funkmeister
06-19-2006, 11:27 AM
Japan smitten by love of cute
I read this article today and wanted to know what you guys think of this 'phenomena'. I think a while ago, Msia was also infected with this disease (McD's promo). Do you think Msia also gila 'cute' things and if so, issit bad for us to be percieved this way?
Cute is cool in Japan. These days, Japan Inc, known in the past for more serious products like Toyota cars and the Sony Walkman, is busy exporting the epitome of cute - bubble-headed Hello Kitty, Pokemon video games, the singing duo Puffy and the Tamagotchi virtual pet, just to name a few.
But the obsession with things cute - or "Kawaii" (pronounced Ka-wuh-EEH) in Japanese - has the world's second biggest economy doing some soul-searching, wondering what exactly is making its people gravitate so frantically toward cuteness.
Sceptics here say Japan's pursuit of cute is a sign of an infantile mentality and worry that Japanese culture - historically praised for exquisite understatement as sparse rock gardens and woodblock prints - may be headed toward doom.
Hiroto Murasawa, an expert on the culture of beauty at Osaka Shoin Women's University, believes that cute proves the Japanese simply don't want to grow up. "It's a mentality that breeds non-assertion," he said.
On the other hand, Tomoyuki Sugiyama, author of Cool Japan, believes cute is rooted in Japan's harmony-loving culture.
"Japanese are seeking a spiritual peace and an escape from brutal reality through cute things," he said.
"Cute is that exclamation from the soul of Japan's younger generation," Onishi said.
A survey on beauty standards by cosmetics company Kanebo found that women in their 20s and early 30s favour the cute look, accentuated by a childish round face, rather than the elegant face, compared to women over 35.
"Japanese women see value in youth and want to combine childishness and cuteness with sexiness and glamour," says Sakae Nonomura, a Kanebo researcher. "Cute has now grown so widespread that various types of cute coexist."
I read this article today and wanted to know what you guys think of this 'phenomena'. I think a while ago, Msia was also infected with this disease (McD's promo). Do you think Msia also gila 'cute' things and if so, issit bad for us to be percieved this way?
Cute is cool in Japan. These days, Japan Inc, known in the past for more serious products like Toyota cars and the Sony Walkman, is busy exporting the epitome of cute - bubble-headed Hello Kitty, Pokemon video games, the singing duo Puffy and the Tamagotchi virtual pet, just to name a few.
But the obsession with things cute - or "Kawaii" (pronounced Ka-wuh-EEH) in Japanese - has the world's second biggest economy doing some soul-searching, wondering what exactly is making its people gravitate so frantically toward cuteness.
Sceptics here say Japan's pursuit of cute is a sign of an infantile mentality and worry that Japanese culture - historically praised for exquisite understatement as sparse rock gardens and woodblock prints - may be headed toward doom.
Hiroto Murasawa, an expert on the culture of beauty at Osaka Shoin Women's University, believes that cute proves the Japanese simply don't want to grow up. "It's a mentality that breeds non-assertion," he said.
On the other hand, Tomoyuki Sugiyama, author of Cool Japan, believes cute is rooted in Japan's harmony-loving culture.
"Japanese are seeking a spiritual peace and an escape from brutal reality through cute things," he said.
"Cute is that exclamation from the soul of Japan's younger generation," Onishi said.
A survey on beauty standards by cosmetics company Kanebo found that women in their 20s and early 30s favour the cute look, accentuated by a childish round face, rather than the elegant face, compared to women over 35.
"Japanese women see value in youth and want to combine childishness and cuteness with sexiness and glamour," says Sakae Nonomura, a Kanebo researcher. "Cute has now grown so widespread that various types of cute coexist."