, ,

Kawaii! Japan’s Culture of Cute Book Review

Posted on

by

I love books and I love kawaii, so I was excited to receive a review copy of Kawaii! Japan’s Culture of Cute by Manami Okazaki.

kawaii!

It’s a colourful paperback full of kawaii photos, products, profiles and history giving you a great overview of what kawaii is and how it evolved and expanded to become a recognisable culture that infiltrates all aspects in Japan and worldwide.

Kawaii! by Manami Okazaki

The first section was the most interesting to me as it covers the first kawaii designers of ‘fancy goods’ and manga for girls. Some of the early designs don’t look cute at all compared to the characters we know and love today, but you can recognise the pattern of big foreheads, big eyes, candy colours and cute girls and animals.

Kawaii! by Manami Okazaki

There are also profiles of famous kawaii brands and characters like Hello Kitty, San-X, Gloomy Bear and Tokidoki and sections on food and bento, fashion and cosplay, cute crafts and visual art. They also feature a few shops, museums and events in Japan that you can visit, including the Design Festa, Comiket, Kyoto Manga Museum and these cute fruit bus stops! There’s even a handy illustrated map of Harajuku that’s ideal for any kawaii fashion fans planning a trip to Japan.

Kawaii! by Manami Okazaki

If you’re a fan of kawaii, I definitely recommend this book – you’re certain to learn something and there’s something for all fans of kawaii, from traditional kokeshi and kimono to Lolita fashion and cosplay. The book itself is really nice to look through with big photos and illustrations, plus candy colour pages!

You can pick up a copy at Amazon or order it from any book store.

About the Author


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Super Cute Kawaii is a daily blog sharing the best of kawaii since 2008. Our small team of writers around the world cover the cutest independent makers, our favourite Japanese and Korean characters, cool shops and events worldwide + DIY crafts, reviews, giveaways, Japan travel tips and lots more!

A Cute Shop 4 Hello Kitty
Asking For Trouble - Cute character goods inspired by Japanese kawaii
oshoppu - UK kawaii lifestyle shop
Cakes With Faces - colourful t-shirts, clothing & gifts inspired by Japan
The Super Cute Book of Kawaii
Pusheen Box Fall 2024

SPECIAL OFFER

Get $5 off your first TokyoTreat & Sakuraco snack box with SCKAWAII

TokyoTreat Japanese snacks subscription box review
Sakuraco monthly Japanese Artisan Snack Box