Ganguro……why?
Yves covered the ganguro style in a post a while back but I felt the need to post about it myself because it’s something that….puzzles me.
It is supposed to recreate a Californian Beach Girl look but to me it always seemed like these girls were trying to cosplay Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer. In drag.
Appropriate, given that ganguro literally means “face-black”.
But wait, it gets more frightening. Apparently, one can go further than the ganguro look to the yamanba look. It roughly translates as “mountain hag” or “mountain witch” and the look can be attained by simply adding a few strokes of white lipstick or white eyeliner to your current ganguro style. Quite a lot of white eyeliner, really. Silver hair makes a nice touch too.
But still, the ultimate question remains:
Ganguro….why?
Link:
http://www.livemusicstudio.com/mac/pages/ganguro.html - Good photos and text
Ganguro girls don’t care what you think!
Yamanba style. Scary.
- 
March 4th, 2006 at 6:41 am
Gangura and yamanba scary me, I’m more into Gothic Lolita, EGA, Visual Kei. But why get a tan that dark? If you didn’t know it you say they were half Japanese half Black. I like weird but that is too weird.
March 10th, 2006 at 12:55 am
i wonder if they truly think they look good like that.
April 16th, 2006 at 1:05 am
America has a version of ganguro too - Ronald Mcdonalds =)
April 16th, 2006 at 9:55 pm
Bwaaahahahhhahha! It’s funny coz it’s true xD
May 5th, 2006 at 11:43 am
I personally am a fan of Ganguro. But not the super dark tan. I really like the 2nd picture you have posted of the Ganguro with the pink hair! very cute!
May 27th, 2006 at 1:51 am
im from america, i live in california,im a black girl and i love ganguro,yamanaba, lolita, gothic lolita. its all so cute to me!
May 31st, 2006 at 7:15 am
Amara-sama the second picture is not ganguro, it is yamanba. Yamanba is its own style. I am a yamanba. I wear Alba Rosa, Cocolulu, Egoist,
Kaimana, and the rest of them. Yamanba comes from Japanese word yama uba, which means mountain old witch. They were ghosts in Japanese mythology that haunted people travelling alone in the mountains. We are all about dark tans. Our white lipstick, stickers, and makeup and hair style vary from ganguro. We love flowers and the California valley girl look. Our mission is go against the standard Japanese norm of a black hair submissive wife. We drop out of school, some have babies at 15, and rarely go “home”. It is thought of as a taboo lifestyle and scary in Japanese society. We don’t care what others think, we support each other and are a minzoku “clan” that are rebellious. We enjoy parapara techno dancing and spending cash. Our life is not all fun and games, but we live it to the fullest. We try to be kawaii(chute).
Sincerely,
Sachiko
June 1st, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Thanks for the clarification, Sachiko :)
I’m slowly learning the differences between ko-gals, ganguro and yamanba.
I think all of them are really interesting to look at. The hair styles and makeup is really amazing :D
June 7th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
see what Americans did to Japan!
Gunguro’s American Version is those super tan white chicks with tons of makeup. Those Valley Girl Barbies that people do not like. Does Japan hate it to?
June 9th, 2006 at 6:46 am
I Love Yamanba style. Its awsome. The white lipstick and eyeliner is awsome. The dark tans are what throw me off. The 2nd girl’s tan is awsome. I LOVE YAMANBA AND HARAJUKU AND GOTHIC LOLITA AND GANGURO!!! =] I dont think I would be able to pull off the look though..sadly…. =[
June 13th, 2006 at 8:39 am
Sachiko gave good advice. There are big difference between the styles. they are cute, yet there are ricks of cancer. so have fun, safe! ^ _ ^ bai bai
July 2nd, 2006 at 12:38 am
I`m from US and I`m a black girl and I love Ganguro, Lolita, Gothic Lolita, as well as other Japanese fashion. They`re Supa Kawaii
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:35 am
Personally I like ko-gals and Ganguros more!
I love the clothes!
And to me ganguros are only good if it looks alittle bit natural.
