Juliana's



Juliana's, also known as Juliana's Tokyo (ジュリアナ東京), was a Japanese discothèque that operated in Shibaura, Minato, Tokyo from May 15, 1991 till August 31, 1994. It was famous for its dance platforms, on which office ladies dressed in "bodycon" (abbr. (wasei-eigo): "body conscious" (ボディコン) ) clubwear would congregate, as amateur go-go dancers (professionals were also employed). The club was produced by Masahiro Origuchi for the British leisure services group Juliana's (led at the time by Michael Wilkings and Mark Vlassopulos), and Nissho Iwai Corporation, the Japanese general trading company (now part of Sojitz).

Musical style and legacy
Juliana's started out playing Italo house then quickly following popular trends to Hardcore techno. The Juliana's producers published a series of compilation CDs which were popularizing techno in Japan. The album sales were an essential part of the business concept along with contracting with sponsors led by VP of marketing Reef Addison and Juliana's President Gary Calicott.

Cultural impact
At any given moment Juliana's was packed at 2,500 customers and a line so long you couldn't see around the block. The Juliana culture represented a hedonistic youth culture which had only recently arrived in Japan. The gyaru subculture found its expression in high school girls and office ladies alike transforming into Juliana girls in the evening, whereas men often came to the club in business suits.