Today I thought it would be fun to talk about the GYARU HAKUSHO survey from EGG Volume 120.
This issue was published in October 2006, and this survey interviewed 103 gals on the streets of Shibuya, all about what's cool, and also about what they think it means to be a gyaru.
Let's see what it was like to be a gyaru 20 years ago!
(warning: I can't barely read any Japanese, so I used Google Translate and common sense to get this information. Also, I'm not gonna cover absolutely everything, only the interesting parts to me and the highlights. I'll also give my personal commentary in itallics. Don't take this post as professional and go read it yourself for a better understanding. Thankyou.)
Page 1:
Header:
The header explains that 103 gyaru around the age of 17 are interviewed on the streets of Shibuya during summer vacation. Theres also some stats about the girls:
Average amount of days spent in Shibuya per week is 2.2
Amount with boyfriends is 33%
Amount who are students is 64%
And also specifies that the trendy Manbas will be interviewed!
Theme 1: Behaviour, Catchphrases, Items: The Requirements For Being Gyaru!
1: Slang!
The top 6 slangs used by gyaru in summer 2006 are...
1st place: マジで～ (Seriously?)
2nd place: ウケルんですけど (That's Hilarious)
3rd place:だるい (it's too much trouble)
4th place:てゆ～か (like "to rephrase")
5th place:場面 (Like "what's the scene?", It's used like acting in the spur of the moment, and planning impulsively)
It's interesting that a lot of these feel like such standard vocab now, and some totally faded out ww. I don't generally find vocab so interesting but I know a lot of people do, so I hope the peek into 20 years old GO is interesting for you!
2: What are Gyaru Behaviours?
1st place: Doing your makeup anywhere.
2nd place: sitting wherever you want.
3rd place: checking your face (looking in the mirror a lot?)
4th place: Dancing anywhere.
From EGG: what's trendy right now is charging your phone at the store, teasing your hair, acting in the spur of the moment (remember 場面?) meeting up with friends. Also checking your appearance in reflections of windows. The person on the other side of the glass might think its weird though (wwww).
It seems the spontanious, rude, unsightly type of gyaru is still the rage. Sitting on the ground and teasing your hair inside a restaurant. 2006 is during the diversification, but before the mainstreaming, of gyaru, and just before the 'celeb' style became ideal. So it's interesting to see the combination of the Paris Hilton looking stylish girls who still behave like ganguro wwww
3. What Items Do Gyaru Own?
1st place: Willcom (I think this is referring to a specific model of mobile phone, because Willcom phones were always popular in 2000's Japan).
2nd place: Curling iron
3rd place: mobile phone (in general, now. mobiles are all the rage in 2006 wwww)
4th place: makeup pouch
EGG says also popular items are contact lens cases, phone chargers, and purikura. But purikura albums are no longer fashionable to carry, because they are too heavy and bulky and now mobile phones are sufficient to take photos. they also note that surprisingly no one seemed to carry an iPod. (I found this so interesting!)
Of course this is one of the most exciting topics to me, so I totally drooled when I saw that no one was carrying an iPod. I wonder why, maybe because they're too expensive for teenagers? I would guess that's why.
4. What are the requirements for a Gyaru?
1st place: TAN!
2nd place: Heavy Makeup
3rd place: brightly colored hair
4th place: Intensity (強め）
5th place: Stylish
Confidence, High-Energy, with a strong appearance. Dark Skin had a vote rate of over 90%. Indeed, it seems that a tan is necessary to be a gyaru in 2006. Perhaps it can be considered the defining feature of a gyaru at the time.
Also I just wanted to zoom in on this Romihi. I thought that it was funny that the one people would probably call the "most gyaru" looking was presented as a beginner's look and how she's improved so much since then.
Page 2:
Theme 2: Debut! Everything about debuting as a gyaru.
5. How old were you when you made your debut?
13歳: 2
14歳: 16
15歳: 33
16歳: 21
17歳: 4
Just now: 4
EGG says: 15-16 is right around the time between leaving middle school and starting high school, so it's apparently a good time to start out.
I think it's exactly the age in which every teen wants to rebel, and also change up their whole personality, so I think it totally makes sense. This is also the age I officially debuted as gyaru as well.
6. what were your thoughts when you debuted?
