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Prologue

Who named "Kogal"?
I heard that this word was named by a charismatic beautician in Shibuya.
People don't use this word as a good meaning.
Girls named "Kogal" are a little impudent and sensual and like to play at night.
Some of them associate with anybody for the purpose of prostitution and a few also use drugs.
After all, they are such girls as afflict their parents too much.
Some of the adults with common sence who sometimes contain their fathers are setting them as the object of prostitution.
This fact has complicated the problems.
This word "Kogal" has a nuance meaning girls with the possibility of becoming prostiutes.
Therefore, "Kogal" was named by males side.
There are only a few girls are aware of themselves as "Kogal", who recognize the word "Kogal" with the special meaning.
The generation called "Kogal" are junior high school students and senior high school students.
A big dilemma exists between adults' generation and children's generation in Japanese sociaty.
Probably Japanese are materially the richest people in the world, however, we have such a dilemma.
Mr. Haruki Murakami who is one of typical Japanese writers told,

"In Japan there are all things, but there is no dream."

Some Japanese adults who lost romanticism ask their children for momentary dream.
By contraries, adults can't give dreams to children.
And childrens think that it is better for them if only they can enjoy now.
They have stopped dreaming of their future.
I think that "Kogal" are abortive flowers that today's Japan made bloom.
In the past, I was completely optimistic about my daughter who is growing, and "Kogal" was quite another existence to her.

Part 1 "A morning"

She has a part-time job at night about twice a week at a barbecue restaurant.
However, her life after work is unknown.
She comes backs home at 5:00 am early morning.
In her free time, she goes out to play .
She and her friends continue playing all night till the next morning sometimes . They call this "all"
Her father presumes that this means " all night".
Their plays are not grand acts.
After they find some suitable playground , in almost all cases, their conversations, which are not important, are only held with friends. It is the time which can be spent freely,
since they are not cautioned by anyone.
However, such late teenage girls' actions are not acceptable.
To all parents common sense .
However, the reality is that it's too late .
The word "get out of my house" usedto be the trump card for a father and used to be effective in the past.
But at present, the father's resistance agenst his dauther is impossible, and his strong words do not work anymore with his daughter.
If he uses strong words , the daughter will be rather glad and will go away.
Neither the delinquent girls who are called "kogal" , nor the parents who, cannot control them, are to be blamed. I think society in Japan, which is allowing the existence of such lifestyles, is responsible.
One of the girls, who I mentioned above, began to change the pattern of her life suddenly. She is my daughter.
When I asked my wife what happened, she answered, that my daughter began a part-time job at daytime.
Her main night life changed to daytime, so I guessed, that her main life form was returning to normal , a life with sun, i.e., the life of the usual human society .
I had a sense of peace after a long time. Is such a feeling fortunate?
I could feel that the live of a sincere home passed calmly, with peace in my heart.
And I again remember that disgusting telephone call now.
A heavy burden visited me that day.

<to be continued>

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