THE “KAWAII” CRAZE

Jade Olstad

What is Kawaii?• “Kawaii” ( かわいい ) is most often

translated as “cute” (Fiona, 2012)• It is a relatively contemporary term; it

used to be “ かわゆし” (“shy” and “embarrassed”, but also “pathetic”, “vulnerable”, “lovable”, and “small”) in the Taisho era

• “ かわいそう” (“pathetic”, “poor”, and “pitiful”) is derived from かわいい

What is Kawaii? (Cont.)• To behave in a kawaii way is to

behave in a childlike manner; the goal is to seem innocent and naive, weak and submissive, and utterly dependent on others (Fiona, 2012)• Paradoxically, kawaii is also supposed to

be unconscious and natural• Could be related to amae (“indulging

oneself by depending on somebody else”)

The History of Kawaii• Kawaii can be said to have its roots in

the Edo period (1603-1868) (Okazaki, 11) • Fashionable woodblock illustrations called

bijinga (‘beautiful person picture’) were popular

• Bijinga continued to be popular through the Meiji and Taisho eras (1868-1926)more and more Westernized dress

• Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934) is considered to be first kawaii shojo illustrator and kawaii goods proprietor

Yumeji Takehisa

The History of Kawaii (Cont.)• During WWII, cute things were considered bad

(Okazaki, 11)• However, post-war times featured the creation

of several girl’s magazines, such as Soleil (1946)• By the 1970s, shojo illustrators were popular• Riyoko Ikeda’s Rose of Versailles• Yumiko Igarashi’s Candy Candy

• During the mid-1980s, companies like Sanrio began flooding the market with cute characters such as Hello Kitty• This trend continued even after the Japanese bubble

economy burst

Mascots• Cute mascots added a further layer

of consumer culture to the kawaii wave in the 1970s (Flanagin, 2011). Some of the most popular globally are:• Hello Kitty: 1974• Pikachu: 1996• Domo-kun: 1998• Rilakkuma: 2003• Kumamon: 2011

Fashion• Kawaii fashion is generally seen as

originating in May 1975 with an article in the Japanese magazine an-an that said, “PLAY! Cuteness! Go For the Young Theme!” (Kinsella, 229)• Clothes were white/pastel for women

and bright/rainbow for men; styles were “fluffy and frilly” originally, and went through several other changes

• Other styles, like Lolita, began from these trends in the 1980s (“The History of..”)

Fashion• guro-kawaii –grotesque cute kimo-kawaii – creepy cute busu-kawaii – ugly cute ero-kawaii – sexy cute shibu-kawaii – subdued cute

(Kincaid, 2014)

Fashion (Cont.)

Writing• Many argue that the love for stylized visual

representation in Japan began with the adoption of Chinese characters (Kato, 2002)

• However, “maru-ji” (“round writing”)/ ”koneko-ji” (“kitten writing”) arose suddenly in the 1970s and was so hard to read that, after upwards of 5 million of the population were using it in the 1980s, it was banned (“On Being Cute in Japan”, 2011)• It involves writing every character in a cutesy

fashion• Considered a counter-cultural movement

Writing (Cont.)

…But Why?• Unlike in the West, adulthood in

Japan is considered a period of never-ending work to fulfill overwhelming responsibilities, as well as putting aside individuality and freedom (Fiona, 2012)• Kawaii allows members of society to

indulge in child-like innocence and in a sense, reduce the anxiety that adulthood causes, while simultaneously finding a niche to belong in

Thank You!

Bibliography• Davidson, Jeremy. "What Is Kawaii?" YouTube. YouTube, 29 July 2011. Web.

28 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nERkbCJ7_1s>.

• Fiona. "Japan, Why So Kawaii? - Tofugu." Tofugu. Tofugu, LLC., 09 Aug. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

• Okazaki, Manami, and Geoff Johnson. Kawaii!: Japan's Culture of Cute. Munich: Prestel, 2013. Print.

• Kato, Miki. "Eye Magazine." Eye Magazine. N.p., Summer 2002. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. Print.

• "On Being Cute in Japan." This Japanese Life. N.p., 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

• Kinsella, Sharon. "Cuties in Japan." Women, Media and Consumption in Japan. N.p.: Curzon & Hawaii UP, 1995. 220-54. Print.

• Roach, Mary. "Cute Inc." Wired (1999): n. pag. Wired. Wired. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

• "The History of Lolita Fashion | Asianbeat." The History of Lolita Fashion | Asianbeat. Asian Beat, 08 July 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

• Kincaid, Chris. "What Is Kawaii?" Japan Powered. Japan Powered, 07 Sept. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

• Flanagin, Jake. "A Brief (and Ultra Cute) History of Japanese Mascots." Condé Nast Traveler. Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

Image Credits• http://media.tumblr.com/8e46a4ce

08349cd8c54749274c90c500/tumblr_inline_ml0u6u46Uo1qz4rgp.png

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• http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/073/8/d/kawaii_girl_by_ainaribah-d3bm7ty.jpg

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