Cuteness is a universal language: The globalization of kawaii culture
Over 150 million people viewed Avril Lavigne’s music video for her song “Hello Kitty,” and anyone who has seen the video will likely have a basic familiarity with Americanized Japanese phenomenon known as kawaii. Though the song “Hello Kitty” does not specifically reflect kawaii culture itself, the video includes kawaii characters, fashion, food, and aesthetic. Avril’s music video is just a hint of how the culture known as kawaii has made its way from its origin country, Japan, over to the United States. Though kawaii is primarily known to be rooted in Japan, it is a blend of both Japanese and Western influences that has resulted in a unique and globalized culture that focuses on an appreciation of all things cute and lovable.
The term kawaii came into the Japanese lexicon in the 19th century, about the same time as “cute” entered the English language. Though many believe that kawaii directly translates to “cute,” it actually more closely means “able to be loved.” According to Kincaid (2014), the word kawaii originates from the word kawayushi, which means shy, vulnerable, loveable, small, pathetic, and embarrassed. Kincaid (2014) writes , “Kawaii is anything that stirs feeling of love, care, and protectiveness. It is based on the adorable physical features of children and baby animals, but it also has a strong Western influence.” After World War II, kawaii emerged as a culmination of both Japanese and Western influences and ideas. As of 2014, the word kawaii was added to the English dictionary officially. It is defined as a “Japanese artistic and cultural style that emphasises the quality of cuteness, using bright colours and characters with a childlike appearance” (“Kawaii culture in the UK,” 2014).
Even with a general idea of what kawaii means in Japanese culture, it can still be surprising to discover many of the different types of kawaii and how different they are from one another. Some of these types include guro-kawaii (grotesque cute), kimo-kawaii (creepy cute), busu-kawaii (ugly cute), ero-kawaii (sexy cute), and shibu-kawaii (subdued, everyday cute). In addition to cuteness, it can also be used as a term to describe a person who does not have any negative traits. Japanese girls take it as a compliment, and look at the culture as a positive reflection on the innocence of childhood. Children are known to be pure, carefree, stress-free, and without real-world responsibilities. Kawaii culture allows people to escape their normal lives and connect with people about something they love (Kincaid, 2014). Kawaii culture varies by the individual, and there are nearly infinite ways for something to be considered kawaii.
Although kawaii has now become a marketable culture for Japan, it did not begin with economic intentions. Instead, it started as a way for Japanese youth, especially women, to express themselves. Many Japanese teens feigned simplicity and childishness in order to be perceived as cute, in the same way that many American teens sometimes hide their intelligence in order to appear cool. In 1974, many Japanese teens embraced different forms of cuteness as a way to express themselves. This often took the form of rounded, childish, and horizontal handwriting like written English, as opposed to traditionally Japanese vertical handwriting. They would also include some English as well as small doodles of hearts, stars, faces, etc. Through teens developing their own unique style of handwriting, they were demonstrating one way to establish their own identities. Kawaii is all about encouraging people to form an individual sense of self. Today, it is no secret that cute sells. For example, Granot (2013) explains, “In promoting Hello Kitty with its tie-ins of 15,000 products, Sanario Corp. reaps in approximately US $3 billion annually” (p. 72). Kawaii is an example of counter-hegemonic contra flow because, even though it is greatly influenced by American culture, it originated in Japan and is much more normalized there. Most often media originates in the West and is transported to the East, but kawaii culture moved in the opposite direction. Kawaii has become like an export for Japan, and the US may use and Americanize it, but it did not belong to America originally.
The appeal of kawaii is simply the appeal of cuteness. Cuteness differs from beauty in that it focuses on the imperfections of something that make it appealing. Cute things prioritize the round and soft, rather that sculpted and refined. Clark (2015) writes, “Because our brains are hardwired to find cuteness endearing, when we see something as kawaii, it’s a given that we also see it as unthreatening.” Kawaii and cute culture can be seen all over Japan. In fact, it has already been shown through search engine analytics that anime and kawaii are now more popular than Japanese cultural traditions like samurai and geisha (Clarke, 2015). Many street-corner mailboxes are decorated like gingerbread houses, and some airlines are painted with famous characters like Pokemon. Many businesses like banks and firms in Japan utilize animated characters in their marketing communications (Granot, 2013). The Tokyo Metropolitan Police have a cute mascot as well. Billboards and road work signs display adorable characters, and even the earthquake survival guide that is given to Tokyo’s residents includes a cartoon rhino wearing a hard-hat on the cover. However, Japan does not solely use animated characters and cuteness for marketing purposes. In fact, it is much more frequently used as an embedded aspect of the everyday culture. Even train stations play cute, jingly music, and kawaii images can be found on toilet paper rolls in the public bathrooms of Harajuku, a famous shopping district.
