Countries and cultures - Languages and scripts - Japanese language - Japanese pop culture - Harajuku - Japan
What does “kawaii” mean in Japanese?
Correct!
The Japanese word kawaii (かわいい) basically means “cute”, “sweet” or “lovable”. The Japanese government site Highlighting Japan translates the term with words such as “cute” and “charming”. In Japan, the word has developed into an entire kawaii culture. It includes fashion, characters, illustrations, food, packaging design and everyday objects. The Japan National Tourism Organization explicitly describes kawaii as a cultural phenomenon in Japan. Internationally, kawaii culture is especially closely associated with places such as Harajuku in Tokyo. JNTO describes Harajuku as a center of streetwear and kawaii culture. There are now many subforms and combinations of the term, such as yume-kawaii, or dreamily cute, and retro-kawaii. The Japanese government notes that the meaning and use of kawaii have developed far beyond a simple translation as “cute”.
Kawaii basically means “cute”, “sweet” or “lovable” in Japanese and also stands for a distinctive pop-culture aesthetic.
