Japanese Animal Tourism and the Kawaii (Cute) Aesthetic

Abstract

Japan is rapidly developing a global reputation as a tourism hot-spot for animal lovers. Opportunities for tourists to interact with animals can be found across a range of settings throughout the country, from the famous snow monkeys of Nagano, to free-ranging deer in Nara, to the assortment of cat, and other animal cafés in Tokyo. Many such attractions are marketed as a chance to experience animals that are described as "cute", "adorable" or "fluffy". These portrayals draw on the "kawaii" aesthetic, which is a prominent feature of Japanese popular culture. Kawaii is a culturally specific form of cuteness that often references animal characters or animal-like qualities. While sociological explorations of the cultural phenomenon abound, the implications of characterising real animals as kawaii, such as those used in the tourism industry, have received limited academic attention. However, recently the welfare of Japan's cute animals has come under scrutiny from international tourists, sparking vocal criticism on social media and even petitions calling for unethical attractions to be closed down. I explore how kawaii has shaped the terrain of contemporary Japanese animal tourism and how contestation of the aesthetic is opening up debate regarding animal welfare and ethics in Japan. KAWAII: THE CULT OF CUTE The kawaii, or "cute", aesthetic has become an integral part of Japanese popular culture. Kawaii is a ubiquitous term used to describe a range of cultural artefacts, including fictional characters such as Hello Kitty or Pikachu, animal-like regional mascots known as "yuru-kyara", bento boxes containing rice balls shaped to look like characters or animals known as "kyaraben", and, of course, cat cafés. The term is also commonly used in reference to a hyper-feminine, girlish fashion style, which often features pink babydoll dresses, knee-high socks, frills and bows reminiscent of children's clothes, and animal ear headbands. While the domestic appeal of kawaii cannot be denied, the aesthetic has also proven to be a valuable, exportable commodity as part of the national "Cool Japan" brand and ideology.1 Figures such as Hello Kitty have become internationally recognisable icons of Japanese popular culture.2 So successful has the globalisation of kawaii been that many people outside of Japan will intuitively recognise this version of cuteness, with its pastel colours, childlike innocence and anthropomorphised animals, even if they have never heard of its Japanese name. While kawaii translates as "cute" in English, the Japanese term has a broader semantic meaning. Kawaii is derived from "kawahayushi", which is used to describe someone blushing in embarrassment3 and the word also shares an etymological link with "kawaisö", meaning pitiable or pathetic. 4 Thus, while the Anglophone and Japanese terms both bring to mind smallness, youth and innocence, kawaii carries additional connotations of embarrassment, obedience, weakness and dependency. There is also a nostalgic element to kawaii, invoking memories of childhood warmt...