Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential Press Release
“Japanese Schoolgirl CONFIDENTIAL”; A Perfect Explanation for Japanese Schoolgirls (Gigazine)

We are all aware of the iconic presence of the seifuku in all forms of Japanese media, especially in JPop and Idols, but have you ever wondered about how far spread its popularity is outside of the music business and why it is as iconic as it is? Husband and wife team Brian Ashcraft (Senior Contributing Editor of Kotaku.com and Contributing Editor to Wired magazine) and Shoko Ueda set out to show the many sides of the seifuku in their book: “Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential”.

While covering its impact on fashion, movies, and manga, the part that really interests me the most is the chapter on Idol Worship. The book features interviews from members of AKB48 (Sashihara Rino, Nito Moeno, and Nakatsuka Tomomi) and Morning Musume members (Michishige Sayumi, Tanaka Reina, Mitsui Aika). Other interviewees include Kago Ai, scandal, Kuriyama Chiaki, Juria Kawakami, and many more.

Gigazine‘s article has preview pictures of the book’s highly stylized pages and also specifically mentions each chapter’s title for those curious.

The book is set to release in North America in mid to late July, which happens to be right about now, so keep an eye out for it at your local bookstores!