For 20 years the crucible of teen girl fashion and attitude has been Shibuya's Center-gai street in Tokyo.
Gyaru (gal) culture mainly revolves around tribes whose distinctions are probably only recognizable to the girls themselves.
This week, Nihon TV's documentary program "Antenna 22" (Monday, 10 p.m.) tries to explain in detail what these girls do and think. What most people see when they encounter them is makeup, which tends to be gaudy and liberally applied. It's not uncommon to find groups of teens squatting in the middle of Center-gai all adjusting their mascara.
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