Sukeban: a violent girl gang originating from 1970’s Japan, identified by their floor length skirt and their modified high school uniforms, and converse shoes. Their outfits were a protest to the overt sexualization of young girls, a problem still in Japan https://twitter.com/nastyaphrodite/status/1259181874959835137

The term “sukeban” literally translates to “girl boss”. They started because gangs refused to take on female members, and thus, a defiant movement was born.

Their clothing was also used to hide weapons, they often carried razor blades, bamboo swords, and chains.

The girls were commonly part of working class families, and found empowerment through the gang’s dresscode and sense of community. The gangs mostly engaged in petty crimes, but some were also known for their extreme violence.

There was one gang lead by K-Ko the Razor with about 50 members, that concealed razors between their breasts and used them to cut their enemies when they were up close.

Gangs were hierarchical, like it is with organized crime, and had special punishments for things like stealing boyfriends or being disloyal. A punishment for minor things was cigarette burns.

The Sukeban girls made a major impact on pop culture. A known character is Gogo Yubari

This is one of my favorite teenage feminist movements. When the men wouldn’t take them for their gangs, they decided to make their own. They empowered girls against predators and taught each other how to defend themselves. They were badass and not to be messed with!

What I love about this piece of history is how symbollic their clothing was. Long skirts to protest sexualization, but diy crop tops to show their own agency. A restrictive uniform, but modified to show individuality. I wish I could understand what they wrote on their clothes!

Btw these images are from media because it’s hard to find real footage of these girls but there are a number of articles online with real stories about them https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mgmzxv/how-vicious-schoolgirl-gangs-sparked-media-frenzy-japan-sukeban

I found this book with more info that is SUPER campy and speaks more about the Sukeban girls from a pop culture POV in case u wanna learn more: https://books.google.com/books/about/Japanese_Schoolgirl_Inferno.html?id=UXPP0rNm-I4C