Where did Japan's "cute culture" come from?

[kireikoori]

Yeah, every culture has an influence of cute in it, but Japan is an extreme case.
And so I was just wondering...how did all this come about. Why and when did Japan start loving cute more than other places?

 

[Murs]

Alot of things from Japan seem small, and small = usually cute. Take any cell phone and cut its size by 2/3 and its instantly cute.

Though thats only one part of the whole cute thing.

 

[Pavel123]

Well, in the Olympic games, Japanese ran races, jumped, hurled the biscuits, and threw the java. And that's why Japan has a cute nature...

 

[epigene]

I don't know if you can make heads or tails out of this machine-translated article on "kawaii" culture, but here goes!

Reading Japanese trends from popular terms: "Kawaii" culture vs. culture of shame

 

[Supervin]

Well, in the Olympic games, Japanese ran races, jumped, hurled the biscuits, and threw the java. And that's why Japan has a cute nature...

LOL, I like the non sequitur joke.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I think Japan has always had a "cute" culture thing going on- check out the little cute boxwood netsuke animals they carved and collected in the Edo times, the cute Chidoi/plover, rabbit, goldfish and flower motifs on kimono, the bright girly colours young girls traditionally wore in their kimono, the huge focus on making maiko's/apprentice geisha as traditionally girly and innocent looking as posible etc.

If you look at the traditional makeup, clothes and hairstyles, there's cute in that too, with young girls wearing lots of pink blush, little red lipstick to make their lips look smaller and cuter, a cute plump little hairstyle and the small high okobo to make their feet look smaller and cuter etc.



I think there's always been a cute culture in japan, i think the only things that have changed is that its been adopted more and more by older women and also men too.
If you went back to, i dunno, 1911, and you were a woman in your 30's and all of a sudden you started wearing a bright pink furisode kimono with tucks sewn into the shoulders (like a childs kimono), tottering around in okobo with lots of kanzashi stuffed in your hair like you were a young imature girl etc, people would probably look at you in digust and think you were weird/crazy or something like that.

But now days, you see japanese women in their 30's, wearing bright pink lacey mini skirts walking around with red heart-shaped handbags and mobile phones (with designer hello kitty covers) weighted down by a load of charms hanging off them, talking with a whiney high pitched voice like they are a little girl or something etc- and people don't bat an eye lid at it.


So i think people have become more accepting of older women doing the cute thing at the very least.

 

[GodEmperorLeto]

Yeah, every culture has an influence of cute in it, but Japan is an extreme case.
And so I was just wondering...how did all this come about. Why and when did Japan start loving cute more than other places?

Something this horrible and sanity-stripping could have only come from the darkest depths of the deepest pit of Hell itself. It emerged from a place that the Old Ones, drifting in the nighted gulfs between the stars, shudder of when they think of it, and scrapes the sanity from the minds of mortals, leaving them babbling, mad, and chanting the names of unspeakable, dead gods in strange tongues.

Or at least, that's where I like to think it comes from.

 

[kireikoori]

Not enough serious response in this thread. :/

 

[MadamePapillon]

Not enough serious response in this thread. :/

That's because nobody has an answer, all we know is that somewhere between then and now 'cute' overtook Japan and is hasn't been the same since.

I totally agree with Tokis-Phoenix tho, the Japanese concept of beauty has always seemed to run more towards the 'cute' end of the spectrum. In the old japanese paintings you saw the women always made up to look like porcelain dolls. Hell, even China had it with the 'tiny feet' craze. I think it just ran overboard when they started taking on western 'cute' concepts, like nurses outfits, mini skirts, lolita fashion, then all of a sudden you have this almost sinister sort of cute. Sort of a Strawberry Shortcake streetwalker...thing.

It's not so strange really, if you look at N. America we've done the same thing with 'sexy', taking it to an almost sinister place.

I'd say it's become a case of to much of a good thing. Cute has it's place but when grown women try to act like little girls and girls are making their voices ever more high pitched and acting dumb to seem appealing...maybe it should be toned down a bit.

 

[Davey]

I actually read an article about it a couple of months ago, but I forgot what it actually said.

The Kawaii culture isn't that old, but it came in the 70 or 80s I believe... I'm going to try to find the article again, and the reason for its cute culture.

