Decorated School Bag, Global Ambitions! Why 12-Year-Old Yunachi Is Catching Forbes’ Eye

Yunachi is currently 12 years old, in the sixth grade. Yet she has been named by Forbes JAPAN as one of the “100 People to Watch in 2026,” and her Instagram account has over 360,000 followers (as of January 2026). She flies to Paris for work and is often surrounded by foreign tourists when walking through Shibuya. With her backpack on, she is already moving the world.

Yunachi is an exclusive model for KOGYARU. KOGYARU is an elementary-school gal media launched in April 2023 as a sister platform to the gal magazine egg.

Many will remember the kogal boom of the 1990s that swept Japanese high schools. Admiring Kumi Koda (43) and Ayumi Hamasaki (47), girls strutted through Shibuya’s Center Street in miniskirts and loose socks. That culture has now been revived and evolved, with elementary school students as the main focus.

KOGYARU primarily distributes silent short videos for international audiences on social media, and in about two years since its launch, Instagram followers have surpassed 500,000. Yunachi, who has the most followers among the members, has now become the face of the current generation of gal culture.

On the day of the interview, Yunachi appeared with her trademark pink-and-gold two-tone hair. Her hairstyle combined braids, small sections of hair braided tightly, with cornrows, braids aligned along the scalp. Around her eyes was the signature gal makeup, complemented by sparkling nails.

Beside her was a backpack decorated with Hello Kitty, tanned Hello Kitty inspired by Heisei-era gals, and glittery stickers. As a sort of business card, she handed over an original glittery sticker resembling a Bikkuriman chocolate sticker.

With her cheerful, loud voice, Yunachi spoke expressively throughout the interview. Who exactly is this 12-year-old?

Shocking! Awakened as a Gal in Third Grade

Yunachi’s awakening to gal culture began in the early grades of elementary school. A video she happened to watch on YouTube changed her life.

“When I was watching ‘egg’ on YouTube, a former elementary-school gal named Juna appeared, and I thought, ‘Wait, even elementary school kids can be gals?’ At that moment, I felt, ‘So cute, I want to try it!’”

From a young age, Yunachi loved fashion and princesses and also loved standing out. Sensing that being a gal is amazing, she immediately took action. She studied gal magazines and YouTube makeup videos, gradually trying makeup, dyeing her hair, and changing her fashion style.

By third grade, she arrived at the gal makeup style that has become her trademark. She has maintained this style for the past three years.

“When I was studying various gal magazines, black-gal styles stood out the most. They were flashy, cute, and left an impression. They were strong, sparkly—it felt like, ‘This is it!’”

What was her parents’ reaction when she first said she wanted to become a gal?

“They said, ‘That’s fine, go ahead and try.’ They supported me like it was their own goal. We practiced makeup together.”

Moved by Yunachi’s passion, her parents decided to protect and support her individuality. They began practicing makeup together, giving birth to the persona “Yunachi.”

In the paid version of FRIDAY Subscription, you can explore more about her positive mindset, her dedication to laughter inspired by Sanma Akashiya, her strong determination to remain a gal until she dies, and her future aspirations as a 12-year-old gal who is making her mark—even internationally in Paris.