Enjo kōsai is linked with the consumerist kogal subculture. It appeared after the end of the 1980s economic boom, and many observers believe that it serves as a way for young girls to preserve the lifestyle of that era, despite their families’ more difficult financial situations. Others, especially within the Japanese academic establishment, see enjo kōsai as a coming-of-age ritual that has naturally developed in Japan’s contemporary capitalist society.