Harajuku is the neighborhood of Tokyo where Japan's kawaii culture began and continues to thrive. Known as the kawaii and fashion capital for youngsters, Harajuku attracts people who wear all kinds of colorful clothes, including the Gothic & Lolita styles.
In Japanese, the word kawaii has a meaning that sits more or less at the juncture of "cute," "tiny," or "lovable." The cute aesthetic—with its bold, nearly cartoon-like lines and rounded forms—informs a large segment of Japanese popular culture.
Harajuku, especially Takeshita Street is the place to experience real Kawaii culture in Japan. The 350 m street is full of colourful shops selling Kawaii clothes/goods with inexpensive price as most of shoppers in Takeshita Street are teens.
Kawaii (Japanese: かわいい or 可愛い, IPA: [kawaiꜜi]; 'lovely', 'loveable', 'cute', or 'adorable') is the culture of cuteness in Japan. It can refer to items, humans and non-humans that are charming, vulnerable, shy and childlike.
“Kawaii culture is Japanese, so when foreigners use the word 'kawaii,' it's cultural appropriation. “Kawaii is a slur!!”
In Japan, kawaii can be used to describe both people and things as “cute.” It is often used to describe girls and women as “pretty” or “shy,” and it is generally taken as a high compliment. Boys and men are less often described as kawaii, though surveys show more than a half of men would interpret it positively.
Introduction. Kawaii is a frequently used word to describe attributes of Japanese female students and schooling experiences. Simplistically, it describes something which is small, delicate, and immature (Allison, 2006; Burdelski & Matsumoto, 2010; Kawamura, 2006; McVeigh, 1996, 2000).
Ara ara (あら あら) is a Japanese expression that is mainly used by older females and means “My my”, “Oh dear”, or “Oh me, oh my”.
Kawaii girls have sweet, nice attitudes that everyone loves! They giggle a lot, are super kind to everyone around them, never pick fights, and are just pleasant to be around! Kawaii is all about being adorable, so find things that you like.
Kawaii is popular in Japan because Japanese culture values youth, where men and women seek to emulate youth by adopting the kawaii style of dress and lifestyle. It may also represent an escape from long working hours and strict social pressures that many people in Japan face.
Iki (粋/いき, roughly "chic, stylish") is a Japanese aesthetical concept thought to have originated amongst the merchant classes of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) in Edo period Japan.
What is a Girls Bar? Put simply, a girls bar is an establishment where female bartenders make drinks and serve customers. The customers sit at the bar and can talk to the girls as they make drinks.
Yes, kawaii is everywhere in Japan. At home, at stores, at restaurants, and even at the station, you will spot some kawaii items and designs. If you like Japanese pop culture such as anime, manga and games, you might be more familiar with the concept of kawaii.
Kawaii Meaning and Values
The meaning of the word KAWAII is cute, cuteness when used in the language itself, but in relation to the Japanese culture it refers to something being lovable, adorable, innocent-looking, non-threatening, or even cool in certain connotations.
Hello Kitty (Japanese: ハロー・キティ, Hepburn: Harō Kiti), also known by her full name Kitty White (キティ・ホワイト, Kiti Howaito), is a fictional character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio.
Hello Kitty is one of Kawaii, cuteness, culture. There are many opinions about the origin of cuteness. One of them is introduce in “Kawaii-ron” (The Theory of Kawaii) by Inuhiko Yomota. The word kawaii dates back to the eleventh-century work Makura no sōshi [trans.
In kawaii style, hair accessories can help you to stand out even more. Look for unique headbands or make some yourself. Think pom poms, hearts, stars, animal ears, and glitter. Try wearing huge bows as these will give off a childish look.
Noun. お 兄 にい さん • (onii-san) (honorific) elder brother.
In Japanese, kai has a number of meanings, including "ocean" (海), "shell" (貝), "open" (開), "restoration" and "recovery".
Yare yare (やれ やれ) is a Japanese interjection that is mainly used by men and means “Good grief”, “Give me a break”, or “Thank… Visit.
Kawaii is a culture of cute that refers to anything charming, sweet, childish, or naive. The aesthetic includes toys, movies, entertainment, food, clothes, and looks, among other things. “The phenomenon of kawaii is translated as 'cute' in English, but the two words have distinct shades of meaning.
The word kawaii is derived from a phrase that refers to blushing but through time the meaning of the word has changed and is nowadays translated to 'cute'. But kawaii is actually so much more than just cute: it's a huge part of Japanese culture and can be found in anime, fashion, art, music, lifestyle and more!
As the Japanese word for cute, kawaii has connotations of shyness, embarrassment, vulnerability, darlingness and lovability.