August 15th, 2006 at 5:04 am
Personally I love the Japanese fashion. Also to suzano, I don’t think you got that right about the whole half black thing. If you look for pictures of Amerie[korean/black], crystal kay[korean/black] and Kimora lee simons[japanese/black] you would realize that none of them look half as bad as those ganguro girls. It’s disgusting how dark they tan there skin. I’m black and I live in California. I personaly make fun of white girls that tan there skin to much and wear all that damn makeup. They look like clowns. it used to be stupid to want to tan your skin to look black and something of that sort. Now it’s just popular. I think these girls want to get skin cancer.
September 18th, 2006 at 12:36 pm
Well, in all truth, some styles don’t seem all that bad to me. Considering how you style them, of course.
I have to agree with Imani, though. Exactly ‘who’ are they trying to look like, again? I can see some of the California “style” there, but for the extreme cases of tan… isn’t that a bit different from the beach girl’s standards?
For if some are modeling after being black… I’d just say… I look /nothing/ like that.
But hey, if it floats your boat, all the power to ‘ya.
Thanks for this interesting topic! ^.^
September 18th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
I’m Chinese who live in Indonesia. I think both ganguro and yamanba are very brave. How they get the tanned skin like that? it is so dark and scary me. Do they makeup their face all day? It’s disgusting. They look so stupid and naughty. Do they spend their parent’s money for being like that? I feel so sorry to their parents because of their strange children.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:51 am
Im american and I like the style. But…the makeup..just throws me off. I do know that some girls are naturally born tan like that but when they slap a crap load of makeup on their face it just isnt cute any more. I don’t know, maybe its just me but all that white makeup isn’t cute to look at all day.
November 16th, 2006 at 12:58 am
yall are wierd they are all scary!! its a very unatural thing!!!!
November 18th, 2006 at 12:36 am
i think ganguro is a unatural thing and is very ugly in some cases like the top pic.
December 1st, 2006 at 10:57 am
America use to have counter-culture.. , i miss counter-culture
it made for interesting times
December 5th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
i think the whole gangura/yamanba styles are interesting, but one thing i find funny is japanese girls’ styles are so heavly influenced by white styles. they seem to really want to look like us, while i’ve noticed most white girls want to look japanese and love to cosplay and dress like they do. i just find it wierd that’s all ;p
January 26th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
ThaT’s a cute Style!…
creative….!
harajuku, gothic lolita, n decora too…!
i very love it….
for me, japan is the most cOoLest country in fashion world!
February 5th, 2007 at 7:25 am
I actually think ganguro is pretty cute. Yamanba is also pretty cute it really just depends on the girl I guess. The yamanga girl in the second picture is really cute and I see two sort of cute ganguro’s in the top picture.
February 5th, 2007 at 7:27 am
Also Ganguro girls are to Japan as the scene kids are to America. They just want to rebel, and show that beauty comes in different ways, not just the traditional quiet light-skin japanese girls.
March 20th, 2007 at 4:29 am
I am So tired of the(C)ute word.
April 12th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
My boyfriend is Japanese and he doesn’t like Yamanba, I think he feels it’s too much makeup. I personally like it, if it is done right. the second picture is so cute, but her hair is fried and it’s a little too heavy. I do make up artistry and on my days off i like to do something similar but not as heavy, plus i am really pale.
April 20th, 2007 at 9:13 am
dont hate. appreciate.
so what if you think they look weird. as they say: “too each his own”
April 29th, 2007 at 7:40 am
I would like to visit Japan., and talk with the girls who use this makeup.. it would allow me the chance to feel the issues they explore.. for now, i am curious
it seems.. it could be a critigue of black society or a celebration.. mmm i need to find out more.. who wants to pay for my trip
April 29th, 2007 at 7:42 am
I am also happy they do it.
it is expression.. and creative thinking..
well done
April 30th, 2007 at 2:52 am
This is soo stupid. It’s like michael jackson trying to white his skin with operations. People should be happy with their colors they were born into. I pity these girls cause I don’t know how they get that tan but it can’t be healty. This is not fashion, this is just idiocity.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
i luv da style it show’s rebellion towards da traditional image of japan…….in my opinion they’ll look pretty if they didnt take da style too far! :D
May 3rd, 2007 at 2:23 am
Ganguro is like…Overly ugly if you ask me.
I dont see why anyone would want to die from skin cancer for a fasion statement. Im more into the gothic lolita look myself. But this is just…icky…I dont find it pretty at all what so ever.
