Agejo, A New Tribe of Women in Japan

Tokyo,

Japan is currently witnessing the birth of a new tribe of young women, called "agejo," identifiable by their pale skin, large eyes and over-the-top hairdos.  These type of young women can now be found on the streets of Japan.

 

Despite a recession in the magazine business, a monthly advising bar hostesses on hairstyles, makeup and fashion is now a hit.  Little Devil Swallowtail Butterfly, published by Inforest Co. in Tokyo, sells about 300,000 copies a month to this new generation of girls.

 

Models in this magazine are called agejo, a word derived from young woman, and many of them work at nightclubs. Such female nightclub employees are also known as "butterflies of the night."  The agejo has white skin and eyes made to appear larger with the use of eye make-up and false eyelashes.  The look is then topped off with curly locks.  This look is believed to have been influenced by a particular singer but has since developed its own uniqueness.

 

The Lip Service store in the 109 fashion emporium in Tokyo's is popular with agejo. On display are revealing clothes with open-top sleeves, low-cut backs and plunging necklines.  When the agejo introduce their outfits as their own private clothes in the magazine, it generates a big response. Women find the clothes "erotic and pretty.

 

An observer of street fashion says Agejo are like products produced by computer graphics. There is an ambiguous line between professionals and amateurs. They develop by incorporating the mood of the times.

 

In the magazine, the agejo talk frankly about their jobs and relationships, which relates well with readers and the magazines target audience. Many women living outside the greater Tokyo area, such as Hokkaido and Hiroshima Prefecture, mix local fashions into their particular styles.

 

 

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