of animal prints, black, texture, and mannish looks. You've probably seen this look in a lot of magazines or walking around in Shibuya, but you might have said it's rock or simple gal. Oraora girls are usually not group oriented. You'll often see 1 or 2 with a bunch of Oraora boys.

Note: Although this look is made to seem tough and deliquent-esque, in my experience OraOra boys are very nice and polite and are often the most welcoming in clubs. They like to turn around or to the left and make sure everyone is raised up and excited for the music or hand over a free drink.

Christmas at 109

 

It's not Christmass or even X-mas, it's X-Madonna at 109!

Christmas-time is a big shopping celebration at 109, but of course Christmas is a date night here. The #1 date night. That means party and date dresses pop up in 109 stores. I know people think it might be for New Years, but New Years is actually more of the family event in Japan with soba and Hatsumode. Stores usually also have freebies this time of year to get people into the buying mood more.

I am currently hunting for a party dress to take back to the States for NYE, there are a lot of options now at 109 ^_^v

Lip Service in Christmas

Lip Service has put out another catalog and it's filled with all the dreamy goodness a girl could want for Japanese Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

Fabulous looks by the Jelly girls. It really plays into the single girl or girl getting ready for a date. I love the couple underwear on the last page. Too cute!

 

 

Lip Service also has a relationship with Nuts (as seen previously) and they toted Lip's new line in their January issue (yes both Jelly and Nuts are already out with their January issues ^_^;;). I love their riders coat and the Betty Boop dress looks cute paired with their bowtie.

I think that ribbon corset velveteen dress is cute, and possibly for New Years. What do you think? Yay or nay on that dress?

Their first roomwear collectionr releases this Friday (11/27). Their eyemasks look luxurious, so I am tempted to buy them.

Of course since the glasses freebie set and eyeset came out last Friday you know I had to get my purchasing on. *sigh* I know 3 of the staff-chans there. We chat when they're free.

 

New shoes from Lip Service!

My first Lippy pair! Love the stud detailing on the ankle strap.

On the Betty Boop catalog page the model is wearing the red version of these.

I also nabbed the Christmas gift set.

Eyelashes + eyelash glue + body lotion. A clever gal set.

The were three eyelash choices, I chose the Cool set, which (hopefully) you can see purple on the outer corners of the lashes. It looked striking without being drag queen on my staff-chan.

Lip Service's freebie is the his and hers glass set with tealight candle and holder. I really like this freebie <3

 

 

Lip Service also had a great set price on 1 cropped cardigan (your choice of color) + 1 shirt (3 designs in different colors) + velteen pumpkin shorts (choice of colors).

I think this was a cool idea to have options within a set and "financial condition" (lol)

One*Spo

One*Spo has had some adorable stuff in, but recently it's outfit sets that are made with jackets to short for the talls.

I couldn't resist their loose top combining lace and Union Jack trends. I also like how the skirt is really just attached on and only gives the illusion of a 2 piece.

Heaven and Earth

I usually always browse this store, but never buy anything. The look they do tends to be outweighed by the bolder and in-your-face Glad News. However, since last year Heaven and Earth has been concentrating more on an OraOra look. IMO Barak, TutuHA and Heaven and Earth are the best makers of this look. It's very monotone with a skull and animal print theme and it's often categorized by a worn look with damage, slashes, and cutaways. Grey, black, white and khaki seem to be the mesh of colors.

Slashes with a thin skull extra lining in the front. More slashes on the upper back.

Soft nubbly hoodie with faint skull print.

One thing I can't get over is how comfortable their pieces are. Their fit, loose cuts and long lengths work awesome with tall people. I'll definitely be shopping here again.

MAC

Of course it's hard to shop and ignore make-up shopping. I pass the MAC counter at Tokyu Hands in Shibuya Station most everyday and it just calls me to come in >_<; Their new seasonal collection called Magic, Mirth and Mischief has tons of cute shades. I recommend checking out their pretty holiday looks.

MAC Lightful. A great moisterizer before make-up and recommended for dry winters.

Mineralize eyshadow duo in Mayhem (MM&M collection)

Dazzle Glass in Jingle Jangle (MM&M collection)

I'm looking forward to Christmas!