Edit:

Here is an article about it:
http://uniorb.com/ATREND/Japanwatch/cute.htm

 

[Sharingan]

I think the Chinese and Koreans also like "cute". Isn't it something Asian ? In old days the Chinese liked women to have tiny feet. The Japanese also liked small stature women. Maybe Asians just like anything "small". It is a beauty standard.

 

[Ruffage]

I've been thinking about this for a while, and while I don't really have the research and evidence necessary to say for sure how the cuteness of Japanese has gotten to such an extreme, being someone from Hong Kong (whose youth totally adores Japanese kawaii culture, photo-stickers and cutesy squeaks and all), I believe there are two reasons for how the cute culture became so popular. One is that it appeals to men so the culture is encouraged. The other reason is to symbolically delay the inevitability of becoming an adult with responsibilities.

Traditionally, Asian women who display submissiveness and vulnerability have always been seen as attractive, no matter Chinese, Korean or Japanese. No one wanted to marry a shrew. This is perhaps why acting childish and infantile have always been in vogue for Asian women. It is done so to sooth the male ego. I mean, it is so much nicer if one can come home after a long day at work and have a giggling, petite wife to cook meals for you and constantly seek your approval by making puppy-like voices.

Also, naiveté and innocence were/are also seen as desirable traits in a potential wife. Chances are if she acts like a virgin, she probably is a virgin. If not, she does make it easier for one to pretend. This is contrary to modern Western views, where women who are not as innocent as just seen as experienced and are perhaps even preferred to the innocent virgin. Finally, in the kawaii culture, women are encouraged to act like airheads -- which is not so different from the Western culture. Because in recent times more and more women opt for being career-women instead of housewives, many men are actually intimidated by smart aggressive women. A woman who is as educated as the man is liable to talk back to her husband, perhaps argue with him in public and embarrass him. A woman inferior in knowledge is usually much more compliant.

There are still many, many women in Japan who are determined to marry a good husband, and thus they are trying to equip themselves with all the characteristics they think Japanese men find attractive. So you have the innocent, naive, submissive, petite, large-eyed, squeaky-noised, simpering 'airhead'. Then recently they find that men also like adult-female characteristics, like boobs and other sexy visual stuff, so marketers take the sexiness and add it to the kawaii, and sell the whole trend to women, telling them through magazines like CanCam that men really like the oxymoron of "an elder-sister-like figure who is with a childish innocent charm". Now women not only fuss themselves silly into frilly dresses and circle contact lenses, they also get boob-jobs...

I digress. Anyway, the second reason is that globally, no one wants to grow up anymore. The baby-boomers in developed countries have spoiled their offspring rotten, and since the current generation does not have to fight for survival necessities or prestige as their families have done everything for them, they take the time to indulge and delay responsibilities, and nothing is more indulgent as the kawaii culture. This is perhaps when the boys started to participate in being kawaii. They didn't do it necessarily to appease women (although that is possible, they could be appeasing the career-oriented onee-sans who might want a boy-toy), but more because they enjoy the expensive, frivolous and usually impractical purchases the followers of the kawaii culture have to make. It's all consumerism. Women, especially, indulge in rhinestone-studded pink Hello Kitty cell phones and tons of charms and keychains. Both sexes also talk in a childish manner to appear endearing (or nauseating depending on how well the individual pulls it off). Not only is the kawaii consumerist culture symbolic in putting off the rite of passage to adulthood, but it is also strangely reassuring for them to act and dress like a dependent.

Really though, the way things look it's hard to blame them. In concrete jungles like Japan, Hong Kong, Seoul and other Asian cities, adulthood seems grey, routine and depressing, compared to the colorful, random and cheerful kawaii culture. It's not hard to see why people in developed countries seem more and more hedonistic. The West sexualized their youths. The East babied them. Both became victims of consumerism.

Anyway, that's my theory.

EDIT: Now that I've finished reading Ditch Baka's article, my points are similar to that in the article. Heh, oh well. Thanks for the informative source.

 

[MadamePapillon]

Wow, Ruffage, I think you hit the nail on the head. Good first post.

 

[Sharingan]

Ditto, Ruffage. Wow ! That's was a nice analysis ! And welcome to the forum by the way !

 

[Ruffage]

Thanks for the warm welcome, folks! And thanks for not minding my long-windedness.

