is a monthly teenage fashion magazine

Magazine

Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...

 published by the Kadokawa Haruki Corporation in Japan. The first issue was published on October 1, 1980 by Kadokawa Shoten

Kadokawa Shoten

is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...

. Later issues were published by Asuka Shinsha who bought the magazine for 200 million yen . In 1994 the magazine was bought by the Kadokawa Haruki Corporation for 600 million yen , and has since become its flagship publication.

Popteen is one of Asia's top fashion magazines. The magazine is published in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand has recently launched a web presence in the United States.

Both Ayumi Hamasaki

Ayumi Hamasaki

is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...

 and Kumiko Funayama have been featured on the cover 19 times, Hamasaki first appearing in 2000 and Funayama in 2008. Other artists who have appeared on the cover include Kumi Koda

Kumi Koda

, better known by her stage name , is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs. Having debuted in 2000 with the single "Take Back", Koda gained fame for her seventh single, "Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba", the songs of which were used as themes for the video game...

, Namie Amuro

Namie Amuro

is a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's...

, Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne

Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...

, Britney Spears

Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...

, Fergie and Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani

Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...

.

The magazine is famous for including 'doku-mo' (読者モデル), where the readers of Popteen are able to become models in the magazine. It is also notable for its coverage of Gyaru

Gyaru

is a Japanese transliteration of the English word gal, that of girl being . The name originated from a 1970s brand of jeans called "gals", with the advertising slogan: "I can't live without men", and was applied to fashion- and peer-conscious girls in their teens and early twenties. Its usage...

 fashions. One of the most popular Popteen models is Tsubasa Masuwaka, who in December 2007 married male fashion model Naoki Umeda. She announced on her blog that she had graduated from Popteen and that the February 2008 issue would be her last.

In April 2010 Popteen's "older sister" magazine PopSister

PopSister

PopSister is a Japanese monthly gal-shibuya-kei-oriented fashion magazine published by Kadokawa Publishing & Co.. Launched in 2010 as the "older sister" magazine of Popteen, PopSister is targeted at females in their teens and early 20's.-History:...

was officially launched.

Popteen Models

• Miki Kawanishi (Mikipon, 河西美希)
• Misaki Izuoka (Izu, 出岡美咲)
• Kumiko Funayama (Kumicky, 舟山九美子)
• Mari Murata (Marimo， 村田莉)
• Rui Kotobuki (寿るい)
• Rie Matsuoka (Okarie，松岡里枝)
• Hikari Shiina (Pikari, 椎名ひかり)
• Mai Hirose (Maimai, 廣瀬麻伊)
• Mizuki Nishikawa (Mizukitty， 西川瑞希)
• Matsumoto Natsuko (Otsuko, 松本なつ子)
• Sano Yukiko (Yukinoko, 佐野友妃子)

Graduated Popteen Models

• Tsubasa Masuwaka （益若つばさ)
• Maikawa Aiku （舞川あいく)
• Tomoko Higuchi （樋口智子)
• Komori Jun （小森純)
• Kanno Yui （菅野結以)
• Hoshino Kana （星野加奈)
• Wei Son
  Wei Son
  is a Japanese fashion model who has been active in both the professional and commercial modeling fields since the late 2000s. She is particularly known in the gal scene, as a former major contributor to the Popteen magazine and an exclusive model for its sister magazine PopSister...
  
   （孫暐)
• Aoki Eri （青木英李)
• Nana Suzuki （鈴木奈々)

External links

• Popteen.com US website
• GAL's POP by Popteen Japanese website
• Popteen Taiwan Taiwanese Website