Sayuri Kosugi used to sell cosmetics. "I was in love with beauty," says the president, CEO, editor, and art director of coolgirlsjapan.com, "it" site for fashion-and-scene-minded Japanese teens. "I never envisioned computers as a central part of my life." Today, the multitasking Kosugi lists herself as webmaster of the bilingual online magazine (there's English, too). Back in 1996, when Kosugi put up a homepage to "tell the world about J-Girl culture and fashion," she had no idea how popular her retailer, designer, celebrity, and club listings would become. Now the coed forum for chat, photo-enhanced reader "self-promotion" ("cute" girls, "cool" guys), charge-card-friendly beauty advice, and - soon - "introduction" services is getting 3.6 million hits a month. Meanwhile, advertisers like Toyota, Sanyo, BMW, and Shiseido are vying to reach all those shopping-crazed visitors. Kosugi is talking with MTV about handling fashion and lifestyle for its Japanese site, and negotiating with AOL Japan to create content for its Women's Channel. VCs on both sides of the Pacific are desperate to invest, but Kosugi is keeping them at bay. "A speed ride? Yeah," she says at the end of yet another 18-hour day, "that describes it. But it's my ride."
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