‘Kawaii’ means ‘cute’ in Japanese and is a very useful word to know in Japan because you can use to describe practically anything and everything. As in, ‘Look at that dog in a Mickey Mouse costume! It’s so kawaii!’ Or, ‘Look at that man’s cell phone charm shaped like a hot dog! Kawaii!’

Everything here is ‘cute’. Japanese marketing companies are talented at transforming products not traditionally thought of as adorable or cuddly, (like dog poop key chains!) into the latest ‘kawaii must-have’ trend. They even have a word for it, ‘grotesque-cute’.

This Ipod cover is made to look like meat. Is it ‘grotesque-cute’ or just plain gross?

Nothing is safe from the attack of the cute. Not police stations, (which have their own cartoon mascots) or airplanes (Nippon Airline’s 747’s are decorated with colorful anime characters) or even government posted ‘beware of danger’ signs which feature cutsey teddy bears, raccoons, or penguins engaging in risky behavior, (like standing too close to a train platform edge).

Although, to be fair, not everyone in Japan is cute-obsessed. I’m certainly not. The sight of rows upon rows of plush Stitch dolls in display windows makes me cringe. And I’m not a fan of lacy, pastel-colored baby doll dresses, which appear to be the latest trend here in women’s clothing.

In fact, none of my Japanese friends are either. It’s unfortunate that a lot of Westerners mistakenly assume that all Japanese have Hello Kitty collections or are avid comic book readers. Many consider Japan’s love affair with everything kawaii to be childish, superficial, materialistic and just plain silly.

But it’s interesting how even the most unlikely people are affected. Today, on the train home from work, I was surrounded by smartly dressed businessmen in well-pressed designer suits. And dangling from each of their cell phones was a darling little charm. These charms weren’t manly or macho (like a football or miniature pitcher of beer), either. One had a pink (yes pink!) cheeseburger, another had a fish, frog, and alien and yet another had two dainty figurines and a string of jingle bells. Kawaii culture isn’t a ‘girls only’ cultural phenomenon, men have been hit hard by the fad too.

I have to admit, I really love the food charms that look so life-like you could eat them! Is it a sign that I’ve been in Japan too long, that I really want to buy one?

Even my 11 year old male students, who I’d assumed would shun anything remotely ‘girly’, are obsessed with kawaii stickers! Every class, I give out stickers as part of attendance, and I swear, both the girls and the boys go positively gaga over them. They actually thoughtfully examine each and every sticker before they make their selections. Even my adult and high school students, (although not quite as gung-ho) never fail to remind me when it’s time to distribute the stickers. It’s both completely baffling and amusing.

Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a doll-world and all of Tokyo is a giant Barbie’s Dream House-inspired city. Everything here is miniature. From the narrow sidewalks, to the short doorways. Add the florescent, brightly-lit signs, cartoon billboards, plastic anime figurines that stand guard in front of every store and it’s like I’m living in Disney’s Toon town. Then there’s the fact the streets are always immaculately clean, and everyone is exceedingly stylishly-dressed, heavily made-up, not a single hair out of place. Sometimes I can’t believe that it’s all real.

I love the Disney Store in Shibuya by the way. It’s a lot bigger than it looks in this picture. There’s a winding staircase that’s right out of Sleeping Beauty and each floor is designed so that you feel like your wandering around a Disney movie set.

Particularly interesting, (but not surprising) are the hordes of adults you find ogling Cinderella sleepwear or Minnie Mouse pencil cases. The amount of teenagers and young adults outnumber the number of children.

So what I’ve been wanting find out is this: How did Kawaii Culture embed itself so deeply into Japanese culture? Afterall, it’s not exactly new. Supposedly it all started with the creation of Hello Kitty in the 1970s. Advertising companies then jumped on the trend and it all sort of snow-balled from there. Now, nearly every commercial features a squeaky-voiced cartoon, upbeat jingle or costumed character. Are the ad companies the culprits responsible for keeping the trend alive? Or has it now become such a permanent fixture in pop culture that it’s a part of the national identity and ad companies are only responding to that?

Some equate the cute fascination with a desperate desire to hold onto childhood. People are overworked and stressed and the cute culture is a way to tie them to the carefree, happy days of their youth.

I’m not so sure about that…it seems too simplistic. What do you think?

Reannon Muth

Reannon Muth is a full-time writer, social media consultant and owner and manager of the Taken by the Wind travel blog. Born in Hawaii, Reannon has lived in five countries, at Disney World and on a cruise ship. She currently lives in fabulous Las Vegas.