T-123456
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When did you find that out?
Japan Support thread
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KAL-EL
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You mean n about the double standards?
T-123456
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yup!
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US Air Force deploys first advanced drones to Japan
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Saturday, May 31, 2014, 7:49 PM
ERIC TALMADGE/APThe U.S. Air Force has deployed two of its most advanced long-distance surveillance drones to a base in northern Japan over the past week.
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan— The U.S. Air Force has deployed two of its most advanced long-distance surveillance drones to a base in northern Japan over the past week, enhancing its ability to monitor nuclear activities in North Korea and Chinese naval operations.
The deployment of the two unarmed Global Hawk drones to Japan, a key U.S. ally, is intended to demonstrate Washington’s commitment to security in Asia as part of its rebalancing of forces to the Pacific. But it will likely rankle with China and North Korea, which have been working to improve their own unmanned aircraft fleets.
Lt. Gen. Sam Angelella, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, said Friday the drones will remain here until October, when the typhoon season on the drones’ home base on the Pacific island of Guam is over. Similar rotations from Guam to Misawa are expected in the future, though Angelella said no firm plans have been made. He refused to comment on the specific missions the drones will carry out but noted that the Global Hawk’s “capabilities are well known.”
The drone is considered particularly valuable because it can conduct long-range missions without the limitations of pilot fatigue, is able to fly at a maximum 60,000 feet (18.3 kilometers) and can “loiter” around any particular site of interest for 24 hours or more.
From Japan, it can easily monitor areas on the Asian mainland — including North Korea’s nuclear sites — or targets at sea — such as areas where China and other countries have had confrontations over territory.
The military keeps much of the Global Hawk’s work secret, but Angelella spoke of its use in humanitarian missions including Japan’s 2011 tsunami and the devastating typhoon that hit the Philippines last year. More recently, he said, the drone was used in surveillance work following the mass abduction of more than 300 girls in Nigeria by Islamic extremists.
The deployment of the drones will also help Japan familiarize itself with the aircraft. Tokyo plans to buy three Global Hawks.
Angelella said the aircraft has proven itself to be one of the most reliable in the Air Force. While still under development, the Global Hawk began supporting overseas contingency operations two months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. As of September last year, it had surpassed 100,000 flight hours, three-quarters of which were performed in combat.
ERIC TALMADGE/APLt. Gen. Sam Angelella, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, said Friday the drones will remain here until October, when the typhoon season on the drones’ home base on the Pacific island of Guam is over.
Safety is a key factor in Japan because many U.S. bases here are located in heavily populated areas.
Under a mutual security pact, the U.S. maintains about 50,000 troops in Japan, which is home to several major air bases, the headquarters of the U.S. 7th Fleet and more than 10,000 Marines.
Though some residents of the city of Misawa have raised concerns about the drone deployment, opposition has been notably muted compared to the often emotional and deep-rooted protests against the deployment of new aircraft or troops on the southern Japan island of Okinawa, where most of the U.S. military in Japan is based.
But the deployment comes at a politically sensitive time.
Tokyo is now hotly debating a significant revamp of the role of its military forces, which have since World War II been rebuilt and are now one of the strongest in Asia, though they remain restricted to a narrowly defined strategy of national defense.
Citing the perceived threats from China and North Korea, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is championing an effort to change that and allow the Japanese military to be able to fight more closely with U.S. troops in contingencies.
Abe’s focus has been on what the Japanese military should be allowed to do when an ally defending Japan comes under attack — what the Japanese call collective self-defense. But opponents fear loosening restrictions will open the door for the Japanese military to be drawn into broader U.S. conflicts that don’t have a direct connection to Japan’s national defense.
Read more: US Air Force deploys first advanced drones to Japan - NY Daily News
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Saturday, May 31, 2014, 7:49 PM
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan— The U.S. Air Force has deployed two of its most advanced long-distance surveillance drones to a base in northern Japan over the past week, enhancing its ability to monitor nuclear activities in North Korea and Chinese naval operations.
The deployment of the two unarmed Global Hawk drones to Japan, a key U.S. ally, is intended to demonstrate Washington’s commitment to security in Asia as part of its rebalancing of forces to the Pacific. But it will likely rankle with China and North Korea, which have been working to improve their own unmanned aircraft fleets.
