Glocalising a Subculture

The article describes the culture of Japanese Gothic DJs and analyses their figures. The Gothic DJs are a part of the general Gothic art, and Goth subculture intercultural movements, taken from the West and re-invented in Japan. In Japan, those movements are a strong reaction towards the dominant, conservative culture, whereas, in the West, this classical opposition (described by, for example, Dick Hebdige) is not that strong nowadays. Japanese social collectivism is often seen as oppressive towards some artistic and free-spirited individuals. Artists like those DJs are the opposition to this collectivism, and their sets at the parties make a space for other Goths to express themselves in their safe space. This movement is also very innovative due to mixing different aesthetics (keis) and minimising the problem of subcultural gatekeeping. The paper describes the rebellion led by DJs’ performances, music sets, and visual style. It is based on the bigger field research done in 2019 and 2023, where the method used was participatory observation.