In this paper, I will explore the dimensions of Kawaii as a core value of all aspects of Japanese... more In this paper, I will explore the dimensions of Kawaii as a core value of all aspects of Japanese society and how this Japanese ‘Culture of Cute’ has been embedded, commodified, exported and adopted to become a transnational culture and international image of Japan. This qualitative analysis will focus on: 1/ Kawaii’s central role in promoting immaturity as key to Japanese national identity, 2/ Kawaii as a peculiar Japanese aesthetic and 3/ Kawaii as a regionalized and globalized culture that increasingly has become part of policy and diplomacy, communication and entertainment and product creation, advertising and marketing to such an extent that it is modifying and defining social tastes, trends and behavior in Japan, Asia and beyond. The aesthetic of Kawaii centers on “Baby Schema”; a set of features commonly seen in young animals and children: a large head relative to the body size, a high and protruding forehead, large eyes, and so forth (Nittono et al. 2012). As replicated in various Kawaii art forms such as manga and anime, the attributes of this ‘Baby Schema’ are designed to elicit behavioral responses rooted in passivity, child-like innocence, superficial playfulness and pseudo- nurturing. Cute culture is designed to promote and celebrate the Burriko (fake child) Syndrome among women and the “Peter Pan Syndrome” among men as an officially sanctioned policy of the Japanese national identity in the face of zero population growth and an aging population that fears an uncertain future and thus finds comfort in being frozen in a perpetual child-like state. Adulthood becomes less scary if your sex toy is pink and decorated with Hello Kitty, your girlfriend is perpetually Lolita-like or your phone strap is Doraemon (popular among Japanese men). Japan’s success in redefining its post-World War II national identity and international image as peaceful, harmonious and cute has in turn become a rebranded fetishist cultural commodity exported to other Asian countries and ultimately the world, causing a rupture in a global market of heroes, icons, and fantasies long dominated by the [macho] cultural industries of the United States (Allison 2002).. Therefore, archetypical American fare is being supplanted by such Cute Culture icons as diva Kyary Pamyu Pamyu promoting Kawaii J-Pop, cosplay and fantasy fashion and Pokemon fighting adorable pocket monsters. This analysis will examine the shifting complexities surrounding the global reach of ‘Cool’ Japan Cute culture by discussing the opinions of ardent supporters and virulent detractors both in Japan and around the world.
Keywords: Kawaii, Culture of Cute, commodification, transnational culture, Japanese aesthetic, Japanese national identity and international image
In this paper, I will explore the dimensions of Kawaii as a core value of all aspects of Japanese... more In this paper, I will explore the dimensions of Kawaii as a core value of all aspects of Japanese society and how this Japanese ‘Culture of Cute’ has been embedded, commodified, exported and adopted to become a transnational culture and international image of Japan. This qualitative analysis will focus on: 1/ Kawaii’s central role in promoting immaturity as key to Japanese national identity, 2/ Kawaii as a peculiar Japanese aesthetic and 3/ Kawaii as a regionalized and globalized culture that increasingly has become part of policy and diplomacy, communication and entertainment and product creation, advertising and marketing to such an extent that it is modifying and defining social tastes, trends and behavior in Japan, Asia and beyond. The aesthetic of Kawaii centers on “Baby Schema”; a set of features commonly seen in young animals and children: a large head relative to the body size, a high and protruding forehead, large eyes, and so forth (Nittono et al. 2012). As replicated in various Kawaii art forms such as manga and anime, the attributes of this ‘Baby Schema’ are designed to elicit behavioral responses rooted in passivity, child-like innocence, superficial playfulness and pseudo- nurturing. Cute culture is designed to promote and celebrate the Burriko (fake child) Syndrome among women and the “Peter Pan Syndrome” among men as an officially sanctioned policy of the Japanese national identity in the face of zero population growth and an aging population that fears an uncertain future and thus finds comfort in being frozen in a perpetual child-like state. Adulthood becomes less scary if your sex toy is pink and decorated with Hello Kitty, your girlfriend is perpetually Lolita-like or your phone strap is Doraemon (popular among Japanese men). Japan’s success in redefining its post-World War II national identity and international image as peaceful, harmonious and cute has in turn become a rebranded fetishist cultural commodity exported to other Asian countries and ultimately the world, causing a rupture in a global market of heroes, icons, and fantasies long dominated by the [macho] cultural industries of the United States (Allison 2002).. Therefore, archetypical American fare is being supplanted by such Cute Culture icons as diva Kyary Pamyu Pamyu promoting Kawaii J-Pop, cosplay and fantasy fashion and Pokemon fighting adorable pocket monsters. This analysis will examine the shifting complexities surrounding the global reach of ‘Cool’ Japan Cute culture by discussing the opinions of ardent supporters and virulent detractors both in Japan and around the world.