May 12th, 2007 at 5:37 am
while i don’t particular like the kind of fashion, i don’t think they should be equated with merely being desperate Californian wannabes… i believe their style is more for the purpose of being different from tradition and as a way of showing rebellion… as to whether such apparently drastic measures are worth it or not, guess it’s for themselves to decide…
May 26th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Jitsu wa atashi fashion japanese ga totemo suki da.ganguro wa warui dakedo omoshiroi da.sore de,ganguro seikatsu wa hontouni fusigi da.
May 27th, 2007 at 4:28 am
i LUV ganguro…don’t really like yamamba though, that’s takin’ it kinda too far cuz i don’t like the white eye make up n the stickers. the thing that scares me about the first picture though with those girls, like, you notice their socks? they actually glue them to their legs to keep them from falling. that’s disturbing. but other than that i’m a middle eastern/black/white girl who’s obsessed with ganguro for some strange reason, lol.
May 27th, 2007 at 7:26 am
i think their fashion and makeup is really cool.kind of scary and a little too much but cool.
but the tan to me is a different story.but honestly i would seriously dress like that for a day to see how it is even though i’m from the U.S and my friends would be like “what the hell are you waring?”
(and to think they got it from california beach girls)
June 15th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Ganguro and yamanba are unique fashion which i like alot. All the people who r saying its ugly or stupied Its NOT its like art or a creative way of thinking. AAND so what they r DIFFERENT!!!!!!!! get over it.
June 17th, 2007 at 12:03 am
I love ganguro and manba style! Though I don’t really like the manba lifestyle. That would be too much for me.
Also, don’t most manba prefer using fake tan lotion/spray?
June 19th, 2007 at 4:10 am
I think its a beautiful style, its the opposite of goth if you think about it. Its all about fun, color, style, fashion. I love to put on the make-up, I just don’t have enough money for it. But ah well… to each his own. There are no two people that are the same and I can’t expect you to see what I see in the things I like eh?
June 29th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
ughh. I hate the Ganguro style, it scares me a lot. I never understood it. >_____
June 29th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
I’m quite lost in all those styles. For me it was always only ganguro and yamamba and I ignored the rest.
There are ganguros who look really good if well prepared, well chosen clothes, makeup and hairstyle/color.
Also I wonder how they can take care of all that bleached hair. My hair (originally black asian) is partly bleached to the lightest blond they could produce (most expensive bleacher too). and I have to say that the hair is now like standing on my head…well just look at any bleached hair japanese girl.
about the black tan. I prefer slight tan than a dark tan with a little bit of white color under the eyes but hey it’s my opinion.
most girls just want to rebel and they don’t have the right taste I think. but some (maybe) more have a good taste at the same time.
and we all love ParaPara
July 4th, 2007 at 6:58 am
I think yamanaba and ganguro are disgusting styles. They look terrible! I prefer the J-rock/ Visual kei style.
July 19th, 2007 at 12:33 am
looks like NY Club kids meet tanned up Cali girls. if that’s what you’re into, more power to you.
July 24th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
I LOVE IT!!!! I LOVE JAPAN. I’m really attracted to anything that is weird and I wish I lived in Japan, people are so creative and original. I like the stickers, the pink air and especially the attitude!!!!! They rock ^.^
By the way, this website is awesome
October 18th, 2007 at 7:08 am
I’m half black and asian and i’m a ganguro except i don’t tan i’m tan enough>.
October 24th, 2007 at 12:10 am
I like the cloths, but the make up it’s kind of weird, i’m from portugal and i want to visit japan to, but it’s to expensive. and the girls should like how they are and not try to be something they aren’t and i agree with that of michael jackson
January 14th, 2008 at 10:44 am
As an aging Midwest US geekster hippie, I must say Gangiro girls awaken the serpent fire in my second chakra. Many say they are garish. Some say they are ugly.
I say, evolutionary process presents amazing permutations to encourage the mating act. Yowza! Come into my parlor, my little dark and neon Ganguro pet!
