Ganguros have caught the attention of numerous people, not only in
Japan, but abroad. What makes them so special? Why focus on the ganguro,
rather than the other characters of Japan’s subculture (i.e.
enjo kosai, cos-play, etc.)? It could be that people’s interest
in the ganguro has to do more with visual stimulation than anything
else. The ganguros stand out in a crowd, sporting lethally tall platform
shoes, brightly colored clothes, tanned skin, dyed hair. They go against
the norm of Japan’s homogenous society—adding color to
the wash of fair skin and black hair, making a target of interest
for outsiders. The ganguro is a rebel, albeit cheerful on the outside.
She is what she is for a reason. Some respect should be given to these
underground characters of Japan, for they are essentially starting
a revolution—breaking free of the rules and expectations, passed
down from generation to generation, and set upon them.