It's a range of thoughts from "I'm too inexperienced and I look stupid", "My makeup sucks!", "let's improve and become more gyaru!", to "it's flashy and super fun!".
EGG says that a lot of girls said they're insecure because they feel their makeup isn't good enough. (It seems the standards are quite high to look good.)
It stood out to me that, back then, it seemed that girls were never quite satisfied with their performance and thought they should improve. I wonder if it's better that way or the way it is now: "gal is mind and I'm perfect however I am now".
7. Have you worn platforms before?
it seems that atsuzoko are both considered out of style and still considered iconically gyaru in 2006 w
YES: 78.2%
NO: 21.8%
I was going to skip this question, but I have got to add this Romihi where they call her 'Micromihi' HAHAHAHA
At the time, platforms were absolutely OUT of style, and low heels were in in in. I'm surprised how many said they had worn a platform at all.
8. Are shiro (as in untanned) gyaru acceptable?
YES: 55.3%
NO: 44.7%
EGG says they're shocked by the ammount of 'Yes' (and so am I tbh) and they also write that tan makes you look thinner so it's cuter wwww
It seems that at the time, beauty standards for gyaru were self enforced, They'll say "I think pale gyaru are fine", but tan themselves, and say that in general "gyaru is tan".
9. Do you go to the tanning salon?
YES: 90.9%
NO: 9.1%
EGG says it's a given that gyaru girls are tanned, and you're not a gyaru if you don't go to a tanning salon.
I think this proves my thoughts from before. They will say that shiro is valid but everyone tans though!! lol
In the end it's inescapable. Gyaru are tan!!
10. Do you like ParaPara?
YES: 87.0%
NO: 13.0%
2006 was such a healthy year for eurobeat and hypertechno. So it's no surprise that in general para is thriving. I saw it said "even if it's not useful in the future, they enjoy what they can only do now" which made me laugh.
11. What's the most intense (強め) gyaru you know?
graded on 3 criteria: deep tan, flashiness, aura!
Not much to write on this question since there's actually not much added, just some standout answers, but I'll show the feature of Yukatan from Angeleek:
"she's covered in hibiscus flowers, and of course, she's always black. She has brightly colored hair and makeup. and, she's basically always showing skin and her clothes are always primary colors. also, she has a really strong aura. You can spot her instantly even from afar. "
Yukatan says: "I'm really happy when people tell me I have a strong look. I'm very competitive, so when I see someone with a more flamboyant look, I feel like I'm losing and I go harder. That's how I ended up like this"
12. what percentage is your gyaru-ness?
1st: 50%
2nd: 10%
3rd: 0%
4th: 30%
5th: 20%
EGG is admonishing the answerers for being such wussies about their answers and being too humble, because "being weak doesn't suit a gal" wwwwwwww
I know EGG said gyaru shouldn't be humble and they should have more confidence, but I respect the humbleness. I think you can be proud of your style while also thinking you can still improve. Because, otherwise, you'll get stagnant. It also feels boring to think that there's nothing more to do.
13. Moments that make you realize "I'm a gyaru"
1st: Being darker than those around you
2nd: when your makeup and hair look great
3rd: being told you're gyaru
4th: When I'm done-up at my full potential
5th: When I'm at the club (?)
EGG says it seems that everyone feels gyaru in situations unique to gyaru, like waiting to meetup with a friend in shibuya, or getting interviewed for EGG magazine ww
Page 3:
14. top 5 things you like since becoming gyaru:
1st: Made more friends
2nd: so much fun
3rd: independence
4th: I'm told I'm cute
5th: I've become fashionable
I find them all relatable. I make so many friends through gyaru, even if some of those friends aren't gyaru. Just getting out there has made more connections than anything else in my life. I feel like I would never go out if I didn't become gyaru, it gives reasons to leave the house and do things. Especially when it's a 'circle event' we planned out for a long time!
15. Top 5 things you hate since becoming gyaru:
1st: It's so expensive!
2nd: makeup and hair are a huge hassle
3rd: You're judged by your appearance
4th: so much time at the salon
5th: It's hard to find work
I also relate to all of these ww. It's painful to spend so much and eat up so much of my life with beauty maintenance but I'll get itchy if I don't perform at peak.
Theme 3: Attention to detail in style and makeup
16. What's your favorite shop?
1st: Lip Service
2nd: d.i.a.
