Abstract
In Japan, high value and appreciation is ascribed to anything that features the physical characteristics considered to be kawaii (roughly translated as cute in English), particularly infants. As such, kawaii plays a significant role in Japanese popular consumption culture, especially for female consumers. This article applies mixed methods, including review of literature, questionnaires conducted among 692 Japanese women of varying ages and social status, and interviews with 12 Japanese company female employees to investigate perceived positive affective aspects associated with kawaii products, including their impact on emotional states and behavior. The cross-sectional study results reveal the importance of kawaii among Japanese women and positive aspects in consuming kawaii items; for working women, it was found that kawaii products help in dealing with stress and serve as a momentary gateway from the harsh world of everyday life to a romanticized world of one’s childhood and for younger women serve as a fashion statement.
Highlights
Kawaii aesthetics play a significant role in Japanese popular consumer culture
The kawaii design aesthetic has become so common that today it is ubiquitous in the Japanese marketplace, applied via companies’ commercial “brand-face” to attract potential customers, embodied in character mascots (Yaru Karya), and promoted by government representatives who use the
Why cute design and cute is highly evaluated in Japan? According to Lieber-Milo and Nittono (2019a) while the feeling toward cuteness and kawaii is probably is a universal psychological experience, Japan has accepted recognize the influential power of cute before other countries
Summary
Kawaii (commonly translated to cute in English) aesthetics play a significant role in Japanese popular consumer culture. The aesthetic qualities of kawaii, including the physical characteristics of a rounded face, large eyes, and petite body, stimulate warm and cheerful feelings and increased positivity for the observer (Nittono, 2019a) All of these qualities have established the kawaii genre as a significant and remunerative market segment with a kind of ‘soft power.’. According to Lieber-Milo and Nittono (2019a) while the feeling toward cuteness and kawaii is probably is a universal psychological experience, Japan has accepted recognize the influential power of cute before other countries In their words “this special appreciation could potentially be seen as associated with Japan’s national characteristics, such as its ethnic homogeneity, its island topography, and its abundance of agricultural and fishery products “(p.5). This paper will focus on how Japanese young and more mature women observe and define the term kawaii, as well as will show the positive emotions engendered by the consumption of kawaii and cute artefacts and related products
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Submitted Version (
Free)
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call