Lt. Gen. Sam Angelella, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, said Friday the drones will remain here until October, when the typhoon season on the drones’ home base on the Pacific island of Guam is over. Similar rotations from Guam to Misawa are expected in the future, though Angelella said no firm plans have been made. He refused to comment on the specific missions the drones will carry out but noted that the Global Hawk’s “capabilities are well known.”
The drone is considered particularly valuable because it can conduct long-range missions without the limitations of pilot fatigue, is able to fly at a maximum 60,000 feet (18.3 kilometers) and can “loiter” around any particular site of interest for 24 hours or more.
From Japan, it can easily monitor areas on the Asian mainland — including North Korea’s nuclear sites — or targets at sea — such as areas where China and other countries have had confrontations over territory.
The military keeps much of the Global Hawk’s work secret, but Angelella spoke of its use in humanitarian missions including Japan’s 2011 tsunami and the devastating typhoon that hit the Philippines last year. More recently, he said, the drone was used in surveillance work following the mass abduction of more than 300 girls in Nigeria by Islamic extremists.
The deployment of the drones will also help Japan familiarize itself with the aircraft. Tokyo plans to buy three Global Hawks.
Angelella said the aircraft has proven itself to be one of the most reliable in the Air Force. While still under development, the Global Hawk began supporting overseas contingency operations two months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. As of September last year, it had surpassed 100,000 flight hours, three-quarters of which were performed in combat.
Safety is a key factor in Japan because many U.S. bases here are located in heavily populated areas.
Under a mutual security pact, the U.S. maintains about 50,000 troops in Japan, which is home to several major air bases, the headquarters of the U.S. 7th Fleet and more than 10,000 Marines.
Though some residents of the city of Misawa have raised concerns about the drone deployment, opposition has been notably muted compared to the often emotional and deep-rooted protests against the deployment of new aircraft or troops on the southern Japan island of Okinawa, where most of the U.S. military in Japan is based.
But the deployment comes at a politically sensitive time.
Tokyo is now hotly debating a significant revamp of the role of its military forces, which have since World War II been rebuilt and are now one of the strongest in Asia, though they remain restricted to a narrowly defined strategy of national defense.
Citing the perceived threats from China and North Korea, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is championing an effort to change that and allow the Japanese military to be able to fight more closely with U.S. troops in contingencies.
Abe’s focus has been on what the Japanese military should be allowed to do when an ally defending Japan comes under attack — what the Japanese call collective self-defense. But opponents fear loosening restrictions will open the door for the Japanese military to be drawn into broader U.S. conflicts that don’t have a direct connection to Japan’s national defense.
Read more: US Air Force deploys first advanced drones to Japan - NY Daily News
KAL-EL
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Well, even while just being a lurker here (before registering) I could see it here and there. Somewhat lately though, just seems to be happening a lot more. Of course, that's just from my perspective.
T-123456
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Not only yours,many good people dont post much anymore,its like a kindergarden.
Trollfest!
TruthSeeker
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^^^^ I don't post that much anymore. I do like the Japan Support thread that KAL-EL, Kaan and atatwolf keep going. I try to contribute now and then. Mainly, as an American, any time I criticize something going on, someone throws at me a litany of US evil (Hiroshima, native American genocide, Abu Ghraib, etc.) It gets old.
Hazzy997, in the post below, is a perfect example...
Hazzy997, in the post below, is a perfect example...
Last edited:
TruthSeeker
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Japan Clears Way for Corporate Tax Cut
By MITSURU OBE, Updated June 3, 2014 11:30 a.m. ET
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso attend the Japan Business Federation general assembly in Tokyo. Reuters
TOKYO—Japan's ruling party on Tuesday cleared the way for a corporate tax cut to take effect next year, pushing forward a plan that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes will revive investment and keep production at home.
Reducing the corporate tax rate, currently about 35%, is a long-standing demand of large corporations. They say they bear an unfair share of the burden and have an incentive to move plants overseas where taxes are lower. Mr. Abe has said a tax overhaul is a key part of his "Abenomics" program to revive Japan's long-sluggish economy.
Skeptics, including some in the government, say lower taxes may not do much to revive investment because many large companies are already sitting on large cash piles.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's tax panel, which includes many fiscal conservatives, said Tuesday it would permit a tax cut to go into effect in the fiscal year starting April 2015. Finance Minister Taro Aso, whose ministry had resisted the cut, also said he would accept it.
