How the Japanese Term Kawaii Is Perceived Outside of Japan: A Study in Israel

Abstract

In Japan, many products contain the characteristics of small, round, bright colors, and are adorable and sweet, in short kawaii (“cute” in direct translation into English). Over the years, the mass production of kawaii goods has made its way to the West, initially through visual media and later on through consumption goods. This exposure has brought increased interest in Japan and its culture among young Westerners as well as a rise in familiarity with everyday Japanese words like kawaii. This study illuminates how non-Japanese people, in this case Israelis, define and treat the term kawaii. The results of the survey showed that a high number of respondents were familiar with the term kawaii, were able to define it in their own words, and had a positive approach toward it. This article provides some empirical evidence of a successful penetration of the Japanese consumer-related culture and popular words in Israel.

Cross-Cultural Comparisons of the Cute and Related Concepts in Japan, the United States, and Israel

“…A total of 437 Israelis (271 women and 166 men) between the ages of 14 and 69 completed the questionnaire. A part of the survey that is not reported in this article was published by Lieber-Milo and Nittono (2019b). The survey for Americans was distributed on May 1, 2019, through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk).…”

Pink purchasing: Interrogating the soft power of Japan’s kawaii consumption

“…According to Lieber-Milo and Nittono (2019a: 5), while the appreciation of cuteness is hypothetically universal, Japan has accepted and recognized the influential power of cute before other countries. This special appreciation could potentially be seen in association with Japan’s national characteristics, such as its ethnic homogeneity and its island topography.…”

“…For example, in a survey conducted with 25 college students in the United States, Berque et al (2019) showed that 70% of the participants were familiar with the concept of kawaii . In another study on Israelis, Lieber-Milo and Nittono (2019a) showed that out of 445 survey participants, more than 80% were familiar with the term and were able to describe it in their own words.…”

“…According to Lieber-Milo and Nittono (2019a) while the feeling toward cuteness and kawaii is probably is a universal psychological experience, Japan has accepted recognize the influential power of cute before other countries. In their words "this special appreciation could potentially be seen as associated with Japan's national characteristics, such as its ethnic homogeneity, its island topography, and its abundance of agricultural and fishery products "(p.5).…”

“…While all cute things are considered to be kawaii , not every kawaii item falls under the description of cute. According to Lieber-Milo and Nittono (2019a: 2), unlike the “conservative” design of cuteness in the West as such as Disney’s Mickey Mouse and modern Teddy Bears, Japanese kawaii can be less cuddly and more provocative in a way that may evoke a blend of mixed feelings, including disgust. In their article, they presented Gloomy Bear, a 2-m tall, violent, blood covered, pink bear that hurts people, that may not be seen as cute by the western eye, but yet for many Japanese, this bear is considered kawaii .…”