The Sukeban Gang Of Female Thugs In Japan Gives 'Girl Power' New Meaning

The whole "tough guy" attitude clearly isn't just for the dudes.

In Japan, the turf-protecting gang known as the yakuza is being replaced by its female equivalent: the Sukeban, the country's first all-women band of thugs.

In a statement that's probably not what Sheryl Sandberg was talking about when she said she wanted girls to be known as "the boss" instead of "bossy," the Sukeban gang got its name from a combination of two Japanese words: "female" (suke) and "boss" (ban).

TLG Magazine explains that the female gang movement, which first started in the 1970s, is being reborn with a sort of Black Panther-esque style, as Sukeban members prefer to wear long flowing skirts and their hair styled into afros as opposed to the sexualized schoolgirl mini skirts that was the uniform of Sukeban members in years past.

The Sukeban first emerged in response to all-male gangs, so by forming these groups, Japanese women were really reclaiming a little bit of power from the guys who were dominating the street scene.

And today, Sukeban women are just as tough — they reportedly use razors and chains to assault their enemies, and sometimes even use force among their own members. With a strict set of rules, cheating on a boyfriend doesn't just get you ousted, it gets you injured.

Reports show that this intriguing cultural phenomenon of women warriors is actually on the rise, so more and more Sukeban hopefuls are being initiated every day.

via TLG Magazine, Photo Courtesy: Tumblr