Gal Tokei – “Gal Clock” of Tokyo Girls

Submitted By: Kyle Reynolds 31 December 2009 649 views One Comment

An online clock service using photographs of young Tokyo girls is attracting growing attention.

The “Gal Tokei” (Gal Clock) made its debut on Dec. 3, attracting so many viewers that the Internet server crashed temporarily. It will inform the viewers of hours using images of gals in their late teens to early ’20s. A total of 1,440 pictures of girls holding up a sign with the current time will be displayed on screen all day long, meaning every minute is announced by a different shot.

The site is a riff on predecessor the “Bijin Tokei” (beautiful women’s clock), which has enjoyed great popularity among both Japanese and overseas users since its creation in January. Tokyo-based advertisement agency Ozone Network spotted the opportunity and decided to develop the new version featuring Shibuya gals in collaboration with the originator.

Ozone Network operates the SBY cafe in the popular gal-fashion building Shibuya 109 in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, where customers can get free cosmetics samples by answering a questionnaire. The company hopes to spread the unique gal culture based on its knowledge and the online clock.

“Gal fashion is one of the most defining cultures of the modern Japan society. I thought the Gal Tokei would be the best way to introduce the Shibuya gal culture to rest of the world, as a clock is a universal tool,” said a company official.

The photographs will be switched every three months or so. Photo shoots take place every week at SBY and other nearby locations including the Miyamasu-zaka and Dogen-zaka streets.

Gal Tokei