And what tribe are you from?
1. DECORATE or DECORATE. If there is a recognizable urban tribe miles away in Japan, it is the Decora. Its bright colors and its children's clothing are its main identity keys . They dye their hair a thousand colors and use more hairpins than a head can hold. They are living rainbows. Usually these are adults who still live in the world of Peter Pan: they don't want to grow up. They are very childish, extravagant and they are crazy about Disney characters, Hello Kitty and care bears. In Tokyo, you can see them gather every Sunday at Karayuku Park. The show is guaranteed.
two. GANGUROS: The ganguro tribe breaks completely with the canon of oriental beauty based on white complexion. The ganguros are just the opposite: very dark-skinned. To achieve this, they spend hours and hours in UVA sessions or use sprays to dye their skin. . You can recognize them because they paint their lips white and around their eyes , sometimes wear large wigs and false eyelashes. Within the ganguro there are several grades: the Manba and the Yamanba . The latter are more extreme and their makeup is much more exaggerated.
3. VISUAL KEI: Another tribe that wants nothing to do with the stereotype of the uniformed Japanese and impeccable conduct are the Visual Kei. This striking aesthetic is born from a type of rock music that came to Japan in the 1980s and 1990s. They are characterized by wearing kilos of makeup and eccentric hairstyles . Within Visual Kei there are several subcultures. Hence we can find phantasmagorical aesthetics type Marilyn Manson or other more elegant and less radical ones who even wear period costumes.
Four. SWEET LOLITA: Japanese women who dress as authentic porcelain dolls from the Victorian era identify themselves as Sweet Lolitas. They look like delicate little princesses in very pompous and rococo outfits. The colors they use are not at all garish, rather pastel. They are very childish and the makeup is usually very natural. There are also boys who follow this movement: they are known as Kodona.
5. GOTHIC LOLITA: Within the urban tribe of Lolitas we find a gothic version that combines black with white and abuses lace and bows. They use a lot of Victorian style blouses, bags with crucifixes, bats or coffins. They also love to wear watches. M many even turn their stuffed animals into goths to add to their clothing . Of course, they never lose their childish aspect.
6. cosplay : The Cosplay tribe draws its clothing mainly from characters from manga, comics and video games. They have fun playing their favorite characters. Many of them assume it as a way of life and get fully into the role . Events like Cosplay Summit are the best occasion to exhibit their successful characterizations.