Harajuku is primarily known for its outrageous, typically kawaii, street fashion. It is a pedestrian-only area, and people of all types flock there to meet each other and show off their style. Kawaii fashion is typically categorized by pastel colors, lots of accessories, colorful hair, and childlike decorations. One of the aspects of kawaii fashion that distinguishes itself so much from American fashion is that it does not centralize around the idea of perfection. Cuteness can be found in small details, so people who enjoy kawaii do not idolize flawless and unattainable beauty standards like is often the case in the United States. Kawaii is not just about how someone dresses, it includes the way an individual acts. Many girls intentionally act childlike to appear more innocent and cute (Granot, 2013, p. 73-74). There is no one correct way to do kawaii. Kawaii fashion can stretch from fairy to steampunk to Victorian or anywhere in between.
Contrary to what many may think, kawaii fashion and culture is not unique to just women, many Japanese boys and men can be seen dressing in these bright styles or openly admitting their love of Hello Kitty. Traditional masculinity is very different in Japan than it is in the United States. Kawaii culture also has a deep social aspect to it. In Japan, as well as numerous other countries around the world, there are conventions and events where people dress up and participate in all things cute and colorful. This community has greatly expanded through the Internet and social media. A simple search can bring up thousands of kawaii-inspired social media accounts, applications, websites, and more. People who participate in any aspect of kawaii can come together, talk about their interests, and share ideas (“Kawaii culture in the UK,” 2014).
In addition to fashion, kawaii cuisine is very popular in Japan. One of the primary ways that kawaii makes its way into Japanese cuisine is through what is known as charaben, or bento boxes. Bento boxes are famous cartoon characters made out of mainly sculpted rice, but also seaweed and mayonnaise. These creations can take hours to make, and many mothers create them for their children every day. Contrary to American culture, emotions are not frequently shown or explicitly expressed in Japan. A lot of the time, parents will choose to show their children love through the things they do for them, like making daily bento boxes. These boxes also serve to encourage children to eat as nutritious as possible because they are more likely to finish a meal that is fun and enjoyable. Kawaii food is also fairly prevalent in eateries and restaurants around the country. Japanese adults often embrace the trend of kawaii food as much as the children do (Dale, 2017).
In American popular culture, Japanese kawaii has slowly integrated itself in different types of media. One public figure who has been known for her alleged appropriation of kawaii is Avril Lavigne. As mentioned above, Lavigne released a music video for her song “Hello Kitty” that incorporated kawaii throughout. Lavigne’s performance does not represent girlish or innocent kawaii, but rather a blend of kawaii and her usual punk aesthetic. She, therefore, combines childish and feminine with a more mature and sexualized aesthetic. According to Oh (2017), “The lyrics, title, and visual signs in Lavigne’s performance are a negotiated site, combining Japan’s representation of itself, the Western imagination of Japan, and the embodiment of these meanings by the White woman performer… It creates an image of desirable femininity in the United States--the binary of virginal and sexual” (p. 373-374). Here, Lavigne is an excellent example of how kawaii has spread globally and evolved in different cultures to blend in with traditional norms. She used her artistic ability to integrate another culture into her own identity and performance.
Though kawaii may never be adopted in the United States as heavily as it has been in Japan, it will certainly remain prevalent as long as people still enjoy things that are cute. Though many Americans view Japanese kawaii as somewhat creepy considering it often promotes adult infantilization, kawaii is truly about the fun of childhood. It allows people to escape from their day-to-day lives and focus on something completely positive and uplifting. Japan is no longer as globally-known for its military and economic influence, but rather cuteness and the power to attract. Like with any trend, kawaii has ebbed and flowed over the past few decades. This is to be expected, but it is unlikely to ever go away completely. Kincaid (2014) writes, “Cute is an imperfect beauty that appeals to all of us. Because we are all imperfect, we all have the potential to be cute in our own ways. Kawaii as a culture will last as long as people find cute, cute. The world may fall out of favor, but the ideas of kawaii will always remain.”
