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‘Harajuku Girls’ Singer Gwen Stefani Insists She’s Japanese in New Interview

Upon first visiting Harajuku, “I said, ‘My God, I’m Japanese and I didn’t know it,’” Stefani told Allure. “I am, you know.”

In a new interview with Allure, Gwen Stefani, ex-No Doubt frontwoman and pop solo artist, doubled down on her strong affinity for Japanese culture—a passion she tapped into for her 2004 song “Harajuku Girls” and her 2008 perfume line—while promoting her new cosmetics line GXVE Beauty. Upon first visiting Harajuku, “I said, ‘My God, I’m Japanese and I didn’t know it,’” Stefani told Allure. “I am, you know,” she continued. Stefani has been criticized for her unapologetic appropriation of Japanese culture in the more unaware aughts, making her doubling down on her stance in 2022 all the more perplexing. “If [people are] going to criticize me for being a fan of something beautiful and sharing that, then I just think that doesn’t feel right,” Stefani said.