If you would like to understand this topic a bit better, I recommend reading this article!
www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special...
With the rise of a new social media platform, I hope I can bring more awareness on this topic

A majority of people think jirai-kei is a cute fashion style with a dark past, when it's really a cruel stereotype. Jfashion influencers don't want to make the effort to properly acknowledge a serious topic like this, so they promote this in a glorifying manner for internet attention.

I am honestly shocked by the lack of coverage this situation gets in English spaces. And even when it does, it creates a narrative that these kids created "a revolutionary subculture" and "they're just having fun" when these children are victims.

Fast forward to the capitilization of this stereotype and an online community being formed, that's how it became a trend in Japan. Nothing was reclaimed, and no one was empowered by this.

With other passerbys in Tokyo seeing how "disruptive" these children were being, it became an online trend to make fun of HOMELESS CHILDREN. People would imitate their mental breakdowns, how they dressed, their "droopy" eye makeup, and even the pr0stitution aspect...

The "fashion" part of this stereotype came from the fact that Howl liked gothic/girly fashion, and these children would wear the style to impress him.

Theft, murder, and forced child pr0stitution was done to make money. Since these jobs ended up taking a heavy toll on their mental state, self-destructive behaviour were also very normalized for the Toyoko Kids. This includes overdosing, drinking, and self-harm.

When a person named Howl found these kids in the streets, he would pose as a social worker, where he would use that title to form closer relationships with the kids. With him gaining the trust of several children through food and advice, he eventually made these kids work illegal jobs for him.

The jirai-kei stereotype originated from the Toyoko Kids, who are a group of homeless children that fled their homes due to increased domestic violence during the covid pandemic. Since Kabukicho was deserted at the time, it was an ideal meeting spot for struggling kids to connect with each other.