Part of the confusion stems from a misunderstanding of “kawaii,” which is Japanese for “cute” but also connotes a lovable or adorable essence. Sanrio recruited Shimizu and other ...

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.

Photo by Courtney Reynolds When you step through the torii gate of the Japan EPCOT Pavilion you enter the world of cute! Or “kawaii” in Japanese. Kawaii is deeply embedded in Japanese culture ...

Others are a bit more narrow, like kawaii metal. Created in Japan when Babymetal was formed, kawaii metal (also known as ...

French-Moroccan designer Charaf Tajer looked to Japan for autumn/winter 2025, sending a co-ed collection down the runway at Paris Fashion Week. Backdropped by noren curtains (the flat cloths that hang ...