That article from the Associated Press reporter in Tokyo was very good, Marie, thanks for posting it. My own feeling is the CUTE is the wrong way for Japan to go, CUTE is a manifestation of the country’s immaturity and teen-girl obsession, and not the way for a modern country to make its mark on the outside world. Inside Japan, yes, it’s cute. But outside Japan, I think most Westerners roll their eyes when they hear about this fascination with kawaii among Japanese teen girls (and that’s about as far as it goes) and especially when they hear the oft-repeated refrain every day on the streets of Sapporo, Tokyo and Osaka that everything is kawaii, from a doll in a shop window to a new cellphone. I really feel CUTE is the wrong way for Japan to reach out to the outside world, the culture should go for something more worthy of emulation and style. Cute is cute, yes, but it’s just for teen girls. Is that what Japan wants to sell to the world? I think this guy nailed it:

Yutaka Onishi, editor in chief of CanCam, the 650,000-circulation magazine that propelled Ebihara to stardom, says the petite, girl-next-door Ebihara, is pioneering a look that’s distinct from the tall sexy beauties of the West.

“Cute is that exclamation from the soul of Japan’s younger generation,” much like “soul” or “La Raza,” teen girl magazine Onishi said. [THAT IS SO WRONG, Ms. ONISHI!]

Ryoko Sato, a Japanese artist, shrugs off much of pop culture as empty fluff and seeks to delve deeper through works like “The Kiss.” The photo of a skinned mouse next to its furry hide is a statement on how cute is as skin-deep as cruelty or ugliness.

“To me, cute always in my work couples with the grotesque,” she said. “There’s always a dark side to it.”

I think it’s all harmless fun. I mean, who cares what new flavor of wacky character (such as Gloomy, the manically depressed plush bear who kills people with his claws) is on the menu for this year?

That being said, it can get to be too much. I once went to the Tokyo Gift Show, and man, there were so many characters and cute things there that my head was swimming.

Nice post, Marie. I haven’t any idea why kawaii is the thing. But, why not?

outside Japan, I think most Westerners roll their eyes when they hear about this fascination with kawaii among Japanese teen girls

Danny, this is a bit ironic, as another thread from an earlier post criticizes Japanese for slavishly trying to copy Westerners. Culture is, by definition, local. Who cares what someone from outside the culture thinks?

Westerners these days roll their eyes at everything - that’s why the West is in cultural decline. Scared to death to have eyes rolled at them. Frankly, I think the fake “attitude” I see in America is pretty eye-rollable myself.

The problem with asking Japanese if they are happy here, particularly if asked in English, is you are getting a skewed sample. First, many people complain about where they are, but wouldn’t be happy anywhere else either. I heard non-stop complaints about San Francisco when I lived there.
Secondly, many Japanese who are unhappy would gravitate to foreign acquaintances. I know countless Japanese who would never live anywhere else. So far as being brutal, well I guess it is if you allow yourself to be brutalized. But any Japanese with a bit of confidence can carve their own path without too much trouble at all. I think the sense of brutality comes from within for people who simple haven’t the will to break out. Admittedly, society encourages the lack of independence, but enforcement is spotty.

ghoti,
I agree with you. but the AP article and post above is about what outsiders think of kawaii. But like you said, yes, “Culture is, by definition, local. Who cares what someone from outside the culture thinks?”

I don’t think kawaii will ever go over very well in US or UK or OZ, but it has already conquered Taiwan and parts of Hong Kong, where “ker-ai” is the Mandarin borrowing of kawaii and it is very strong in both places among teen girls there.

But again, yes, it’s just a local thing in Japan and very very …..kawaii!

Essentially, the artists saw kawaii as an abnegation, as a function of Japan’s feeling of childishness compared to Western powers (particularly the USA).

Yeah, it’s interesting because if you get to know enough Japanese people really well, you do eventually have this conversation with them. It’s always touchy, of course. But there eventually this sort of self-criticism emerges, this sense that Japan views itself as inferior . . . which is then followed by all the reasons why Japan isn’t inferior.

I don’t know. I’m with you. I think it’s (the inferiority/infantalism complex) an interesting theory, and maybe part of the story, but not the whole story. I would also agree that kawaii as an “antidoe to violence/stress” probably gets at some of the meaning of the aesthetic within the culture.

But these things are never simple, and can’t ever be summed up in one sentence.

Thanks for posting, Shae! You always have something interesting to say and to share.

marie
the AP article you cited above has been headlined variously, below, and appeared in over 1000 newspapers worldwide, making the debate global. good post.

Among the headlines were:

In Japan, debate takes a cute turn