Cuteness (2004-05-01)
Forget about the maxim "sex and children sell" even though there may be some truth to it, what really sells in Japan is cuteness. The consumer market is inundated with cute merchandise, from stationary goods and food to household items and appliances. Go to any department store, shop or even supermarket, you will be bombarded with a wide array of products that are designed and packaged to look as pretty as possible. And this tactic is obviously working, consumers do suck up on them and get the economy going. The Japanese word for cute is kawaii and you often hear excited cry of "Kawaii! Kawaii!" from school girls and women in stores. Whether the product is functional or not, if it's cute and colorful, it has upped its chance of being bought.
It's not hard to see cuteness displayed in everyday life.
Train signs, company logos, icons, and store decoration are just a few
things where some kind of cute cartoon figures might be used. I
love it. I love to browse and be surrounded by cute and
colorfully packaged products. They help put a smile on my face
and
take the stress away. That's why I go window shopping a
lot. That's the reason I'm sticking to anyway.
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