3rd: ANAP
It's interesting to see d.i.a. described as an up and coming trendy brand ww. It's since become the dominating force in gyaru, so synonymous with the style that it even came back from the dead. But at the time, it barely seems to show up in the magazines yet!
17. what are your criteria when buying clothes?
Intuituve: 52.5%
If you feel like it's fate, you buy it. And you don't regret it. You use it without even realizing it.
Cautious: 47.4%
You look at all the stores and decide what to buy. You don't want to regret it, so you think about how versatile it will be to wear with other clothes.
I feel like this depends a lot on age and experience honestly. Younger people who don't have a grasp on their personal style tend to buy whatever they think is cute without considering if it suits them or if it's suitable for their closet. While older more experienced people tend to consider their figure more and also are more aware of what they like, as well as how to style nicely.
18. Who do you look to for fashion inspiration?
1st: EGG Models
2nd: Magazine Models
3rd: shop staffs
4th: Celebrities
5th: No one
6th: Strangers
7th: Other place
EGG says maybe shop staff are inspiring because they're more relatable (than models)?
I wonder if the 1st answer was just glazing wwww but even if not, It's mostly the same as now. Only, the vehicle by which we saw the inspo is different. EGG is a social media empire rather than a magazine. but shop staff don't really exist because shops don't exist...Well outside of the gyaru context, shop staff are still aspirational! The MARS staff are always so cute.
19. Tell me about your makeup secrets
EYES are the main feature. The rule is to make your eyelashes as long as possible. thick eyeliner and droopy eyes are also mentioned.
Also mentioned is dark foundation and a highlighted nose.
although some manba are shown with very dramatic panda make, the diagram pictured is pretty on par with the make at the time. thick black pencil liner, small dark droop (when they say 'droop' they mean make the eyeliner and shadow thicker on the bottom wwww) and usualy just mascara, no fake lashes. Or if they do, they're pretty small and natural looking. Plus just an explosion of eyeshadow thicker than mortar on a brick wall.
Here's a make tutorial page from this same issue so you can see~
20. Do you want to get a tattoo?
YES: 67.1%
NO: 32.9%
EGG says that it seems like the negative association to tattoos has decreased considerably.
I think Zoomers are more relaxed in this regard. I have finally seen a lot more young Japanese people with visible tattoos recently. I'm surprised so many said they would be interested in getting a tattoo, but of course then the magazine spent a huge paragraph on all the reasons why they shouldn't get one wwww
Page 4:
Theme 4: Focus on the finances
21. What is your favorite luxury brand?
1st: Louis Vuitton
2nd: Chanel
3rd: Gucci
4th: Cartier
5th: Bvlgari
EGG says the most popular items to be owned by the answerers are cheap ones that can be bought from a baito salary, such as a keyfold.
Do the trendy brands for gals ever change? Even now it feels the same. But maybe Chanel had surpassed Louis. I'm surprised Tiffany didn't make it on the list, but I suspect it's the next behind ww
22. What's the most expensive item you're wearing today?
1st: Bvlgari watch
2nd: Louis Vuitton bag
3rd: Bvlgari wallet
EGG says it was split down the middle on who cares about brands and who doesn't, but mostly everyone was wearing brand.
It seems that the style was to wear trendy clothes from the mall and carry a brand item as a utilitarian item, such as a bag or wallet. I also do this, because those products can be used all the time rather than coordinated with certain outfits, so it's a wise way to spend on brand.
Also I'm surprised by the amount of Bvlgari, now I'm thinking to get some too...
23. How many brand items do you own?
Average 3.6 pieces!
EGG says most gals don't have much brand, not because they don't want it, but because they can't afford it.
I feel like designer has become much more of a priority, that people will spend on it unwisely just to have it, when in the past it was passed up because it's not a necessity. When I think about it, it seems insane that I even have designer wwww. I guess it's also much easier to buy secondhand now than before, but actually I've even seen ads in magazines from 2004-2006 about secondhand designer shopping sites that can be accessed via phone!
24. how much money do you have today?
Average: 14,954 yen
Must be nice...
25. do you have debt?
