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This article is about the Japanese word kawaii and its place in Japanese culture. For the mascot Kawaii of the same name see Kat Desktop Search Environment

Kawaii (可愛い) (pronounced /ka.w̜a.ii/) is a Japanese term which translates to cute or adorable.

The word and its usage

The kanji writing of Kawaii (可愛い) literally means "adorable", though the word is probably derived from the old Japanese word kafo-fayusi, meaning "to blush".

The term is subjective and as such it can be used to describe anything an individual considers cute which can include attractive women. However young men are more likely to be described as kakko-ii, meaning "good looking" or "cool" although Kawaii can be used to describe men who are considered to have "cute" personalities.

Kawaii merchandise is extremely popular in Japan as well as other parts of Asia, such as China, Singapore, and Korea. The two largest manufacturers of such merchandise are Sanrio (manufacturers of "Hello Kitty") and San-X. This character merchandise is a hit with Japanese children and adults (usually women) alike.

The proliferation of mechandise regarded as kawaii is considered by some to be an expression of a female-led youth movement. Some critics argue it creates an obsession with youth and cuteness instead of appreciating mature beauty. Some think it also contributes to the acceptance of lolicon fandom.

The term 可愛 (simplified:可爱) is also widely used in Chinese, used in its original meaning. In Mandarin reading, this would be (py) kě'ài. (Note that the Chinese term 可愛 (adorable) does not derive from the Japanese term.)

Fashion

Kawaii can be also used to describe fashions. For example a fashion which is characterized by clothing that appears to be made for young children, typically featuring the liberal use of ruffles and shades of pink, may be considered kawaii. Accessories often include toys or bags that have representations of cartoon characters on them.

Handwriting

When the kawaii 'craze' began to develop in Japan during the 1970s, a fad for writing notes and letters in rounded, childish characters began to catch on among teenaged girls. This style of penmanship was dubbed Anomalous Female Teenage Handwriting by Yamane Kazuma, during his two year study of handwriting in Japan (between 1984 and 1986).

Previously Japanese writing had been written vertically using strokes that vary in thickness along their length. The new style was written laterally, preferably using a mechanical pencil to produce very fine, even lines. The new writing used extremely stylised, rounded characters with English characters, katakana, and cartoon pictures such as hearts, stars, and faces inserted into the text. The new style of handwriting was distinct.

Appearances in other cultures

Initialy the English usage of the term kawaii was restricted almost entirely to fans of Japanese pop culture such as the manga and anime fans however recent usage of the term in Gwen Stefani's "Harajuku Girls" video implies the term may be becoming a loanword. In her "Hollaback Girl" video the singer takes a picture of her Harajuku Girls entourage, and describes them as "Supa-kawaii".

According to a list compiled by current and former students at Rice University Kawaii is an English neologism.

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See also

• Beauty
• Bishoujo
• Moe
• Cuteness
• Wabi-sabi
• Iki (aesthetic ideal)
• Lolita fashion

External links

• Sociologist Sharon Kinsella's analysis of the origins of kawaii
• December 1999 Wired article on "Cute Inc."
• All Things Kawaii, a web site dedicated to everything cute.

References

Cute but Deadly: Women and Violence in Japanese Comics Kanako SHIOKAWA, Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1999

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