JapaneseGothic

The term “Japanese Gothic” is perhaps most commonly used in association with the contemporary Goth‐related popular culture of Japan, as represented by J‐Goth music, manga and anime, and Goth‐related fashions and sub‐cultural lifestyles, epitomized by the so‐called Gothic Lolita – a street fashion style usually associated with the Harajuku region of Tokyo that has managed to gain a considerable following worldwide. Although the Gothic Lolita style undeniably derives from Western Gothic aestheticism, it remains expressive of local cultural values, some of its specifically Japanese references including the Visual Kei transgender musical movement, where musicians dress in elaborate costumes and apply intricate makeup; the culture ofshōjo(young girls) emphasizing sweet innocence and close emotional relationships between women in a world free from men; as well asrori‐kon(orloli‐con) –the Nabokov‐inspired “Lolita complex” referring to middle‐aged men's fascination with young girls and to the style adopted by women willing to personify that particular fantasy. The Japanese Lolita style is rather complex; Vera Mackie (2009) lists five most significant Lolita sub‐groups:Kuro‐Rori(Black Lolita),Ama‐Rori(Sweet Lolita),Guro‐Loli(Grotesque Lolita),Gosu‐Pan(Gothic Punk), andRori‐Pan(Punk Lolita) and concludes that although the fashion is frequently simplified as containing references to “Victorian” or “Rococo” aesthetics, these references are not meant to be accurate but rather suggest a mood of archaic romance. Mackie (2009) quotes Takahara Eiri's description of Japanese Gothic sensibility as “essentially a variation on the heritage of the past […] which has never actually existed.” This allows us to find parallels between the Gothic Lolita style and other forms of “costume play” (kosu‐pureorcosplay), cross‐dressing theatrical performances of the all‐girl Takarazuka Revue, or the stylistic extravagance of the Visual Kei musicians incorporating elements of Glam Rock, Punk, and Goth, with a touch of Japanese manga, geisha, and the samurai.