Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno: illustrated history of Tokyo's lightspeed subcultures

Cory Doctorow 7:35 pm Tue Jul 24, 2007

Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno is a riotously illustrated history of schoolgirl fashion in Japan, starting with the thousand-strong, razor-wielding biker gangs, all the way up to the cuddly, explosion -in- a- crafter- factory world of decora girls, who cover their fuzzy one-piece character pyjamas with stuffed animals and cute crafted whatsises. The book is packed with telling little anaecdotes about the cultural conditions that gave rise to each subculture, along with fashion tips, interviews with fashion pioneers, and some of the secret histories, including the rise and fall of the mad fashion pioneer who invented gonguru — Japanese hipster blackface. From Gothic Lolita's creation of an entirely fictional style of "historical" dress to the scandalous sex-rings of the kogals (and the hysterical media circus that followed them), Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno is an incredibly engrossing tour through lightspeed subculture.

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