Gwen Stefani repeatedly insists she is 'Japanese' despite no no ethnic ties to Asia

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Gwen Stefani has defended her Harajuku era yet again, despite previously sparking accusations of cultural appropriation of Asian culture for her personal gain.While speaking about her now-controversial Harajuku Lovers fragrance line, which launched in 2008, and frequent use of Japan's subculture over the years, the singer, 53, raised eyebrows as she repeatedly insisted she Japanese.Despite having no ethnic ties to the country as the daughter of an Italian-American father and Irish-American mother, the performer claimed to identify as part Asian.

No regrets: Gwen Stefani has defended her Harajuku era yet again, despite previously sparking accusations of cultural appropriation of Asian culture for her personal gain; seen in 2004During an interview with Allure, Jesa Marie Calaor, asked the performer what she learned from creating the Harajuku Lovers brand, 'considering its praise, backlash, and everything in between.'  Speaking to the brand's inspirations, she told the interviewer: 'That was my Japanese influence and that was a culture that was so rich with tradition, yet so futuristic [with] so much attention to art and detail and discipline and it was fascinating to me.' Additionally, the mom-of-three reflected on how after years of hearing her dad recall his work trips to Japan as a Yamaha marketing executive, visiting Tokyo herself felt like home.

Sparking backlash: While speaking about her now-controversial Harajuku Lovers fragrance line, which launched in 2008, and frequent use of Japan's subculture over the years, the singer, 53, raised eyebrows as she repeatedly insisted she Japanese'I said, 'My God, I'm Japanese and I didn't know it,' Stefani raved.When the author, who is Filipina, noted a bit of awkwardness 'in.