Juliana's

Juliana's, also known as Juliana's Tokyo (ジュリアナ東京), was a Japanese discothèque that operated in Shibaura, Minato, Tokyo[1] from May 15, 1991 till August 31, 1994. It was famous for its dance platforms, on which office ladies dressed in "bodycon" (abbr. (wasei-eigo): "body conscious" (ボディコン, bodikon, "sexually flattering clothing")[2][3]) clubwear would congregate, as amateur go-go dancers (professionals were also employed).[4] The club was produced by Masahiro Origuchi[5][6] for the British leisure services group Wembley PLC, and Nissho Iwai Corporation, the Japanese general trading company (now part of Sojitz).[7]

For the pizzeria located in Brooklyn, see Juliana's Pizza.
"Bodycon" one-piece dress similar to those used at Juliana's

Musical style and legacy

Juliana's started out playing Italo house then quickly following popular trends to Hardcore techno. The Juliana's producers published a series of compilation CDs which were popularizing techno in Japan. The album sales were an essential part of the business concept as the club was never very profitable on its own.

Cultural impact

The Juliana culture represented a hedonistic youth culture which had only recently arrived in Japan. The gyaru subculture found its expression in high school girls and office ladies alike transforming into Juliana girls in the evening, whereas men often came to the club in business suits.

References

The club "Disco Queen" in chapters 18, 19, and 21 of the rugby manga No Side[8] by Ikeda Fumiharu (池田文春)[9] is a reference to Juliana's, down to the white feather fans used by the dancers.[10]

The club Juliana's is mentioned several times into the shōjo manga Hana Yori Dango by Yoko Kamio (神尾 葉子).

See also
  • Herve Leger—the fashion house founded by the creator of the body-con dress

Notes
  1. Brand, Tokyo Night City, p. 34.
  2. Jim Breen's WWWJDIC, ボディコン Archived 2012-06-30 at Archive.today.
  3. Chaplin, Sarah. Japanese Love Hotels: A Cultural History. Routledge contemporary Japan series, 15. London: Routledge, 2007, p. 135. ISBN 978-0-415-41585-9, ISBN 978-0-203-96242-8.
  4. Schilling, Mark (1997). The Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture. Weatherhill. pp. 76–78. ISBN 0-8348-0380-1.
  5. Kawakami, "Survivors: two approaches to survival in Japan's unkind economy".
  6. Trends in Japan, "Disco Icon Sets Out To Conquer Nursing Care".
  7. Schilling, The Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture, p.77.
  8. ノーサイド (No Side, ("Nō Saido")) volume 3, pp. 32–3, 35, 66–68, 111–123. ISBN 4-08-875070-5.
  9. PRISMS: The Ultimate Manga Guide, No Side. Accessed 10 August 2008.
  10. Fujino, Chiya. "Her Room". In Ozeki, Ruth, and Cathy Layne. Inside and Other Short Fiction: Japanese Women by Japanese Women; with a foreword by Ruth Ozeki; compiled by Cathy Layne, p. 144. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2006. ISBN 4-7700-3006-1. Accessed 10 August 2008.

References

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