Ganguro (ガングロ) was one of the most iconic and rebellious substyles of Japanese Gyaru fashion, emerging in the Shibuya district of Tokyo in the mid-1990s. The look was a radical and deliberate rejection of traditional Japanese beauty standards, which historically prized pale skin and understated beauty.

Ganguro is defined by its most prominent feature: an extremely deep, dark artificial tan, which was created through tanning beds and dark foundation. This was dramatically contrasted with hair bleached to blonde or silver and a distinctive makeup style featuring thick black eyeliner and white concealer used as eyeshadow and lipstick, creating a stark, panda-like effect. The fashion consisted of brightly colored, revealing clothing like miniskirts, platform boots, and accessories such as hibiscus flowers and leis, reflecting an influence from Californian surf culture . Heavily promoted in magazines like egg, the Ganguro style was a statement of non-conformity and youth rebellion.

Although the exact origins of Ganguro are not well known, it is thought to have originated from Kogals in the mid 90s, who already tanned their skin, darkening their skin even more. This action caused controversy and outrage among the general public in Japan, where beauty standards leaned more towards pale skin. The Ganguro trend became popularized by a Gal named Buriteri, nicknamed after a type of soy sauce. She is seen as a pioneer of the Ganguro and Manba style, and later became an Egg magazine model in the 2000s. However,  due to backlash by the public for modelling for a tanning salon called "Blacky", Buriteri quit Ganguro and adopted a more toned down style.

Gonguro came shortly after Ganguro, and is seen as an even more "hardcore" version of Ganguro, sporting even darker tans. Ganguro/Gonguro literally translates to "blackface" , and was referred to as such due to the extreme tans. The substyles have no relation to blackface in the western world. However, due to the name as well as the action of extreme tanning, Ganguro has received criticism that has sparked discussions of racism and cultural insensitivity.

Throughout the 90s and 2000s, Ganguro had birthed more trends and Gyaru substyles such as Manba , Yamanba, Banba, Kigurumi, B-kei Gyaru, and Tsuyome.

By the years 2000/2001, Ganguro had largley gone extinct, as "Shiro Gyaru" (White skinned gals) had become more popular due to celebrities like Ayumi Hamasaki, and tanning became less extreme.

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