Since ancient times, the life and social status of women in Japan have been regulated by unshakable traditions and unwritten laws: the education and training of a woman were entirely focused on her family purpose. From an early age, Japanese girls were accustomed to the idea of self-sacrifice and unselfish service to the father, husband, son.
Despite the radical changes in the 20th century, this philosophy remains very strong in modern Japan. This is manifested not only in the tradition according to which, when married, but many women also cease their labor activity, devoting themselves to family and children.
In the 1970s, the Japanese housewife stereotype began to break down. The girls began to rebel, form groups and engage in disorderly conduct, sniff glue, lead a free sex life. In school, allowed themselves daring antics.
Sukeban was a real, lively subculture of rebel girls, who preferred the school uniform so as not to look like boys in leather, and were called upon to prove that girlhood and strength are not mutually exclusive.
The term “sukeban” means a bandit girl. Literally translated as “girl boss”. In the 1980s, Japanese police received a list of signs that could be used to calculate these potentially aggressive adolescents. Their school uniform had distinctive details: bright socks instead of white, rolled up sleeves, tattoos, a maxi skirt with a shortened blouse, and an embroidered grouping emblem.
Translated from Japanese, “suke” is a woman, and “ban” means “boss”. They were known for forming female gangs in which they robbed and attacked people. For the first time these groups appeared in the 1960s, and the “gang” was followed by gangs known as “Bancho”, which were joined by young men who dreamed of getting into the yakuza – the Japanese mafia.
By the 70s, the number of gangs had increased, and the sukeban girls became famous for their cruelty. The size of the groups varied from small (a group of Tokyo thieves in stores, about 80 participants) to simply huge (Women’s Delight Alliance Kanto, which, according to rumors, consisted of about 20 thousand girls throughout East Japan). Warring groups often encountered each other in fights and battles. Sukeban could sniff glue, steal heroically in stores, engage in prostitution and violence, but if they are still arrested, the police would treat them more loyal than ordinary criminals.
Each such organization had its own rather strict charter, for its violation threatened with beatings or, for example, burning with a cigarette. It was forbidden to disrespect the elders in the group, flirt with someone else’s boyfriend, friendship with a girl from another group. Even the mafia-yakuza perceived them very positively, without missing an opportunity to express approval.
However, the girls fought more for the idea. Long skirts can be seen as a reaction against the sexual revolution of the 60s, means of protection, with the help of which girls could show that their existence is not determined by the desires of men of onlookers. Fast forward to the 90s, and this trend has completely abolished itself: by that time, the “bad girl” had to wear a hundred kilograms of makeup, and the skirt hem should be as short as possible so that everyone could appreciate your indescribable sexual attractiveness.
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