Officials said the tax-cut plan would be included in Mr. Abe's growth strategy to be released this month as well as a fiscal plan to be adopted by the government and the LDP.
The government and lawmakers still have to work out details, and the debate is likely to be contentious. Business leaders want the rate to fall below 30% within the next few years and eventually to 25%, while others want smaller cuts. Another question is whether to raise other taxes to make up for lost revenue, and if so how. Decisions must be reached by December when the government approves the budget for the following fiscal year.
The Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren, says tax cuts could partly pay for themselves by spurring investment. Japan's current corporate tax rate is higher than most European and Asian countries, although it is lower than the U.S. level of roughly 40%.
"Reform of corporate taxes is essential for attracting investment by foreign companies, raising Japan's competitiveness as a location and strengthening companies internationally," said the business federation's chairman, Sadayuki Sakakibara, who assumed the post Tuesday.
Actual tax rates vary widely depending on a company's eligibility for tax breaks and deductions. A World Bank study in 2013 that took certain deductions into account said typical, midsize Japanese and U.S. companies pay a roughly similar total tax rate on profits—27.2% in Japan and 27.9% in the U.S. Also, both Japan and the U.S. this year are set to collect corporate taxes equivalent to roughly 2% of gross domestic product, suggesting the total burden on business in the two countries is in the same range.
But Norio Sasaki, vice chairman of Toshiba Corp. 6502.TO +0.24% , said Japanese electronics companies were overburdened with taxes and paid roughly twice what overseas competitors do.
Many companies hold plenty of cash and have relatively little debt, suggesting the key to Abenomics' success may be encouraging them to spend what they already have.
"The most important thing is whether business managers can change their mind-set," Mr. Aso said Tuesday. "If companies continue to hold on to profits, any amount of tax cuts will make no difference."
The International Monetary Fund last week said corporate tax cuts would raise growth "but not sufficiently to make them self-financing." If the cuts are carried out, the IMF called for new measures to raise revenue or lower spending.
Both proponents and opponents of tax cuts agree that an overhaul of the corporate tax system is overdue. Income taxes are paid by only a small number of large profitable corporations, with the vast majority of companies reporting losses and paying no taxes.
Revamping the system to make small companies pay more is likely to anger many supporters of the LDP. Some lawmakers expressed concern at a tax panel meeting Tuesday that the party would be viewed as favoring big business at the expense of small companies and consumers.
Mr. Abe is also looking at other changes to the tax system. He already approved an increase in the national sales tax to 8% from 5%, which took effect April 1, and he must decide by the end of the year whether to raise that tax to 10% next year. Discussions are also under way on scaling back exemptions that tend to encourage women to stay home, in the hopes of bringing more women into the workforce.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/japan-clears-way-for-corporate-tax-cut-1401799694
By MITSURU OBE, Updated June 3, 2014 11:30 a.m. ET
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso attend the Japan Business Federation general assembly in Tokyo. Reuters
TOKYO—Japan's ruling party on Tuesday cleared the way for a corporate tax cut to take effect next year, pushing forward a plan that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes will revive investment and keep production at home.
Reducing the corporate tax rate, currently about 35%, is a long-standing demand of large corporations. They say they bear an unfair share of the burden and have an incentive to move plants overseas where taxes are lower. Mr. Abe has said a tax overhaul is a key part of his "Abenomics" program to revive Japan's long-sluggish economy.
Skeptics, including some in the government, say lower taxes may not do much to revive investment because many large companies are already sitting on large cash piles.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's tax panel, which includes many fiscal conservatives, said Tuesday it would permit a tax cut to go into effect in the fiscal year starting April 2015. Finance Minister Taro Aso, whose ministry had resisted the cut, also said he would accept it.
Officials said the tax-cut plan would be included in Mr. Abe's growth strategy to be released this month as well as a fiscal plan to be adopted by the government and the LDP.
The government and lawmakers still have to work out details, and the debate is likely to be contentious. Business leaders want the rate to fall below 30% within the next few years and eventually to 25%, while others want smaller cuts. Another question is whether to raise other taxes to make up for lost revenue, and if so how. Decisions must be reached by December when the government approves the budget for the following fiscal year.
The Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren, says tax cuts could partly pay for themselves by spurring investment. Japan's current corporate tax rate is higher than most European and Asian countries, although it is lower than the U.S. level of roughly 40%.
