Some people may have an image of "gals" being a little unapproachable. However, perhaps the hidden power of gal mind could dramatically change the stagnant atmosphere in Japan. With this belief in mind, we spoke with Socho Baburi, who is developing a project to implement gal mind in society, based in Shibuya, the birthplace of gal culture.

I was an honor student, but when I met a gal, I started to like myself for the first time.

Please tell us what made you discover the gal mindset.

I was a good student until junior high school, but on the first day of school at my local high school, my homeroom teacher told me, "Go to Tokyo University." It was then that I realized for the first time that my life was being decided by other people, and I felt uncomfortable. Looking back now, I realized that I had become a person who was too concerned about other people's opinions and was unable to express myself.

That was the opportunity for me to start thinking about what I really wanted to do, but the feelings of unease gradually grew, and at the age of 16 I was no longer able to go to school and ran away from home. That's when "gals" saved me. I met gals in Osaka, where I had run away from home, and I was really encouraged by the way they lived their lives with strength, trusting their own intuition. After that, I returned home, dropped out of high school, became a gal, and for the first time, I was able to like myself.

How did you apply your gal mindset to your business?

Although there are many smart people among gals, in many cases they are unable to find a job that allows them to utilize their abilities. I had a vague feeling that this was due to inequality in options caused by educational and economic disparities. Around that time, I came across ETIC., an NPO that tackles social issues, and worked there as an intern for about three years, which was the origin of my current activities.

After that, when I was thinking about how I could somehow use the gal mindset to solve social issues, I met a man who said, "I was a gal guy from Shonan." He spent every day trying to please his superiors and being considerate of his subordinates, and lamented that he had "lost his gal mindset." Taking inspiration from this encounter, I wanted to see what kind of chemical reaction would occur if a company employee and a gal talked.

In fact, when we held a workshop where gals talked with people from companies as a demonstration experiment, the gals, who behaved intuitively without any consideration for others, were inspired by them, and the people from companies who were initially bound by their titles and positions gradually began to speak more freely. From this experience, the idea of "Gal Style Brainstorming®︎" was born, where gals enter company meetings and have discussions on an equal footing. People who actually participated have given us positive comments such as "It was the first time I saw my subordinates speak up like this" and "I realized that it's okay to think more freely."

Keeping a gal in your heart helps you regain your sense of self

What specific discussions are taking place?

In Gal-style Brainstorming®, rules are established such as "speak in casual language," "call each other by nicknames," and "have lots of reactions." As an example, in a collaboration with a major stationery manufacturer, Gal-style Brainstorming® was conducted with the desire to find signs of new business development in response to the fact that the culture of writing is declining due to the spread of digital technology. In the collaboration, the Gals came up with the idea that "pencils are emotional," and also came up with the idea that "I want a writing tool that is not just for writing, but also reminds you of the smell of your ex-boyfriend." There was also an opinion that "gravestones look sad, so I want to decorate them (with stationery)!" (laughs). In this way, it became a free and open idea brainstorming session that uses the Gal mindset as a starting point to transform the current situation into a positive one.

Recently, we held a brainstorming session to consider how we could use the large amount of scrap materials such as rails stored in JR Freight's warehouse to create upcycled products and convey our company's message to the world. From the perspective of turning "scrap materials" into "gifts," we came up with a lot of unique ideas. One of them was the idea for an upcycled product using old rails, which are "acrylic stands that you want to use to express your feelings for your favorite idol but are too heavy to lift" (laughs).

Ultimately, what exactly is "gal mind"?

CGO.com defines the gal mind as being made up of three elements: "self-centered," "intuition," and "positive thinking." "Self-centered" is sticking to the idea that "this is what I want to do," "intuition" is expressing your feelings honestly, saying things like "That's great!" or "That's so cute!", and "positive thinking" is the desire to move things forward in a positive way.

Many gals, including myself, have experienced being oppressed and finding it difficult to live. When that feeling finally exploded and they were able to express themselves, they found themselves saved by being a gal. This goes beyond gender and position, and to a greater or lesser extent, everyone suffers from pressure to behave in a certain way because they are like this. By injecting a gal mindset into this, it should be possible to regain your sense of self. That being said, I'm not saying to "always be a gal," but rather, I think that by having a gal in your heart and exerting a gal mindset from time to time, you will feel lighter.

Shibuya has the diversity to connect a wide variety of people

President Bubbly-san, you've been working out of Shibuya for a long time.

I started in Shibuya by chance, but now I feel comfortable here. When I think about why, I think it's because there is a strange chaos, with big companies, entrepreneurs, and investors, and gals and hip-hoppers right next to them. There is no other city like this in Japan. Perhaps it is the diversity that allows people from various backgrounds to naturally connect and accept each other that gives birth to new things. As an entrepreneur myself, I think it is very meaningful to base my activities in Shibuya, in terms of understanding what is happening in the city and what people are thinking in real time.

Recently, you have also been developing businesses related to inbound tourism in Shibuya.

From our perspective, foreign tourists behave strangely. They crowd around capsule machines, or ride street carts around the city. We wondered why this was happening, so we started an inbound survey, which we named the "Shibuya Desire Research Team." We discovered some surprising things. For example, when we talked to people who rode street carts, we got answers like, "It makes me feel one with the city," and "I'm happy when strangers wave at me," and we began to understand their appeal.

Through these inbound surveys, I believe the reason Shibuya attracts foreign tourists is because it is easy to connect with people and the city. When we travel abroad, we often go to well-established tourist spots, but we still want to have experiences that can only be experienced locally. Shibuya, where you can experience people, food, and culture while strolling around the city, is the perfect place to experience local things like that. When I go to a club in Shibuya, I really enjoy toasting with the foreign tourist next to me, and I think the fun of Shibuya is that it is a city where people can enjoy themselves together without discrimination like this.

I want to create a society where diverse people can move forward through dialogue.

How do you feel about the changes coming with the redevelopment of Shibuya?

On the positive side, I feel that diversity is expanding. Not only young people, but the number of businesses has increased, and the number of people walking around the city has become more diverse. On the other hand, there are fewer places for gals to hang out, and rising land prices are making it difficult for small shops to operate, and I feel that something needs to be done about this situation.

I am also concerned about the regulations in Shibuya. For example, drinking on the streets was banned last year, but I feel there could have been more room for discussion. The fact that drinking on the streets is OK among foreign tourists is, in a way, one of the unique features of Japan. Of course, I completely understand this from the perspective of maintaining public order in the city, but I feel a sense of crisis that unless we value the process of diverse people discussing the rules before the local government decides on them, the city could become increasingly restricted.

What is your vision for your future activities?

I will continue to work on implementing Gal-Style Brainstorming® in society. I was keenly aware of this when I appeared as a commentator on a TV election special the other day, but it cannot be said that there is diversity in the world of Japanese politics today. For example, if there were gals, musicians, and dancers in parliament, wouldn't we be able to discuss Japan's future differently than before? Through our activities, I strongly hope to create a society where diverse people can talk to each other and move forward.

Interview and writing: Ryota Ninomiya / Photography: Osamu Matsuba