In recent years, Japan's kawaii culture has exploded in popularity. WSJ's Eric Bellman speaks with author Manami Okazaki about how cuteness has gained a global fanbase.

In Japan, ‘cute’ is a big deal. Their own word for it, kawaii (“ka-why-ee”), is more of an ethos than an adjective. Shops and billboards are filled with big-eyed fluffy figures.

of adorable girls and big-eyed animals are considered the origin of contemporary kawaii culture. (Naito was also considered an early queer icon in Japan for providing illustrations to gay magazines.) ...

Japanese high-tech toys, fusing advanced technology and "kawaii" culture, are booming, even in education and space exploration. Through a Chinese woman at a toy maker, we look at their global advance.

Doban-kun, which means "flat clay man" in Japanese, is 2.3 inches (5.8 ... Doban-kun represents a 3,500-year-old example of kawaii, or "cute culture," is still up for debate.

This series showcases what we are calling “kawaii” (cute) items made locally in the iconic Japanese city. Kyomiori Ltd. handles cosmetic products under the concept of "traditional Japanese ...

Kawaii culture didn’t just magically appear—it’s been decades in the making. It all started in Japan back in the ’70s when rebellious youth wanted to break away from traditional norms.