Kogals (コギャル kogyaru) are a subculture of girls and young women in urban Japan. They are characterized by conspicuously displaying their disposable incomes through unique tastes in fashion, music, and social activity. In general, the term "Yankee" is more commonly used in Japanese to refer to this style, although the term "Yankee" includes both men and women whereas kogals are all female. In general, the kogal "look" roughly approximates a sun-tanned California Valley girl, and indeed, the similarities between the two extend to the linguistic, for both subcultures have derived entire sets of slang terms (ko-gyaru-go). However, kogal are not to be confused with the ganguro subculture, although both are very similar.

Kogals are known for wearing platform boots and microskirts, copious amounts of makeup, hair coloring (usually blond), artificial suntans, and designer accessories. If in school uniform, the look typically includes skirts pinned very high and loose socks, large baggy socks that go up to the knee. Ko-gals' busy social lives and desire for new material goods leads them to be among the first consumers of Japanese cell phone technology, and their tastes in clothes tends toward names such as Burberry scarves and Louis Vuitton handbags. Kogals spend much of their free time and income shopping, if not always purchasing, and their culture centers around the Shibuya district of Tokyo, in particular the 109 building, although any major Japanese city is sure to have at least a small population. During the summer, kogals may sometimes be seen at the beach. They are generally not seen in high-end department stores or in nature.

Critics of the Yankee subculture decry its materialism as reflecting a larger psychological or spiritual emptiness in modern Japanese life. Some kogals support their lifestyle with allowances from wealthy parents, living a "freeter" or "parasite single" existence that grates against traditional principles of duty and industry. A small minority appear in pornography to finance their habits. More may engage in the practice of "compensated dating," or enjo kōsai, which may at times border on quasi-legal prostitution. Internet-based usage of this term has led some Western observers to believe "kogal" means simply "prostitute". In Japanese society, this subculture is widely considered crass and tasteless.

The kogal phenomenon emerged in the mid-1990s and is still going strong today, although conservative tastes in dress and hair color seem to be on the upswing. Interestingly enough, the Gothic Lolita aesthetic has been described as a reaction to the kogal look.

The term's etymology is disputed: the most common theory is that it was derived from the Japanese word for "high school," kōkō (高校), although others claim that it comes from ko (子), the Japanese word for "girl" or "child." The "gal," of course, is straight from English.

Further resources

• Bounce Ko Gals (Baunsu ko gaurusu) (1997) - a film by Masato Harada