But what is Sukeban?

Sukeban (スケバン/助番) is a Japanese term meaning 'delinquent girl', and the female equivalent to the male banchō in Japanese culture. The term sukeban refers to either the leader of a girl gang or the entire gang itself, and is not used to refer to any one member of a girl gang.

The word sukeban was originally used by delinquents, but has been adopted by the general population to describe the subculture since 1972. Sukeban groups were formed as a direct result of male gangs' refusal to accept female members. Consequently, the term has come to symbolize the massive movement that brought feminism to public attention at a time when men of the yakuza were thriving.

• Sukeban reportedly first appeared in Japan during the 1960s, presenting themselves as the female equivalent to the banchō gangs, which were composed mostly of men. During the 1970s, as banchō gangs began to die out, sukeban girl gangs began to rise in number. Initially, these gangs were small groups of girls sneaking cigarettes in school bathrooms, but eventually grew in size and criminal activity. They became known for their involvement in violence and shoplifting.
• Gangs ranged in size from Tokyo's United Shoplifters group, comprising roughly 80 members, to the Kanto Women Delinquent Alliance, rumored to have had around 20,000 members. Criminal activities and violence associated with these girl gangs in Japan reached such a high that sketches used to identify them in Japanese police pamphlets in the 1980s described aspects of their fashion as "omens of downfall."

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