Source List
Clarke, A. (2015, December 23). How kawaii culture is changing the world. Dazed. Retrieved from http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/28882/1/how-kawaii-culture-is-changing-the-world
Dale, J. (2017). The ultimate act of love? The truth behind Japan’s charaben culture. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/japan-food-snap-power-of-cute-oped/index.html
Granot, E., Alejandro, T., & Russell, L. (2013). A socio-marketing analysis of the concept of cute and its consumer culture implications. Journal of Consumer Culture. 14(1), 66-87. doi: 10.1177/1469540513485274
Kawaii culture in the UK: Japan’s trend for cute. (2014). BBC. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/29761389/kawaii-culture-in-the-uk-japans-trend-for-cute
Kincaid, C. (2014). What is kawaii. Japan Powered. Retrieved from https://www.japanpowered.com/japan-culture/what-is-kawaii
Oh, D. (2017). Turning Japanese’: Deconstructive criticism of white women, the western imagination, and popular music. Communication, Culture & Critique. 10(2), 365-381. doi: 10.1111/cccr.12153
The term kawaii came into the Japanese lexicon in the 19th century, about the same time as “cute” entered the English language. Though many believe that kawaii directly translates to “cute,” it actually more closely means “able to be loved.” According to Kincaid (2014), the word kawaii originates from the word kawayushi, which means shy, vulnerable, loveable, small, pathetic, and embarrassed. Kincaid (2014) writes , “Kawaii is anything that stirs feeling of love, care, and protectiveness. It is based on the adorable physical features of children and baby animals, but it also has a strong Western influence.” After World War II, kawaii emerged as a culmination of both Japanese and Western influences and ideas. As of 2014, the word kawaii was added to the English dictionary officially. It is defined as a “Japanese artistic and cultural style that emphasises the quality of cuteness, using bright colours and characters with a childlike appearance” (“Kawaii culture in the UK,” 2014).
Even with a general idea of what kawaii means in Japanese culture, it can still be surprising to discover many of the different types of kawaii and how different they are from one another. Some of these types include guro-kawaii (grotesque cute), kimo-kawaii (creepy cute), busu-kawaii (ugly cute), ero-kawaii (sexy cute), and shibu-kawaii (subdued, everyday cute). In addition to cuteness, it can also be used as a term to describe a person who does not have any negative traits. Japanese girls take it as a compliment, and look at the culture as a positive reflection on the innocence of childhood. Children are known to be pure, carefree, stress-free, and without real-world responsibilities. Kawaii culture allows people to escape their normal lives and connect with people about something they love (Kincaid, 2014). Kawaii culture varies by the individual, and there are nearly infinite ways for something to be considered kawaii.
Although kawaii has now become a marketable culture for Japan, it did not begin with economic intentions. Instead, it started as a way for Japanese youth, especially women, to express themselves. Many Japanese teens feigned simplicity and childishness in order to be perceived as cute, in the same way that many American teens sometimes hide their intelligence in order to appear cool. In 1974, many Japanese teens embraced different forms of cuteness as a way to express themselves. This often took the form of rounded, childish, and horizontal handwriting like written English, as opposed to traditionally Japanese vertical handwriting. They would also include some English as well as small doodles of hearts, stars, faces, etc. Through teens developing their own unique style of handwriting, they were demonstrating one way to establish their own identities. Kawaii is all about encouraging people to form an individual sense of self. Today, it is no secret that cute sells. For example, Granot (2013) explains, “In promoting Hello Kitty with its tie-ins of 15,000 products, Sanario Corp. reaps in approximately US $3 billion annually” (p. 72). Kawaii is an example of counter-hegemonic contra flow because, even though it is greatly influenced by American culture, it originated in Japan and is much more normalized there. Most often media originates in the West and is transported to the East, but kawaii culture moved in the opposite direction. Kawaii has become like an export for Japan, and the US may use and Americanize it, but it did not belong to America originally.
The appeal of kawaii is simply the appeal of cuteness. Cuteness differs from beauty in that it focuses on the imperfections of something that make it appealing. Cute things prioritize the round and soft, rather that sculpted and refined. Clark (2015) writes, “Because our brains are hardwired to find cuteness endearing, when we see something as kawaii, it’s a given that we also see it as unthreatening.” Kawaii and cute culture can be seen all over Japan. In fact, it has already been shown through search engine analytics that anime and kawaii are now more popular than Japanese cultural traditions like samurai and geisha (Clarke, 2015). Many street-corner mailboxes are decorated like gingerbread houses, and some airlines are painted with famous characters like Pokemon. Many businesses like banks and firms in Japan utilize animated characters in their marketing communications (Granot, 2013). The Tokyo Metropolitan Police have a cute mascot as well. Billboards and road work signs display adorable characters, and even the earthquake survival guide that is given to Tokyo’s residents includes a cartoon rhino wearing a hard-hat on the cover. However, Japan does not solely use animated characters and cuteness for marketing purposes. In fact, it is much more frequently used as an embedded aspect of the everyday culture. Even train stations play cute, jingly music, and kawaii images can be found on toilet paper rolls in the public bathrooms of Harajuku, a famous shopping district.