"Reform of corporate taxes is essential for attracting investment by foreign companies, raising Japan's competitiveness as a location and strengthening companies internationally," said the business federation's chairman, Sadayuki Sakakibara, who assumed the post Tuesday.
Actual tax rates vary widely depending on a company's eligibility for tax breaks and deductions. A World Bank study in 2013 that took certain deductions into account said typical, midsize Japanese and U.S. companies pay a roughly similar total tax rate on profits—27.2% in Japan and 27.9% in the U.S. Also, both Japan and the U.S. this year are set to collect corporate taxes equivalent to roughly 2% of gross domestic product, suggesting the total burden on business in the two countries is in the same range.
But Norio Sasaki, vice chairman of Toshiba Corp. 6502.TO +0.24% , said Japanese electronics companies were overburdened with taxes and paid roughly twice what overseas competitors do.
Many companies hold plenty of cash and have relatively little debt, suggesting the key to Abenomics' success may be encouraging them to spend what they already have.
"The most important thing is whether business managers can change their mind-set," Mr. Aso said Tuesday. "If companies continue to hold on to profits, any amount of tax cuts will make no difference."
The International Monetary Fund last week said corporate tax cuts would raise growth "but not sufficiently to make them self-financing." If the cuts are carried out, the IMF called for new measures to raise revenue or lower spending.
Both proponents and opponents of tax cuts agree that an overhaul of the corporate tax system is overdue. Income taxes are paid by only a small number of large profitable corporations, with the vast majority of companies reporting losses and paying no taxes.
Revamping the system to make small companies pay more is likely to anger many supporters of the LDP. Some lawmakers expressed concern at a tax panel meeting Tuesday that the party would be viewed as favoring big business at the expense of small companies and consumers.
Mr. Abe is also looking at other changes to the tax system. He already approved an increase in the national sales tax to 8% from 5%, which took effect April 1, and he must decide by the end of the year whether to raise that tax to 10% next year. Discussions are also under way on scaling back exemptions that tend to encourage women to stay home, in the hopes of bringing more women into the workforce.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/japan-clears-way-for-corporate-tax-cut-1401799694
atatwolf
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Japanese media giant enters Turkish market
Nikkei Business Publications President and CEO Kohei Osada signs partnership agreement in Istanbul.
Japan Nikkei Business Publications has acquired an 80 percent stake in Turkish publishing group Mutlu Dergi Grubu (MDG), becoming the first Japanese company to enter the Turkish media sector.
MDG founder Zafer Mutlu and Nikkei Business Publications President and CEO Kohei Osada announced the acquisition during a press meeting in Istanbul yesterday, marking Nikkei’s entry into the publishing market in Turkey, a statement released by the companies said.
MDG will now be known as NIKKEI-Mutlu Dergi Grubu with the headquarters to be located in Istanbul, the press release said.
Mutlu will be the president and CEO in the new company, while Osada will serve as the chairman of the board. At the same time, Nikkei BP will assign a person for the executive vice president position.
Established in 2003, MDG has concluded licensing partnerships with Time Inc. of the U.S. and other notable publishers, releasing the Turkish editions of the Fortune business magazine and the fashion/lifestyle magazines InStyle and Martha Stewart Weddings among other popular periodicals.
Including Nikkei’s flagship daily newspaper, The Nikkei, the five newspapers company publishes form the cornerstone of its operations. Nikkei is also active in a diverse range of areas, from digital media to book and magazine publishing to broadcasting. In the pursuit of growth opportunities, the group continues to expand into new arenas.
Japanese media giant enters Turkish market - BUSINESS
Nikkei Business Publications President and CEO Kohei Osada signs partnership agreement in Istanbul.
Japan Nikkei Business Publications has acquired an 80 percent stake in Turkish publishing group Mutlu Dergi Grubu (MDG), becoming the first Japanese company to enter the Turkish media sector.
MDG founder Zafer Mutlu and Nikkei Business Publications President and CEO Kohei Osada announced the acquisition during a press meeting in Istanbul yesterday, marking Nikkei’s entry into the publishing market in Turkey, a statement released by the companies said.
MDG will now be known as NIKKEI-Mutlu Dergi Grubu with the headquarters to be located in Istanbul, the press release said.