Keywords: Kawaii, Culture of Cute, commodification, transnational culture, Japanese aesthetic, Japanese national identity and international image
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The aesthetic of Kawaii centers on “Baby Schema”; a set of features commonly seen in young animals and children: a large head relative to the body size, a high and protruding forehead, large eyes, and so forth (Nittono et al. 2012). As replicated in various Kawaii art forms such as manga and anime, the attributes of this ‘Baby Schema’ are designed to elicit behavioral responses rooted in passivity, child-like innocence, superficial playfulness and pseudo- nurturing. Cute culture is designed to promote and celebrate the Burriko (fake child) Syndrome among women and the “Peter Pan Syndrome” among men as an officially sanctioned policy of the Japanese national identity in the face of zero population growth and an aging population that fears an uncertain future and thus finds comfort in being frozen in a perpetual child-like state. Adulthood becomes less scary if your sex toy is pink and decorated with Hello Kitty, your girlfriend is perpetually Lolita-like or your phone strap is Doraemon (popular among Japanese men).
Japan’s success in redefining its post-World War II national identity and international image as peaceful, harmonious and cute has in turn become a rebranded fetishist cultural commodity exported to other Asian countries and ultimately the world, causing a rupture in a global market of heroes, icons, and fantasies long dominated by the [macho] cultural industries of the United States (Allison 2002).. Therefore, archetypical American fare is being supplanted by such Cute Culture icons as diva Kyary Pamyu Pamyu promoting Kawaii J-Pop, cosplay and fantasy fashion and Pokemon fighting adorable pocket monsters.
This analysis will examine the shifting complexities surrounding the global reach of ‘Cool’ Japan Cute culture by discussing the opinions of ardent supporters and virulent detractors both in Japan and around the world.
Keywords: Kawaii, Culture of Cute, commodification, transnational culture, Japanese aesthetic, Japanese national identity and international image
The aesthetic of Kawaii centers on “Baby Schema”; a set of features commonly seen in young animals and children: a large head relative to the body size, a high and protruding forehead, large eyes, and so forth (Nittono et al. 2012). As replicated in various Kawaii art forms such as manga and anime, the attributes of this ‘Baby Schema’ are designed to elicit behavioral responses rooted in passivity, child-like innocence, superficial playfulness and pseudo- nurturing. Cute culture is designed to promote and celebrate the Burriko (fake child) Syndrome among women and the “Peter Pan Syndrome” among men as an officially sanctioned policy of the Japanese national identity in the face of zero population growth and an aging population that fears an uncertain future and thus finds comfort in being frozen in a perpetual child-like state. Adulthood becomes less scary if your sex toy is pink and decorated with Hello Kitty, your girlfriend is perpetually Lolita-like or your phone strap is Doraemon (popular among Japanese men).
Japan’s success in redefining its post-World War II national identity and international image as peaceful, harmonious and cute has in turn become a rebranded fetishist cultural commodity exported to other Asian countries and ultimately the world, causing a rupture in a global market of heroes, icons, and fantasies long dominated by the [macho] cultural industries of the United States (Allison 2002).. Therefore, archetypical American fare is being supplanted by such Cute Culture icons as diva Kyary Pamyu Pamyu promoting Kawaii J-Pop, cosplay and fantasy fashion and Pokemon fighting adorable pocket monsters.
This analysis will examine the shifting complexities surrounding the global reach of ‘Cool’ Japan Cute culture by discussing the opinions of ardent supporters and virulent detractors both in Japan and around the world.
Keywords: Kawaii, Culture of Cute, commodification, transnational culture, Japanese aesthetic, Japanese national identity and international image