We already know that Center Gai back in the 90’s was pretty dangerous because of Teams, but even though Teams had practically dissipated by the early 2000’s, Center Gai was still considered somewhat dangerous now that it was overrun with high school students. It became known that Center Gai wasn’t really a place to pass by but rather a place to gather in.
The Team culture that was created by high school students then college students was molded by these high school students and turned into Ibesa (event circles). Those that remember my old blog from a few years back may remember that a lot of these ibesa were kind of illegal since they involved minors drinking and such – if you didn’t get a chance to read it, more info about this is coming up soon!
At that point in time, only a few dozen ibesa existed and the main activities were said to be drinking parties and also renting out clubs approximately once every few months. Unlike Teams, however, they weren’t always exclusive and circle members would sometimes hang out with others outside of their circle.
Going back to the idea that Center Gai was seen more as a place to gather, that’s again because of Teams. In a similar way that Teams had certain places that were their turf, Ibesa would hang out often at fast food establishments and izakayas. The entire purpose was to gather and vibe, essentially.
All of this died down by the time SNS became more prominent.
When did you first hear about Ibesa?
For me, I didn’t actually pay attention to actual Ibesa until I watched Galcir. I thought it was really cool that Gals would gather and practice para para and just have fun.