Mekas and Tsubasa

Gyaru Ressurgence and Mekas

I have occasionally run into the Japanese English-language fashion blog Mekas when it was still going. I however didn't see their takes on NEW gal until a few days ago. In their well-laid out article Gyaru Ressurgence, they point out key points in why 109 and its brands are still a force to be reckoned with.

I'll give you a moment to read and then we can discuss.^___^ *plays Jeopardy theme music*

First of all, I think it's a well researched piece that got reprinted in The Japan Times, so obviously it has gotten peer-review praise.

As an aside...where did they find a picture of these 3?! The make is bordering on mamba and the hair, gurl get a hat for those roots. These three are looking a bit unkempt for 2008.

Contested claim 1

However its continuous discussion of the class system and gyaru belonging to the lowermiddle and poor classes is just bogus.

So the Gyaru may no longer be a "trend" like they were in the 1990s but a manifestation of lower middle and working-class fashion values in the market. If this is true, you can expect the look to exist for years to come as long as the split between rich and poor keeps getting steeper.

First of all, how many people ages 18 to 25 are upper middle class? Even college students are the typical eternally broke bunch.  Continous stories are put out about how OLs prefer to leech off their parents so they may buy brand goods and enjoy high-class items while being on a low salary. And those women are over 25 yrs+ (See parasite singles wiki, parasite singles washington post, usa today parasite singles bottom of the story).

The girl in the Washington Post story is 26 and making 26,000 a year. That's lower middle class! Simply because gyaru and gyaruo are of a lesser age of course they will be classified as such. Just because they do not dress in Otome fashions is simply bunk to classify their look as cheap. I think Mekas confuses the point of wages = cheap look.

Considering a woman with extensions, nails and a tan could be spending upwards of $600.00 a month on her look, there's nothing cheap or low-class about that! 109 clothes can be cheap, because they're appealing to a younger audience, not because they are low-class.

Contested claim 2


Mekas also decides that there is gyaru boom in the countryside.

While the Gyaru look is still considered outside of the mainstream, the subculture has become the standard for a large number of rural and working-class girls across Japan. (Tokyo youth seem less interested, even though Shibuya is the shopping hub.)

I have some serious doubts about this one. Personally since I think the farther you are away from the epicenter of a trend, the less connection you are likely to have to it. Although websites like rankuten and girlswalker do well to sell-out their on-line merchandise, I do wonder how much of it comes from the countryside.

Also, I have just not personally seen evidence of this. Honestly, I have not spent much time in the countryside. But when I have been in smaller towns and in the mountains there is a definite lack of gyaru that I see. This comment makes it seem like I would be seeing the opposite.

Mekas does not back up these two claims with data. Yes there is a resurgence and sales data of clothing + magazines can tell you that. However, the reasoning is not backed up.


Tsubasa

Mekas also discusses Tsubasa, and when discussing Tsubasa I have mixed feelings. I think she's gorgeous and was an adorable model for Popteen during her stay there, but at the same time I question her "graduation" from Popteen as she did it.

When she discovered she was pregnant she decided to "graduate" from Popteen and get married. Of course people spouted pregnancy rumors, but no word was heard from her during her time of pregnancy. She even closed her blog. For me, it seemed like a very Victorian thing to do to seclude oneself during pregnancy. Like it was a shameful thing. Since there is only a tiny stigma about getting knocked up and marrying, I do think Popteen would have kept her. If not, marketing while pregnant could've have still worked.

Now she has Rion and POOF is now a galmama. Selling her mama+baby lines for Gilfy and Umeshan's company Buzz Spunky now has a kids line.

She is a rolemodel so the feeling of "shame" around her pregnancy seemed to only present a bad image. If you contrast it to how Rumi was portrayed in Egg it's a whole different way. There's even pics of Rumi in the delivery room, looking not so gal-done.

Having said that, I do still like her and want her products and herself to be popular and cross into the main market.

Mekas while discussing the Shibuya Girls Collection has doubts

They are total unknowns to anyone besides avid Popteen readers. The “star” model of SGC was Tsubasa Masuwaka — a 23 year-old ex-Popteen model and young mother who is big with the kids in Shibuya but has no connection to the mainstream entertainment industry. (She is sometimes featured on TV shows but only in news stories about her marketing power with teens. Despite her popularity, she is not invited to be a cute tarento on quiz shows.)

