Shōjo facts for kids

Shōjo (pronounced "SHOW-jo") is a Japanese word that means "girl." The Japanese characters (called kanji) for shōjo actually mean "little" and "woman." This word is mostly used to talk about a group of people: girls between the ages of 7 and 19. It's often used when talking about manga (Japanese comics) and anime (Japanese animation) made for this age group.

Where Does Shōjo Come From?

Just like many other Japanese words, the word shōjo has its roots in the Chinese language. The first time this word was known to be used was in an old Chinese book called The Book of the Later Han. In this book, it talks about "young girls."

The word shōjo came to Japan around the 7th century. This was when Japan started using a legal system similar to China's. Back then, shōjo was used to describe girls who were between 17 and 20 years old.

How Shōjo Is Used Today

Today, in legal terms, the word shōjo can mean any girl or woman who is under 20 years old. This is similar to how the word shōnen is used for boys or men under 20.

Outside of legal uses, shōjo is a common term for things made for girls or about girls. For example, you might hear about shōjo manga, which are comics for girls. There's also shōjo anime, which are animated shows for girls, and shōjo fashion, which is clothing style popular among young women.

Related pages

• Shōnen (media)

Images for kids

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  Shelves of shōjo manga under the Margaret Comics imprint at a bookstore in Tokyo in 2004

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  Actress Hideko Takamine, portraying an archetypal shōjo wearing a sailor fuku in the 1939 film Hana Tsumi Nikki [ja]

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  Cover of the first issue of Shōjo-kai, 1902

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  An ambassador for the city of Takarazuka dressed as the titular character from Princess Knight in 2012

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  Shōjo manga of the 1960s was influenced by American romantic comedy films, such as Sabrina (1954), which was adapted into a manga in 1963.

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  Moto Hagio, a major figure associated with the Year 24 Group, in 2008

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  Cover illustration to the josei manga series Kōrei Shussan Don to Koi!! [ja] by Motoko Fujita, an autobiography chronicling the author's pregnancy at the age of 43.

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  Cover of the September 1926 issue of Shōjo Gahō, with art by the lyrical painter Kashō Takabatake.

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  Shōjo war fiction emerged in tandem with the militarization of Japan in the 1930s, while an emphasis on cross-dressing came from the popularity of the cross-dressing actresses of the Takarazuka Revue (actress Sueko Takigawa pictured).

See also

In Spanish: Shōjo para niños