Lately, in our personal style and outfits, room decor, and generally just what makes us happy, we’ve found ourselves adoring Japanese kawaii culture!
Things that are “kawaii” stem from a Japanese subculture of aesthetic and style that centres around making everything so cute and sweet to look at that it raises your spirits, brightens your day, and makes you smile. That’s why we’ve found ourselves looking up all kinds of cute kawaii ideas and projects lately.
Get A Kawaii Baby Pet/Animal Mascot
Originating as a distinctly Japanese cultural trend, the concept of having a kawaii animal mascot soon evolved into the worldwide phenomenon it is today, spreading through many aspects of modern life. Now you can see these cute animal and pet faces in art, fashion, technology, and even food.
All Japanese companies and prefectures have a kawaii animal as mascot; usually, a cute animal- similar to an anime character comes to life. Museums, schools, prisons and even the military have them too!
Baby animals and pets can take on human features to make them appear more lifelike, common features that can be often seen in manga, anime and cartoons are big heads, small, compact bodies, wide eyes, a tiny nose, and little or no facial expression. Use of pastel or pink colors is very common.
The lack of emotions is actually what makes them so lovable, as it allows viewers to project themselves onto the character, be it a small child or an adorable animal.
Additionally, kawaii characters tend to be outlined in a thick, black line and feature a limited color palette of primarily pastel hues.
Boys and girls have kawaii animals as mascots too. Some of the most famous Japanese cute animal characters are Hello Kitty, Sanrio, Pusheen, Rilakkuma, Gudetama, Pikachu etc. They are loved by adults and kids.
Design A Kawaii Gamer Setup
Kawaii gaming setups are all about creating a fun and welcoming space for gamers of all types. This might include adding some extra touches to your gaming area to make it more colourful and decorative or choosing furniture and accessories that are cute and charming. The word Kawaii, in Japanese pop culture, is used to talk about “things that are cute”.
Japan is famous for its gaming industry, and most games have a kawaii element to them. Many anime fans and gamers use these cute kawaii elements to decorate their bright color gaming room, gamer bedroom, PC setup and other rooms in the home.
Decorate Your Room With A Kawaii Cute Aesthetic
Roughly translated as “cuteness,” kawaii is one of the most frequently used Japanese words worldwide. In a broader sense, it describes the culture of celebrating all things adorable and embracing fictional characters as the embodiment of positivity.
On social media, the kawaii aesthetic thrives. From Tumblr, Instagram, Tiktok to Pinterest, there are many genres of cuteness: guro-kawaii (grotesque cute), ero-kawaii (erotic cute), kimo-kawaii (creepy cute) and busu-kawaii (ugly cute).
To learn the full spectrum of cute aesthetics, check out this website about kawaii styles. Then you can decorate your room, wall, desk and bed with the kawaii cute aesthetic!
Try Cooking Cute Kawaii Food
While sushi might be the first Japanese cuisine you think of when it comes to Japan, it could be argued that bento boxes are even more popular.
The cute culture has even made its way into food. With cute and bright packaging for marketing, or adorable faces on the food, kawaii meals managed to add an element of cuteness and affection to everything!
The trend involves turning basic overnight leftover food into beautifully packed lunches— comprising rice, fish or meat, and vegetables—into adorable works of art. Kawaii’s influence has resulted in two distinct bento box styles; kyaraben (character bento) or oekakiben (picture bento).
You can even find a quirky cafe culture in Japan, to say the least. From kawaii cat cafes to monster cafes, to character cafes, to anime girl maid cafes, there is bound to be a cute feature cafe in Japan that suits you!
Copy The Cutest Kawaii Outfit Styles
There are many different kawaii outfit styles, but they all have a few things in common.
Kawaii doesn’t just apply to fictional characters, it also materializes in real life as a fashionable subculture. In Japan, there are several styles that are based on the idea of kawaii. Lolita fashion, for example, finds inspiration from the Victorian and Rococo period and consists of elaborate outfits with ruffles, bloomers, parasols, and bows. Related to this style is Sweet Lolita, which includes outfits that are even more “feminine,” featuring pastel colors, bonnets, and so on.
Dressing up kawaii is a huge part of everyday life in Japan and so different from what we experience in America or Europe. The full kawaii fashion style will include cute nails, makeup, outfits, hairstyles, bags and accessories to get the complete look perfect.
Have Fun With A Cosplay Weekend
Japanese clothing trends are recognised worldwide, with cosplay and anime culture being the hallmark of the modern Japanese lifestyle. It is hugely popular in Japanese popular culture to dress up and portray your favourite anime and manga characters, or their favorite cutsie pop-culture icons with elaborate outfits and various accessories.
There are even organized events worldwide that you can attend, where kawaii fans celebrate their cuteness with exchanges, parades and gatherings.