Harajuku is primarily known for its outrageous, typically kawaii, street fashion. It is a pedestrian-only area, and people of all types flock there to meet each other and show off their style. Kawaii fashion is typically categorized by pastel colors, lots of accessories, colorful hair, and childlike decorations. One of the aspects of kawaii fashion that distinguishes itself so much from American fashion is that it does not centralize around the idea of perfection. Cuteness can be found in small details, so people who enjoy kawaii do not idolize flawless and unattainable beauty standards like is often the case in the United States. Kawaii is not just about how someone dresses, it includes the way an individual acts. Many girls intentionally act childlike to appear more innocent and cute (Granot, 2013, p. 73-74). There is no one correct way to do kawaii. Kawaii fashion can stretch from fairy to steampunk to Victorian or anywhere in between.
Contrary to what many may think, kawaii fashion and culture is not unique to just women, many Japanese boys and men can be seen dressing in these bright styles or openly admitting their love of Hello Kitty. Traditional masculinity is very different in Japan than it is in the United States. Kawaii culture also has a deep social aspect to it. In Japan, as well as numerous other countries around the world, there are conventions and events where people dress up and participate in all things cute and colorful. This community has greatly expanded through the Internet and social media. A simple search can bring up thousands of kawaii-inspired social media accounts, applications, websites, and more. People who participate in any aspect of kawaii can come together, talk about their interests, and share ideas (“Kawaii culture in the UK,” 2014).
In addition to fashion, kawaii cuisine is very popular in Japan. One of the primary ways that kawaii makes its way into Japanese cuisine is through what is known as charaben, or bento boxes. Bento boxes are famous cartoon characters made out of mainly sculpted rice, but also seaweed and mayonnaise. These creations can take hours to make, and many mothers create them for their children every day. Contrary to American culture, emotions are not frequently shown or explicitly expressed in Japan. A lot of the time, parents will choose to show their children love through the things they do for them, like making daily bento boxes. These boxes also serve to encourage children to eat as nutritious as possible because they are more likely to finish a meal that is fun and enjoyable. Kawaii food is also fairly prevalent in eateries and restaurants around the country. Japanese adults often embrace the trend of kawaii food as much as the children do (Dale, 2017).
In American popular culture, Japanese kawaii has slowly integrated itself in different types of media. One public figure who has been known for her alleged appropriation of kawaii is Avril Lavigne. As mentioned above, Lavigne released a music video for her song “Hello Kitty” that incorporated kawaii throughout. Lavigne’s performance does not represent girlish or innocent kawaii, but rather a blend of kawaii and her usual punk aesthetic. She, therefore, combines childish and feminine with a more mature and sexualized aesthetic. According to Oh (2017), “The lyrics, title, and visual signs in Lavigne’s performance are a negotiated site, combining Japan’s representation of itself, the Western imagination of Japan, and the embodiment of these meanings by the White woman performer… It creates an image of desirable femininity in the United States--the binary of virginal and sexual” (p. 373-374). Here, Lavigne is an excellent example of how kawaii has spread globally and evolved in different cultures to blend in with traditional norms. She used her artistic ability to integrate another culture into her own identity and performance.
Though kawaii may never be adopted in the United States as heavily as it has been in Japan, it will certainly remain prevalent as long as people still enjoy things that are cute. Though many Americans view Japanese kawaii as somewhat creepy considering it often promotes adult infantilization, kawaii is truly about the fun of childhood. It allows people to escape from their day-to-day lives and focus on something completely positive and uplifting. Japan is no longer as globally-known for its military and economic influence, but rather cuteness and the power to attract. Like with any trend, kawaii has ebbed and flowed over the past few decades. This is to be expected, but it is unlikely to ever go away completely. Kincaid (2014) writes, “Cute is an imperfect beauty that appeals to all of us. Because we are all imperfect, we all have the potential to be cute in our own ways. Kawaii as a culture will last as long as people find cute, cute. The world may fall out of favor, but the ideas of kawaii will always remain.”
Source List
Clarke, A. (2015, December 23). How kawaii culture is changing the world. Dazed. Retrieved from http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/28882/1/how-kawaii-culture-is-changing-the-world
Dale, J. (2017). The ultimate act of love? The truth behind Japan’s charaben culture. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/japan-food-snap-power-of-cute-oped/index.html
Granot, E., Alejandro, T., & Russell, L. (2013). A socio-marketing analysis of the concept of cute and its consumer culture implications. Journal of Consumer Culture. 14(1), 66-87. doi: 10.1177/1469540513485274
Kawaii culture in the UK: Japan’s trend for cute. (2014). BBC. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/29761389/kawaii-culture-in-the-uk-japans-trend-for-cute
Kincaid, C. (2014). What is kawaii. Japan Powered. Retrieved from https://www.japanpowered.com/japan-culture/what-is-kawaii
Oh, D. (2017). Turning Japanese’: Deconstructive criticism of white women, the western imagination, and popular music. Communication, Culture & Critique. 10(2), 365-381. doi: 10.1111/cccr.12153