Mutlu will be the president and CEO in the new company, while Osada will serve as the chairman of the board. At the same time, Nikkei BP will assign a person for the executive vice president position.
Established in 2003, MDG has concluded licensing partnerships with Time Inc. of the U.S. and other notable publishers, releasing the Turkish editions of the Fortune business magazine and the fashion/lifestyle magazines InStyle and Martha Stewart Weddings among other popular periodicals.
Including Nikkei’s flagship daily newspaper, The Nikkei, the five newspapers company publishes form the cornerstone of its operations. Nikkei is also active in a diverse range of areas, from digital media to book and magazine publishing to broadcasting. In the pursuit of growth opportunities, the group continues to expand into new arenas.
Japanese media giant enters Turkish market - BUSINESS
Falcon29
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atatwolf
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No worries
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Japan's Next Big Trend Could Be "Neo Gals"
1
Pink hair. Ripped jeans. Bling. Meet Japan's "Neo Gals," part Americana, part Tokyo, and lots and lots of bleach. P
During the 1990s, "gal" (ギャルor gyaru) fashion was in vogue with the nation's youth, with young women tanning their skin, dying their hair brown, and wearing impossible platform shoes. Now, as one of Japan's biggest morning shows Mezamashi TV points out, this generation has "Neo Gal" (ネオギャル or neo gyaru). P
[Photo: NxYmg]P
As noted on screen in the above image, the "pop icon" (ポップアイコン) of this trend is fashion designer, DJ, and model Alisa Ueno. [Photos: AlisaUeno/Instagram]P
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45
The trend was also introduced earlier today on mainstream websites like Excite. P
According to Naver, Neo Gals mix both foreigner and Harajuku fashion with loud lipstick and accessories as well as purple, pink, or blue hair. Much like the gal trend of the 1990s, Neo Gals are not dressing to impress men, but rather, for each other. However, one of their rules is apparently not to tan themselves like previous generations of Japanese girls did. P
Neo Gal is clearly borrowing heavily from American fashion—or rather, the idea of American fashion. Hell, the first rule of Neo Gal fashion is to take your cues from foreigner-style fashion. (Note that the Japanese clearly says "foreigner-style fashion" and not "foreign fashion" as, yes, there is a discrepancy.) Excite, however, says that many of these Neo Gals are saying they want to be foreign. P
In a segment from this morning's show on Neo Gals, a woman is asked why she admires foreigners. "Because they're pretty," she replies. P
Famed Japanese photographer Yasumasa Yonehara, a key part of the 1990s gal boom, told me that around the turn of the century, he asked a hundred girls in Shibuya what they wanted to be when they grew up. About half of them replied, "foreign." (Note: Yonehara told the same thing to Marxy, and you can read that interview in full here.)P
Also from the same show. The woman says it's a big change when you put in color contacts. P
However, Yonehara pointed out that they didn't mean "foreign" as in actually being foreign, but rather, simply the artifice—the idea of foreign. According to Yonehara, they meant that they wanted to live in Japan, speak Japanese, and eat Japanese food. These inclinations, however, do seem to be be cyclical. Some generations of the country's youth are completely ambivalent to foreign fashions, while subsequent gens are very much into them. It really depends. P
"A half-Japanese face!" is exclaimed as the above interview continued. P
However, it shouldn't be surprising that one of the most popular celebrities among Neo Gals is Kiko Mizuhara, a Japanese model and actress of American and Korean descent who was born in the U.S. Her make-up style is likely more of an inspiration for Neo Gal than, say, Miley Cyrus, as she appears in numerous television commercials. P
As mentioned above, the big fashion leader for the Neo Gals is Alisa Ueno. Her Instagram is filled with Neo Gal fashion as well as photos of her traveling through the U.S.—and the globe. What's being sold here isn't simply a style, but rather, a jet-setting international lifestyle. P
With mainstream coverage in Japan and more buzz on Twitter and Instagram, there's a good chance that the Neo Gal trend will catch on among the country's youth subculture. Online, there are young Japanese women who definitely seem delighted by the trend, saying it's cute and they love it (however, as with the 1990s gal trend, a minority of young women will dress like this).