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:26 am
I must say Ganguro is a horrible failure aa a genre of fashion so is yamamba. It’s just plain scary. They looks bad. I don’t see how they think they could look good. The Japanese are known for their beauty of pale skin and perfectly dark straight hair. I can see the need to rebel and look different, but you don’t have to take it to the extreme and look like Barbie decided to ditch college for clown school. The Japanese seem to always be on top of fashion and ahead of the stupid Americans- SO DON’T COPY THE STUPID AMERICAN VALLY GIRLS! They are not respected in America and therefore not in Japan- dontcha know? Fake tans are horrible- but they can look good- But with tans and makeup to the extreme it just looks ridiculous.
I always say though, dress how you want and not give a shit what others say, but you have to have the attitude to go along with it at least be respectable from what Sachiko said up there about Yamamba…
“We drop out of school, some have babies at 15, and rarely go “home”. It is thought of as a taboo lifestyle and scary in Japanese society.” Those can’t be responsible choices…
These are things that can ruin Japan’s society and cause them to become like Americans.
I am an American and I can say I stand out from the majority and the majority is who I’m speaking against in this rant.
“Yamanba comes from Japanese word yama uba, which means mountain old witch. They were ghosts in Japanese mythology that haunted people travelling alone in the mountains.” Sounds like a perfect Halloween Costume.
I think this is a great example of the style and I have no problem with it ….
{http://www.fantasyworld.pl/images/artykuly/lamus/ganguro.jpg] << this looks very good!
Girls with this style should look out though. Cancer can be a result of this excessive tanning- obviously.
But it’s just a silly style that a few follow. I don’t suppose it will effect the economy but you Japanese should know- Don’t copy the Americans these days.
Stick with the Goth Loli Aristocratic stuff from the old days. I think those styles are perfectly awesome and fresh for today’s time. Harajuku street fashion with wild colors and accessories is another awesome style.
So that’s about all I have to say.
Rant Ended.
~Z!~
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:34 am
I must say Ganguro is a horrible failure aa a genre of fashion so is yamamba. It’s just plain scary. They looks bad. I don’t see how they think they could look good. The Japanese are known for their beauty of pale skin and perfectly dark straight hair. I can see the need to rebel and look different, but you don’t have to take it to the extreme and look like Barbie decided to ditch college for clown school. The Japanese seem to always be on top of fashion and ahead of the stupid Americans- SO DON’T COPY THE STUPID AMERICAN VALLY GIRLS! They are not respected in America and therefore not in Japan- dontcha know? Fake tans are horrible- but they can look good- But with tans and makeup to the extreme it just looks ridiculous.
I always say though, dress how you want and not give a shit what others say, but you have to have the attitude to go along with it at least be respectable from what Sachiko said up there about Yamamba…
“We drop out of school, some have babies at 15, and rarely go “home”. It is thought of as a taboo lifestyle and scary in Japanese society.” Those can’t be responsible choices…
These are things that can ruin Japan’s society and cause them to become like Americans.
I am an American and I can say I stand out from the majority and the majority is who I’m speaking against in this rant.
“Yamanba comes from Japanese word yama uba, which means mountain old witch. They were ghosts in Japanese mythology that haunted people travelling alone in the mountains.” Sounds like a perfect Halloween Costume.
I think this is a great example of the style and I have no problem with it ….
{http://www.fantasyworld.pl/images/artykuly/lamus/ganguro.jpg] << this looks very good!
Girls with this style should look out though. Cancer can be a result of this excessive tanning- obviously.
But it’s just a silly style that a few follow. I don’t suppose it will effect the economy but you Japanese should know- Don’t copy the Americans these days.
Stick with the Goth Loli Aristocratic stuff from the old days. I think those styles are perfectly awesome and fresh for today’s time. Harajuku street fashion with wild colors and accessories is another awesome style.
April 29th, 2008 at 9:05 am
you don’t look good with tans that dark! it looks like you are trying to be black, but black people look beautiful with they’re skin like that; you don’t. rebelling like that seems cool, but white lipstick and that much makeup is gross. they’re hair looks pretty awesome but it looks dead and damaged. the tans should be lighter and they should wear less makeup. before someone said that they seem like they are trying to be like those white valley girls, i’m white and i say they (white valley girls that inspire them) look stupid. i think visual kei and all that is cool but that doesn’t seem like thats what they are going for. lighten the tans wear lighter and less makeup, take better care of your hair and find an awesome style of clothing ( not sure if they have) to go with that; you’ll look really cute.