 

[tokapi]

Kudos to newbie Ruffage,an excellent read

 

[SushiShin]

Cuteness? don't tell me, if have experienced the cuteness in several asian countries where i have been on holiday, boy o boy but the japanese are the best in that.

They like everything thats small and with big eyes, eg: During my stay in Osaka i was petting and trying to give a small kitten water and in a minute i was surrounded by young girls (around 10-13years) and they all shouted in my ear : KAWAIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!
wow, i think my ear still hurts from those kids. but yeah it seems everything is kawaii this day, helping an old man to cross the street is kawaii.

its like kawaiii has no meaning, it means everything

well cute culture? yes i agree asia is famous for cute things

 

[kireikoori]

So.according to Ruffage Japan's cute culture is all about submissive women? what?

I'm not sure what this submissive thing means but I don't like the sound of it. :/

I think Japan's culture culture applies to both men and women, wouldn't you say?

 

[SushiShin]

So.according to Ruffage Japan's cute culture is all about submissive women? what?

I'm not sure what this submissive thing means but I don't like the sound of it. :/

I think Japan's culture culture applies to both men and women, wouldn't you say?

I think Ruffage see it all trough a woman's point, and that's wrong!
Not only women act cute there are men who act also strange, weird, sick and a lot more.....

 

[Ruffage]

So.according to Ruffage Japan's cute culture is all about submissive women? what?
I'm not sure what this submissive thing means but I don't like the sound of it. :/
I think Japan's culture culture applies to both men and women, wouldn't you say?

First of all, I never said it is only to submissive women. I have mentioned as my second point that it has become both a male and female thing in recent years, when due to prosperity people no longer have to restrain their indulgent side. It was, however, mainly a female thing way back when Asian women are still seen as housewives. I was mostly talking about prior to the feminist movement when I made that point. Please read my post carefully before pulling out a "what".

Secondly, I'm sorry you don't know what "this submissive thing" means; I thought I made it straightforward enough: although the gender equality issue is dealt with much better than before, there still exists many women (though not all) who believes that becoming a rich man's wife is the ideal occupation. To my Japanese friend's knowledge, the most fashionable girls are also the ones who talk most enthusiastically about hunting for a rich husband. A lot of women who are big on kawaii fashion and accessories need a lot of money to maintain that lifestyle, it is not that unthinkable that they want to hunt for someone with the resources to support that. Not everyone opts for taking advantage of the post-feminist environment and become independent women. And since it is assumed by marketers, fashion or the media (porn industry) that the youthful kawaii image is popular with men, women who want to hunt for a rich husband follow the trend. Just because you don't like the sound of it, does not mean it is untrue. Just because you think it shouldn't happen, doesn't mean it is not happening.

Thirdly, you make it out to seem that I am somehow blaming this on women or patriarchy. I don't know where you get this picture, but I was just pointing out and acknowledging what I see in Asian culture. I never have said I liked it, encouraged it, or think it is right. It is, however, what I see. Obviously one disclaimer in the beginning of my post was not enough, so I will say this again: I can not say for sure how the kawaii culture came to be as it is today, because I do not have the formal research and evidence necessary to make myself an authoritative source. What I have said in my posts are of personal views and analysis. You may not agree with it, but if you must dismiss my thoughts at least provide some kind of counter-argument.

Lastly, you were the one who initiated the topic. You were the one who asked what others thought about the kawaii culture. I gave you what I thought of it, without making any form of attacks. To dismiss my post as some kind of sexist nonsense is uncalled for.

If you don't believe my claims that Japanese women are still encouraged to act as appeasing housewives, you can read the following:

Article from TIMEasia on Japan's gender crisis:
time .com/time/asia/covers/501050829/story.html

Again from TIMEasia: When no choice is a good one -A girl's guide to finding happiness in Japan. Manga drawn by local manga artist and commenter:

time .com/time/asia/covers/501050829/manga.html

(please remove the spaces after "time.com" and add "www" in front to view html)

I think Ruffage see it all trough a woman's point, and that's wrong!
Not only women act cute there are men who act also strange, weird, sick and a lot more.....