Elsewhere online, commenters were less than impressed, saying the style didn't look very fashionable, and won't catch on like gal fashion did in the past. "Neo Gal, huh... It only looks like a worsening of the foreigner complex," wrote Twitter user chocofashion3. "The heck is Neo Gal? Foreigner style fashion does not suit Japanese people," tweeted kntm1019. "It's because the body types are different. Well, there are some [Japanese] people that it suits, so for them, go right on ahead."14P
Whatever, they're kids. This is escapism before they grow up and settle down, leaving their bleached locks behind them. 15
Japan's Next Big Trend Could Be "Neo Gals"
Pink hair. Ripped jeans. Bling. Meet Japan's "Neo Gals," part Americana, part Tokyo, and lots and lots of bleach. P
During the 1990s, "gal" (ギャルor gyaru) fashion was in vogue with the nation's youth, with young women tanning their skin, dying their hair brown, and wearing impossible platform shoes. Now, as one of Japan's biggest morning shows Mezamashi TV points out, this generation has "Neo Gal" (ネオギャル or neo gyaru). P
[Photo: NxYmg]P
As noted on screen in the above image, the "pop icon" (ポップアイコン) of this trend is fashion designer, DJ, and model Alisa Ueno. [Photos: AlisaUeno/Instagram]P
The trend was also introduced earlier today on mainstream websites like Excite. P
According to Naver, Neo Gals mix both foreigner and Harajuku fashion with loud lipstick and accessories as well as purple, pink, or blue hair. Much like the gal trend of the 1990s, Neo Gals are not dressing to impress men, but rather, for each other. However, one of their rules is apparently not to tan themselves like previous generations of Japanese girls did. P
Neo Gal is clearly borrowing heavily from American fashion—or rather, the idea of American fashion. Hell, the first rule of Neo Gal fashion is to take your cues from foreigner-style fashion. (Note that the Japanese clearly says "foreigner-style fashion" and not "foreign fashion" as, yes, there is a discrepancy.) Excite, however, says that many of these Neo Gals are saying they want to be foreign. P
In a segment from this morning's show on Neo Gals, a woman is asked why she admires foreigners. "Because they're pretty," she replies. P
Famed Japanese photographer Yasumasa Yonehara, a key part of the 1990s gal boom, told me that around the turn of the century, he asked a hundred girls in Shibuya what they wanted to be when they grew up. About half of them replied, "foreign." (Note: Yonehara told the same thing to Marxy, and you can read that interview in full here.)P
Also from the same show. The woman says it's a big change when you put in color contacts. P
However, Yonehara pointed out that they didn't mean "foreign" as in actually being foreign, but rather, simply the artifice—the idea of foreign. According to Yonehara, they meant that they wanted to live in Japan, speak Japanese, and eat Japanese food. These inclinations, however, do seem to be be cyclical. Some generations of the country's youth are completely ambivalent to foreign fashions, while subsequent gens are very much into them. It really depends. P
"A half-Japanese face!" is exclaimed as the above interview continued. P
However, it shouldn't be surprising that one of the most popular celebrities among Neo Gals is Kiko Mizuhara, a Japanese model and actress of American and Korean descent who was born in the U.S. Her make-up style is likely more of an inspiration for Neo Gal than, say, Miley Cyrus, as she appears in numerous television commercials. P
As mentioned above, the big fashion leader for the Neo Gals is Alisa Ueno. Her Instagram is filled with Neo Gal fashion as well as photos of her traveling through the U.S.—and the globe. What's being sold here isn't simply a style, but rather, a jet-setting international lifestyle. P
With mainstream coverage in Japan and more buzz on Twitter and Instagram, there's a good chance that the Neo Gal trend will catch on among the country's youth subculture. Online, there are young Japanese women who definitely seem delighted by the trend, saying it's cute and they love it (however, as with the 1990s gal trend, a minority of young women will dress like this).
Elsewhere online, commenters were less than impressed, saying the style didn't look very fashionable, and won't catch on like gal fashion did in the past. "Neo Gal, huh... It only looks like a worsening of the foreigner complex," wrote Twitter user chocofashion3. "The heck is Neo Gal? Foreigner style fashion does not suit Japanese people," tweeted kntm1019. "It's because the body types are different. Well, there are some [Japanese] people that it suits, so for them, go right on ahead."14P
Whatever, they're kids. This is escapism before they grow up and settle down, leaving their bleached locks behind them. 15
Japan's Next Big Trend Could Be "Neo Gals"
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