However in the Gyaru Ressurgence article they discuss her as a new Icon.

Popteen's main model Tsubasa as the next big opinion leader for youth — the first legitimate heir to Ebihara Yuri. Tsubasa has the Midas Touch in being able to suggest products on her blog and see them sell out days later. Her spokeswoman work for the brand Liz Lisa had put the manufacturer on the map.

 Her big test comes this month with the large branding of Dolly Wink.

Dolly Wink is a cosmetics line from Koji, that offers fake eyelashes, eyelash glue, eyeliner and eyelash cases.

Posters like these are everywhere in Shibuya.

 

The display looks adorable

Fabulous ribbon theme

An eyelash case. Definitely will purchase this. It's a pain to take care of tons of loose eyelashes around. This was a really clever idea.

All the eyelash lines are up on the Koji site. Love the Sweet Girly style. A possible buy <3

There's a special movie on the Koji website about her. One of the things I like about Tsubasa is she has a very real voice. Unlike many female celebreties and staff-chans alike, who have faked their voice to be higher and sweeter, she sounds quite natural. Also great hands-on pictures of her working to develop the line.

Thanksgiving, Saike & Tokyo Guide prt1 McDs

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who commented on the previous post. I hesitated on posting it because I worried how my statements would be taken, so I really thank the positive and constructive response everyone gave. <3

Yay Thanksgiving

So those of you in the States are winding up to the family pigfest that is Thanksgiving. But, sadly there is no Thanksgiving in Japan, so 20 expats are forced to huddle together and eat a potluck Thanksgiving in honor. It's downright impossible to find turkey in Japan unless you're ordering on-line, so we dealt with chicken surrounded by all the goodness of cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatos, and pumpkin pie. A German, some Japanese, a Canadian Native and two Swedes also came to the event.

Blurry but there's me in the back

In my local 7-11 on October 31 started stocking Christmas cakes. Tokyo Disney World already had Christmas trees up when I went on Halloween. It's surreal, the fall holiday season is unknown here, except for MARON gentei items. Which is chestnut (thanks Anon!), and gentei meaning seasonal.

Saike Saikou!

After the Thanksgiving celebration I headed to the Tokyo Next Gen psychedelic trance event featuring Gataka and Zikimoto as well as Ace. Ace decided to schedule a dj week where he played Friday his usual Rebel night at Atom, then take a plane to Fukuoka and dj at the Soul Japan release event, and then fly back Sunday and dj at the Tokyo Next Gen. I saw him play both Friday and Sunday and all I can say is the man looks like he'll be having a massive hangover for a week.

Sigh Ace is awesome, I will miss hearing him play when I head back to the states. Sunday was my last time >_< More on Ace on the OraOra article coming up, so stay tuned!

I didn't know cameras were legal at the event, so you have to settle for LQ camera phone pics >_< The djs were great, I got pretty drank, and everyone was nice and sharing their alcohol. I was the only foriegner that I could spot other than the djs and 2 of their security. It was quite surreal. ^_^;;

The crazy venue which had a giant screen playing psychedelic videos and the half-circle the djs played in.

DJ Ace in the center of Zikimoto. *happy sigh*

Half of Zikimoto working the tables

Gataka rockin' out. If you haven't listened to them, they're recommended!

Me and a girl I was drinking with. It was 5:00 and we were both suitably gone.

Tokyo Guide: Centaagai - McDonalds

Throughout the month I'll be working to be your tourist guide around gal places and fun things to do in Tokyo. Hopefully if you make a trip you'll be thoroughly informed where to go.

The big crossroads on a rainy day

The Centaagai McDonalds is centrally located in the big crosssection. So of course it's a destination for gals, but more than that it's a great place to people watch. The 2nd floor smoking area is where you'll find most of the gyaruo and gyaru. Mostly they're highschool age, since McDonalds is of course cheap. On the 2nd floor there's a great row of seats where you can look down at Centaagai and people watch to your hearts content.

The great view.

Since you're in Japan and at a McDonalds, try the Shaka Shaka Chicken. It's on the 100 yen menu and delicious!

The smoking area closes at 8:30 so be sure to get your watching on until then ^_^