Tokyo a la Mode. Web Magazine for Japanese Fashion and Urban Culture

Ebi-chan

By Bobby / Oct 02, 2007
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Just flip through the pages of CanCam fashion magazine and you’ll see the smiling face of Yuri Ebihara modeling the latest trends for young ladies.  You can’t miss her, she’s on almost every page!

Yuri Ebihara, known affectionately as Ebi-chan, is an exclusive model for CanCam.  Her trademark cute smile has made her one of Japan’s most recognized faces. 

Ebi-chan is very popular in Japan with both men and women.  Her style is called “mote-kei”.  “Mote-mote” means to be popular with the opposite sex.  I guess one way to think of it is the ideal boyfriend/girlfriend.  A similar Western concept would be the “girl next door”.  “Mote-kei” has been described as femininity without the sexuality.  But it should also be noted that “mote-kei” peaked about two years ago and is a passing style now.

Every once in a while, a model will jump from the pages of a magazine to become a Japanese celebrity.  Ebi-chan now appears regularly on tv shows and commercials.  With a nickname like Ebi-chan, she was the perfect pitch person for the launch of McDonald’s Ebi Filet-O, a shrimp croquette burger. ("Ebi" means “shrimp” in Japanese.) You can also see her on ads for Shiseido cosmetics, Fujifilm cameras and Sega games.

Ebi-chan with her Ebi Filet-O burger

Since CanCam targets girls in their early 20s, Ebi-chan, who turns 28 this year, might need to start looking past modeling for the fashion magazine.  Well, at least there’s always AneCan, a magazine for women in their late 20s.

Ebi-chan graces the cover of CanCam

Sega CM