外國人都是... Foreigners Are Like That...
Different from the wildly enthusiastic Westerners and influenced by a similar source of culture and tradition, Asians tend to be overcautious and passive. Yet in recent years, young Japanese have come up with characteristics of their own. It is not that hard to distinguish Japanese youths from youths of other nationalities. In both their looks and clothing, Japanese teens have developed their unique styles: for boys, there is the “Johnny’s Kids Look”; and for girls, there is the “109 Hot Chick Style.”
Johnny’s Kids is a famous showbiz agency in Japan. In fact, it is the origin of most super idles we see on Japanese soap operas. All of the guys look alike, with dyed hair, big eyes, bonny bodies, and short stature. Teenage boys in Japan tend to imitate these idols, changing their hair in to orange curls, wearing baggie pants and showing their nipples. Bright colored hair might have been favored because it distracts attention from these teenage boys’ short height and skinny figure; after all, hair color is the only thing they can change to be more like Brad Pitt. Therefore, Japanese teen boys strive to be like Pitt, skinny and short and with oranges curls.
On the other hand, teenage girls in Japan have also developed a new and identical style, the 109 Hot Chick Style. All 109’s have dyed hair with small curls, short skirts, baggy stockings, lots of accessories, and a very black face. Though the origin of this new look is still a mystery, it was a big hit in young Japanese fashions. The black face trend has faded in recent years due to the high cost of cosmetics and color maintenance, yet the elegant accessories are still Japanese teens’ favorite. Artificial nail drawings, long sparkling earrings, sharp-front high heels, hyperbole hairstyle and makeup are special features of 109 Hot Chicks. Though there are tons of ways to dress and look, this style is still the most popular.
Japanese teens are like that. However, this fashion has also become a trend in Taiwan, and Taiwanese are looking more and more like Japanese. Soon Japanese youths would have to think of other new spontaneous ideas to individualize themselves in Asia.
Different from the wildly enthusiastic Westerners and influenced by a similar source of culture and tradition, Asians tend to be overcautious and passive. Yet in recent years, young Japanese have come up with characteristics of their own. It is not that hard to distinguish Japanese youths from youths of other nationalities. In both their looks and clothing, Japanese teens have developed their unique styles: for boys, there is the “Johnny’s Kids Look”; and for girls, there is the “109 Hot Chick Style.”
Johnny’s Kids is a famous showbiz agency in Japan. In fact, it is the origin of most super idles we see on Japanese soap operas. All of the guys look alike, with dyed hair, big eyes, bonny bodies, and short stature. Teenage boys in Japan tend to imitate these idols, changing their hair in to orange curls, wearing baggie pants and showing their nipples. Bright colored hair might have been favored because it distracts attention from these teenage boys’ short height and skinny figure; after all, hair color is the only thing they can change to be more like Brad Pitt. Therefore, Japanese teen boys strive to be like Pitt, skinny and short and with oranges curls.
On the other hand, teenage girls in Japan have also developed a new and identical style, the 109 Hot Chick Style. All 109’s have dyed hair with small curls, short skirts, baggy stockings, lots of accessories, and a very black face. Though the origin of this new look is still a mystery, it was a big hit in young Japanese fashions. The black face trend has faded in recent years due to the high cost of cosmetics and color maintenance, yet the elegant accessories are still Japanese teens’ favorite. Artificial nail drawings, long sparkling earrings, sharp-front high heels, hyperbole hairstyle and makeup are special features of 109 Hot Chicks. Though there are tons of ways to dress and look, this style is still the most popular.
Japanese teens are like that. However, this fashion has also become a trend in Taiwan, and Taiwanese are looking more and more like Japanese. Soon Japanese youths would have to think of other new spontaneous ideas to individualize themselves in Asia.