Japanese Pop Culture

You may have heard the term kawaii screamed out by a group of teenage girls walking down the street or by a pair of mother and daughter shopping at Kiddyland for school supplies. Kawaii is not just a term used by Japanese people to describe tiny, cute things. As explained by Laura Tiffany, who published an article examining the effect of kawaii on Japanese pop culture on MSNB online, the term kawaii has evolved into a concept that permeates almost every aspect of Japanese culture. Adopted by companies in the entertainment, dessert, and gaming industries, the concept of kawaii has helped drawn large numbers of Japanese customers to these businesses. As I have observed in the few months that I have been in Japan, everywhere I go, everything I do, kawaii has been the ultimate idea and tool used to draw the attention of passerby like myself to a company's product. I noticed on one of my trips to Kyoto that even in a historical site like this former capital city, kawaii is used by local shop owners to draw tourist businesses. One of my first encounter with kawaii was during this Kyoto visit. The colorful umbrellas drew my attention and I immediately stopped to admire to delicate looking umbrellas that didn't look like they would be able to withstand the beating of a mediocre rainstorm. But that doesn't matter to Japanese shoppers. The bright colors and unique patterns were part of the kawaii scheme. Cuteness is all that matters.




The insanity of consumers over this idea of owning something cute has played a big part in driving the economy of Japan. I never understood this idea of kawaii when Japanese students studying in America tried to explain it to me. On my recent trip to Kiddyland, I noticed a new sign outside the door with images of kawaii cartoon characters, such as Hello Kitty, beckoning customers to come in and shop their spring products. Of course this sort of advertisement appeals more to the younger generations and their parents who are shopping to prepare for the students' return to school.



Of course, I, too, got lured in by the cute sign and ended up buying a kawaii hand towel and eraser (pictured below).




Here is a link to a website where you can shop for all things kawaii: http://www.shopkawaii.com/.
Click here to be linked to Laura Tiffany's article on Japanese pop culture and the concept of kawaii.