empty the 80s, bubbly the 90s

A cartoonist Yutsuko Chusonji, known for her work depicting the "oyaji (old man) gal" phenomenon during Japan's bubble economy period, in the early 1990s, died yesterday.

In the 80s, young ladies chose expensive stuff, big name brands, fashionable restaurants, and gorgeous places. The name brand, the price, and the looks were the most important things in those days. Not only yound ladies, the young did not tell about themselves much,  seemed not to have interesting to the society.  It was called "Shirake no Jidai = empty generation". You could see such crazy empty days in this book Nantonaku Crystal published in 1981, which was set at my college. The writer is Yasuo Tanaka. He is the Nagano Prefecture governor now.  As far as I read  the U.S. novel "less than zero" by Bret Easton Ellis,  those insubstatiality was not happened in not only Japanease young in the 80s.

Then in the 90s, the Oyaji gal appeared. Oyaji gals were a young women with hobbies that had traditionally been considered exclusively masculine, like karaoke, sports newspapers, golf, horse racing, pachinko, bicycle racing(JP) or Old Izakawa. I guess it was a reaction to such empty days in the 80s. Women needed more real joy. Oyaji do not care looks or appearance, in a sense Oyaji knew just comfortable stuff by instinct, then the Oyaji gal chose to do the same. Even though the Oyaji gal themselves wore expensive clothes and designer handbags, they went to Oyaji Yatai and sat down and drank among Oyajis instead of the urban taste clubs. Now we do not say the word "Oyaji gal" anymore, but after that movement a young women's variety of activities, or potions were spread out really. So now it is just normal women who enjoy golf, horse race etc,.
Chusonji's work described the reality of early the 90s, I may she rest in peace.

Comments

[Edward Tsutomu Hida]

I am looking for Hida family crest. My father's ancestors are from Hiroshima region. I do not read or speak Japanese so I cannot followup with Japanese sites. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you for your help.

[robert]

so young..and two children (her son is only 2)..wow. Yukiko Kobayashi, you will be missed. rest in peace.
I wonder if the saying is true.."only the good die young".