Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006
For entrepreneur, 21, being a 'gal' is pure fashion, not fringe
By KAHO SHIMIZU
Staff writer
Shiho Fujita was once a typical "gal," as the tribe of deep-tanned, garishly dressed young women who wander the streets of Tokyo's trendy Shibuya district in search of the latest fashions are called. Now a company president, Fujita is at the forefront of what she calls a "gal revolution."
Shiho Fujita poses with her book, "Gal Revolution," during a book-signing at the Taiseido in Tokyo's Shibuya district on Oct. 20. YOSHIAKI MIURA
"Social prejudice against gals is stunting their potential. I want to open up new possibilities for many gals" by changing people's perceptions of them, said the young entrepreneur, blinking her heavily mascaraed eyes.
Dressed in a micro miniskirt with accessories jingling around her neck, the 21-year-old Fujita looks every bit the gal, or "gyaru," as the term is mispronounced and given its own definition in Japan. But don't let the look fool you. In 2005, she set up SGR Inc. -- Shiho Gal Revolution -- a marketing company that specializes in products catering to gals -- from cosmetics, perfume, shoes and clothing to video games. In her first year, she racked up sales of 70 million yen.
For the fiscal year ending in March, she is aiming for sales of 100 million yen and 300 million yen the year after that.
Fujita didn't start out with the idea of becoming a businesswoman. All she wanted was to convince people that gals should be just as welcome in society as anybody else.
Her trip to gal-hood was rather typical. After graduating from a junior high with strict rules, Fujita developed a rebellious streak. She started bleaching her hair, and wearing short skirts and heavy makeup.
Fujita said people on the street would tell her she looked disgusting. Her teachers, classmates and the adults around her called her a troublemaker and stupid.
Determined to rebuff her critics, Fujita made it all the way through high school without missing a single day.
But graduation brought no respite: She was often questioned by police. Some people even called her a prostitute because of her looks. Many of Fujita's friends found it hard to land part-time jobs because of their appearance.
"We were doing nothing wrong. . . . We were just wearing our favorite outfits and makeup, but people treated us as if we were criminals," Fujita recalls in her book "Gal Revolution," which has sold about 20,000 copies since April.
Armed with little but grim determination, Fujita came up with the idea of starting her own company. It would be the sort of place where gals like her could prove themselves.
"I thought if I start my own business and succeed, I may be able to give hope to many girls that they can also do something," she said.
Fujita and a friend went about building support for their project. In one month they collected the e-mail addresses of some 2,000 young women in Shibuya and started sending out newsletters.
Fujita told everyone she could think of about her dream to set up a company, including the editors of a fashion magazine where she once worked as a model.
Within about three months, she managed to get in touch with 300 entrepreneurs, seeking their advice on how to start a business.
Using 1.5 million yen she saved working part time and borrowing another 1.5 million yen from her parents, Fujita set up her business in April 2005. She now has an office in Shibuya and a staff of eight.
Fujita started out by selling CDs of her music, which she thought would be a good way to create publicity.
She managed to sell about 1,000 discs, but after receiving many requests from companies asking her to help them market products to gals, SGR's main business shifted to marketing.
"Gals have a strong sense of togetherness, so we can promote a product among them quickly through word of mouth," Fujita said, adding that reaching this market involves more than just helping firms make products that cater to the image.
"Something that becomes popular among gals draws media attention," so gal-focused marketing also helps promote products to a wider range of users, she said.
SGR has a network of some 3,450 product testers nationwide, 3,000 in the Kanto region. The firm has been involved in marketing about 100 products targeted at teenage girls. The product testers' average age is 17.
Whatever becomes of SGR in the next few years, Fujita has set her sights even higher. She wants to set up a vocational school by 2010 that will help young people, especially gals, determine what they want to do with their lives.
"I'm trying to set up a cafeteria-style vocational school that provides students with many options for their future" and encourages them to chase their dreams, Fujita said.
But Fujita remains a gal at heart. "Eventually, I want to spread gal culture, fashion and spirit throughout the world."
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Reminds me that I have the Cutie Honey movie at home, but i haven't seen it yet. 