YES: 26 people
NO: 74 people
Worst debt: 50,000
Lowest debt: 3,000
Could not be possible today. I think all young people are in debt as soon as they're born wwww
26. What is your monthly income?
Average: 50,000 yen
It's said to be a combination of income from baito and allowance from parents. I wish allowance from parents was a thing for adults w.
27. Do you Date for Pay?
YES: 9 people
NO: 91 people
I really wonder what this statistic will be like if they run this again today ww. Do you think it's any more popular in Gen Z/ Gen A? Do you think OnlyFans counts as compensated dating?
Page 5:
Theme 5: Social Life! Friends, Boyfriends, Sex
I'm gonna skip all the relationship and sex questions and only list a couple of the friendship related ones. If you want to read that data, go ahead and check out the issue for yourself. I just think it's not so interesting to hear about teen girls' sex lives lol
33. How do you know your friends?
37.8% from my Hometown
29.1% from School
18.1% from my Circle
7.3% from my Part Time Job
7.7% Other
EGG says most people said they met with friends at the clubs. It seems that indeed the nightclub is the natural environment for gyaru.
34. Do you have more male or female friends?
MALE: 3 people
FEMALE: 91 people
EVEN: 6 people
37. What kind of relationships are your priority?
1st: Friendships
2nd: family
3rd: boyfriend
4th: Myself
EGG said that surely the only reason why friends came in first place is because most of the girls didn't have boyfriends. wwww
I think friends will come in first no matter what. who cares so much about their boyfriend at 17?? Of course friends are the priority! w
Page 6:
Theme 6: Crazy Experiences!
Again, The answers to these often relate to sex or otherwise aren't very relevent to my purposes so I'm gonna mostly skip it.
40. what sets you apart from other gyaru?
One girl talks about her strict parents and 9PM curfew. She says people don't believe her, because of how she looks.
The next says that she's not interested in love. Maybe she hasn't even been in love yet? Hanging out with friends is her priority. (I wonder if she's gay wwww)
The next girl says she's strict and fastidious about her responsibilities. She's always sure to finish her homework before going out, and she's never been late for her baito. She even finishes her summer homework well before the end of the vacation.
The next girl says she's the top of her history class, out of spite! She said her teacher once scolded her for wearing makeup, so she decided to prove herself with her studies.
The next girl says she moved into a one room apartment in Tokyo with a random guy she met at the train station and his roommate. (isn't this exactly the sort of thing a gyaru girl would do? ww)
The last girl says she can't stand injustice so she'll pick fights and she's kind of a delinquent type because of that.
Page 7:
Theme 7: What does the future hold?
43. What are your dreams and future goals?
1st: Fashion
2nd: Marriage
3rd: Hairdressing
Certainly its no surprise, although I guess I am surprised that nailist and makeup or aesthetics didn't make it higher on the list! I always thought it's hard to get into the Fashion industry. Is it hard?
44. Who is the Charisma Gal?
1st: Natsumi Yoshida
2nd: Hiromi Endo
3rd: Tsubasa Masukawa
45. Who is your favorite active model?
1st: Natsumi Yoshida
2nd: Tsubasa Masukawa
3rd: Marie Yoshida
46. Who is the strongest Gal of all time?
1st: Hiromi Endo
2nd: Buriteri
3rd: Kaoru Watanabe
47. What does gyaru mean to you?
1st: Youth
2nd: Being young
3rd: yearning to be like a gyaru/achieve the look.
4th: Strength
EGG says at least four girls said that gyaru are god! w
FINALLY, 48. What are the rules of gyaru?
1. Keep your skin tanned
2. Stay loyal to your friends
3. Always behave with good manners and use common sense
4. Don't be slutty
5. Always be "dolled up". Stay Flashy
6. Be able to dance Eurobeat, Psychedelic, Trance.
7. Have intense eyes (not sure if it's meant your gaze or your makeup)
8. value having good etiquette
9. Never flake
10. Always greet properly (such as good morning, thankyou, yoroshiku, etc.)
There you have it!
The opinions of gyaru from 20 years ago!
What did you find most surprising? What did you relate to even today?
Again, I don't read Japanese so if there are lost nuance or innacuracies, I'M SORRY but it is what it is. I already warned you.
Also this took me two days to write, so I'm so exhausted lol I hope it was worth it and you're not just thinking "I could've just read it myself. What was the point of posting this?"
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