Japan is the land of “kawaii” (cute) things. From clothing to accessories to stationery to even food, “cute” culture is often incorporated to make many quite ordinary items look adorable! Cute animals are also very popular in Japan and there are even TV shows and social media dedicated to hamsters, rabbits, kittens, puppies, and other…

Everyone knows Rilakkuma, a popular fictional bear character from the company San-X that can be seen in many Japanese merchandise. But did you know that he is usually accompanied by a smaller, child-like white bear called “Korilakkuma”? She often follows him wherever he goes. Unlike Rilakkuma, she is more playful and loves listening to loud…

As with any other Olympic event, there would be official mascots to help celebrate the games, and the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo have recently announced theirs. As expected, they are cute! The two mascots are the creations of Ryo Taniguchi, a Japanese character designer and illustrator born in 1974. The Olympic Games…

It’s not surprising that the world’s first living doll has come from Japan. Her name is “Lulu Hashimoto,” a body-doll suit made by Hitomi Komaki. Lulu is turning heads in the fashion industry with her airbrushed doll-like joints! She may look a bit creepy but for Hitomi, Lulu is simply a way for women to…

Sanrio’s (サンリオ) Hello Kitty (ハローキティ) is known for emulating different characters such as the gun-slinging schoolgirl from the 2016 Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (セーラー服と機関銃) movie or as the iconic robot in Mazinger Z (マジンガーZ), a Japanese super robot manga series. However, for the first time in history, Hello Kitty will be partnering with a…

It’s that time of the year again – the time when people come together to cast a vote on their favorite mascots. This time, the first-ever Bus Character Championship will be held, giving every prefecture’s bus mascot a chance to be voted for by people online. Though most of these mascots are not that popular…

If you have been living here in Japan for a number of years, you’re sure to know by now how Japan takes it creativity a step further. But if you’re still new to the country, you’ll gradually come to notice the significant amount of effort most establishments put into promoting their brand. One common form…

The Yuru-Chara Grand Prix is annually held in Japan where the public chooses their favorite yuru-chara i.e. costumed mascot characters representing local governments and companies. These characters are seen as a means to create awareness of and promote the local governments and corporations for tourism and business purposes. Online voting usually begins from July and…

Japan has a long-time love affair with pigtails. This is better termed as “twin tail (ツインテール)” in the country and is definitely not a new hairdo. However, in the last few years, it has become more popular than ever. You can see many endless characters in video games, manga, and animations sporting this kind of…

If you think something is disgusting, frightening, gross, or otherwise disturbing, say a lecherous businessman or Fuji-Q Highland’s haunted house, you can call it “kimoi” or sometimes “kimo.” This comes from the longer phrase “kimochi ga warui” (気持ちが悪い), which means to have a “bad feeling.” If something is cute, you can say “kawaii” (かわいい), which…