“Kawaii” is a Japanese word meaning
The Kawaii aesthetics is already a prominent element of the Japanese popular culture in entertainment, fashion, interior design, toys and more. “Kawaii” is also used to describe a person's cuteness in dressing. It often refers to clothes worn by young children, or any clothes that look cute to people. This kind of clothes may be presented in the shape of folds, mixed with pink and white as the base tone, supplemented by small decorations such as toys or bags, which look like an anime character.
2
The aww affect is an effective and powerful source that can motivate an emotional reaction in humans. Japan is considered to be one of the first countries who unde stood the economic potential of cuteness. These narratives and tactics have made Japanese characters such as Hello Kitty a global success that have successful penetrated in the international market. 4
“Kawaii” is also used to describe a
Japanese high school girls and
person’s cuteness in dressing. It of-
the white collars are the main
ten refers to clothes worn by young
fan group of the kawaii culture.
children, or any clothes that look
For them, being kawaii is a tool
cute to people. This kind of clothes
of self-identification.They’ll try
may be presented in the shape of
so hard tofollow the fashion style
folds, mixed with pink and white
from the Harajuku fashion
as the base tone, supplemented
magazine, hairstyles, outfits,
by small decorations such as toys
makeup looks...That creates a
or bags, which look like an anime
stable aesthetic criticism in kawaii
character. Through that the well
fashion, a mutual sense of identity
developments of the Japanese
and a sense of belonging.
animation industry. The word “Kawaii”became a foriegn word in Japan. By the effects of the Japanese kawaii culture, the kawaii products were particularly popular in different countries.
6
*Shōjo (少女) is a japanese word meaning teenage girl.
高橋真琴 Macoto Takahashi Macoto Takahashi (born 27 August 1934) is a Japanese painter, illustrator, and manga artist. His works of shōjo manga (girls’ manga) are noted for significantly influencing the aesthetic styles of that genre.
8
10
HELLO KITTY
Kawaii culture is very popular in the east Asian countries like Korea, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong but not just in the east Asian countries. In the North American industries, the influences of kawaii and comics can be seen everywhere. The top departure store in New York, Macy’s Department Store, once put the Japanese Sanrio mascot Hello Kitty in the front row of the 2012 Thanksgiving Day parade. American Singer Gwen Stefani released a song named “Harajuku Girls” in 2008 and appreciating the Harajuku fashion style in Japan and how pretty they are. Hello Kitty (ハローキティ) is a cartoon image created by a Japanese company named Sanrio in 1974 and designed by Yuko Shimizu and Yuko Yamaguchi. Hello Kitty has a very important place in the Kawaii Globalization. It was designed to be brought to the U.S. market from the very beginning, and since 1983 has served as UNICEF’s U.S. Many American celebrities have contributed to her popularity, American Singer Avril Lavigne released a song named “Hello Kitty”in
YOU’RE
SO PRETTY
2014. Also American singer Lisa Leob is a big fan of Hello Kitty, she even released an album specifically for Hello Kitty called “Hello Lisa”. The identity, background and personality are ambiguous instead frequently changing with the style of Hello Kitty, so that when Hello Kitty is facing the global market, it can go among different cultures and nationalities. She can be either the American limited edition of the Statue of Liberty, or the Indian Shih Tzu wearing a veil. At the same time, it does not damage its own Japanese cultural elements. Because of the blurred background, it is easy to have both “globalization” and “localization.” Because there is no baggage (story setting, background setting), Kitty has been actively playing crossover designs with majorbrands in recent years, and it is also easily accepted by consumers around the world.
12