A Brief History Of Kawaii For Geeks

If you ever visit the geek mecca of Tokyo, you will find kawaii everywhere. It is the name given to a process that involves applying cute, human characteristics to objects, animals, and everything in between. This concept has now filtered into western popular culture, where you can find it in everything from movies and television shows to clothing for adults and the everyday objects they use. Below, we discuss the history of Kawaii and its cultural influence.

What is Kawaii?

Kawaii takes its name from a Japanese phrase that roughly translates to ‘the face is aglow.’ People in the country will say this when a person blushes or their face becomes red. Seen as cute, you would describe it as Kawaii. However, as the trend has grown, the application of the term has also grown with it. Now, it embodies items that are considered cute and lovable.

The word has been traced as far back as the 11th century when it was featured in a novel titled ‘The Tale of Genji’. During the seventies, it became attached to a craze in Japan for writing in a certain calligraphic style. This used thin lines, similar to that in western fonts, and did away with the varied thickness line work of traditional Japanese calligraphy.

Kawaii Today

Kawaii is now extremely prevalent. It is hard to go into most shops without spotting some kind of item that has been made to look cute, either with the addition of a cheeky face or by adding splashes of soft color to it.

Even industries that aim their products specifically at adults now embrace Kawaii, realizing it appeals to a mature audience. The iGaming industry is one such area, where branded games like fluffy slots have developed a cult following. This game combines easy-to-play slot games with a fairground aesthetic, replacing traditional symbols with the stuffed animals you would win at a carnival. Combined with great bonuses and payout, they have made games such as this extremely popular.

Today’s modern interpretation comes predominantly from the period between 1950 and 1970 when Japanese magazines were filled with large-headed drawings of animals. These cute characters became a staple of Japanese popular culture, with some even filtering into the west. The most famous of these is Hello Kitty, who embodies everything Kawaii stands for. She can be found on numerous merchandise items aimed at adults, from clothing to household items. This has led the company that owns her, Sanrio, to create characters specifically for the older generation such as Aggretsuko and Gudetama.

The company’s kawaii expansion does not stop there, however, as they have begun partnering with others to spread the kawaii aesthetic far and wide across multiple forms of products. Business decisions such as this allude to the style’s cultural longevity, as it spans ages, genders, and countries.

All fashions and trends come and go. Yet this phenomenon has been around for hundreds of years, seeping into most popular entertainment forms. While it may not stay as popular as it is now, kawaii is not going anywhere soon and is a fixture that is here to stay.