Of course I see it through a women's point of view. I am not a man. To say I can see completely through a man's point of view would be bragging on what is impossible. Yet this in no way makes my views any less valid, especially when no counterargument has been provided on your part. Had I say something along the lines of "you can only consider MY point of view", you would be right in saying I am wrong. But I haven't, and you remain free to take in other point of views to compare and contrast. For you to say that I am "wrong" is to suggest that you yourself is intellectually superior enough to dismiss my post as gibberish, not to mention in a way saying a woman's opinion is not worthy of serious consideration. Are you really ready to make that claim?

In regards to your second sentence: What does that have to do with anything? Have I said only women who act cute? No, I have mentioned that men also act in kawaii ways. Have I said that there aren't men who acts strange and sick? No, because it is irrelevant to the discussion. The topic is on kawaii culture, not mental illness.

 

[SushiShin]

Raffage: now i hear you talking, please don't think i was insulting you or trying to think that i'm more worth then you , i was debating with you and i have to say you are right!

now raffage what i mented with (Ruffage see it all trough a woman's point) was too say you see it in your way and not like other women would see it, because in fact you are a woman.

well on other hand you are right and it was fun to debate with a partner who is intellectual. Because of those people you learn a lot of stuff and handy information.

Keep up the work, keep up debating and who knows maybe we will find the anwser of the OP!

 

[Dogen Z]

The Artless Appeal of Being Naive
Megumi Arai

"To be fragile and delicate is considered a virtue in Japan, especially for women. To be simple and artless (i.e. without guile) is considered a good thing, too.

This love of innocence and artlessness may explain why the Japanese are not very fond of sarcasm and cynicism. Even the mildest form of irony makes Japanese students cringe, and can earn you the reputation of being iyami (disagreeable and offensive.)"

 

[MadamePapillon]

Oh those cultural differences are something of a wonder. I know people here that can barely go a day without saying something sarcastic or offensive...but at the same time it's not actually meant to offend, it's just the way they speak.

I can't stand the whole idea of that guile-less innocence that seems to be so prized in Japan. This is clearly a product of my upbringing but when I meet people that try to pull off that cutesy innocent routine I have one of two reactions: A) sheer irritation and annoyance to the point of wanting to hurt the person, or B) completely ignoring them because it's so obviously not the real them and I don't have time for people who try to mask their true selves and portray a fake image to me.

To me, unless you are a child, innocence is just another word for dumb. Plus, I think in todays world, acting clueless and naive can be just as dangerous as it is stupid. A teenage girl or woman trying to act that way sends only the wrong sort of message. When someone is grown I don't think it's to much to ask that they become mature and stop trying to hold on to youthful innocence.

 

[Skuu]

I dun really have an opinion on this at the moment, but this is a really interesting article from a good free online magazine.
web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia40/en/feature/index.html
(add http).

 

[Dogen Z]

Oh those cultural differences are something of a wonder. I know people here that can barely go a day without saying something sarcastic or offensive...but at the same time it's not actually meant to offend, it's just the way they speak.
I can't stand the whole idea of that guile-less innocence that seems to be so prized in Japan. This is clearly a product of my upbringing but when I meet people that try to pull off that cutesy innocent routine I have one of two reactions: A) sheer irritation and annoyance to the point of wanting to hurt the person, or B) completely ignoring them because it's so obviously not the real them and I don't have time for people who try to mask their true selves and portray a fake image to me.
To me, unless you are a child, innocence is just another word for dumb. Plus, I think in todays world, acting clueless and naive can be just as dangerous as it is stupid. A teenage girl or woman trying to act that way sends only the wrong sort of message. When someone is grown I don't think it's to much to ask that they become mature and stop trying to hold on to youthful innocence.

I think the difference in preference might come from the values that gained importance in a bold, assertive frontier society where everyone needs to fend for themselves vs. those that were important in a highly formalized, paternalistic society where everyone's role was very restricted. But naive doesn't mean dumb, just unwordly. You can be unworldly but very bright as demonstrated by the Silicon Valley tech geeks.

Anyway, no need to worry, a young Japanese diplomat told me that today's Japanese women have become just as selfish and designing as some of the best in the west. I believe him because I met a couple of them to my regret. Oh, how I dream of meeting a Yamatonadeshiko woman--but the diplomat told me such women no longer exist in Japan.

********

Skuu, thanks for the link. It was good.