Ha, got yur attention:laugh:

I'm intirgued by the whole schoolgirl thing here. I went to a place called Akibara the other day as it is THE place to get electrical stuff, but got distracted by the competing uniform businesses.

This isn't just a couple of little shops, it is competing 6 story buildings full of maid unifoms, schoolgirl uniforms, all things that I can only assume appeal to the Japanese salaryman (ps, the places are not designed for mothers with prams, some tight corners to get stuck in, but I assume mamas lugging round junior are not their regular business).

Assuming economics, these places must do a lot of business based on the volume of very expensive commercial real estate turned over to uniform sales.

The favourite seems to be the French maid uniform and the Schoolgirl uniforms. So I looked it up...... (no explanation of the French Maid thing, but lots on schoolgirls).

Turns out that for the last 10 years there has been a Japanese thing for schoolgirls. Note Japanese law (I think) is an age of consent of 14, but 18 for paid sex, but I need to check on that, doesn't sound likely.

Anyway, reasons appear to be:
- Japanese guys are threatened by women (many reasons, too much to go into tonight), and schoolgirls are not threatening
- Japanese are very branded, so everything has to be Fandi, Gucchi or whatever.
- after the economic bubble burst and papas funding got reduced, the girls discovered how to meet their branded-goods need, date middle-aged salarymen
- the girls are very conservative, so it becomes a sexual right of passage, a rebellion

So needs get met both sides.

But anyway, the range of uniforms is quite fascinating.

ok, I got frisky and got an airline stewaress one. So shoot me.

ok, I got frisky and got an airline stewaress one. So shoot me.
You do realise that there will be a few people on here demanding pics now ?

Do they still sell used shcool-girls underwear in vending machines on street corners? :bag:

Haven't verified the used undies thing yet. But will look into it.

Pictures? It'll cost ya - new Fendi handbag needed.

I think I'm turning Japanese , I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so....da da da da...da da.

The used undies one seems to be an urban myth. They have more vending machines here per capita than anywhere else in the world, and you can jeans and ipods, and fresh undies, but not used undies it seems.

There is a brothel though with theme rooms, one being a subway car where the punters can roll play their groping fantasies. And of course the office and secretary one, and it goes without saying the most popular one is the school room where little Kawaii can get adequately punished for not doing her homework.

I've always thought the thing for younger girls is down to certain men being insecure. The males I've known who have always gone for younger (sometimes teenage) girls have all been of a type, loud and brash and appearing full of it, but who can't bear to be challenged on their views or diagreed with IYSWIM. So I think you're right about the threatened thing gatubela.

Also there's the whole virginal illusion, that they're going where no one else has been :D

Airline stewardess uniform sounds fun, not sure it would make me feel sexy wearing it as I think I'd be prone to waving my hands around and laughing a lot... I kinda want one now :cool:

Also there's the whole virginal illusion, that they're going where no one else has been :D



And also that if they're total rubbish, she won't know the difference :thumbsup:

That's so true, in fact I think I said more or less the same thing to one of my male friends once because he was going out with a virginal type. Funnily enough I don't think we ever spoke again :D

You were probably way too butch for him anyway :cool1:

Charming, I prefer to think of myself as capable, not butch, you cheeky mare :D

Anyway :offtopic:

Back on topic, the Japanese culture is dominated by the "Ie" system of the home dominated by a patriarch, who is obeyed.

That culture is breaking down at an alarming pace as the Japanese are becoming more globalised and women are moving away from being subservient. It leaves the guys in a bit of a quandary where the women aren't so subserviant any more, and the schoolgirls have figured out they can exploit the situation monetarilly.

Japan held out against change for the longest time, so is now facing a faster pace of change than most other countries, and is struggling.

The ultra-nationalist party has arrived (national front), so it is a bit of a replay of what has happened in Britain in the 60s through 80s, and the same result is pretty much assured - cultural integration, but the Japanese have to go through the same internal struggle as the other "island nations" like Britain.

The Japanese are resistant to change, a lot like the British before. Think Britain when decimalisation came along, all a big shock to the British at the time, but are you now comfortable with not having pounds, shillings and pence? It all takes time, and the Japanese are in puberty on the change issue.