10 Years of Kawaii

Continuing our 10 year anniversary celebrations, I had a dig around in the archives to bring you 4 favourite and notable posts from each of our first ten years. There’s over 2,500 posts to choose from!

2008

• Our very first post – with the happy carrot wrist rest I bought in Thailand.
• Want List – I will regret not buying this toast plush for all my days.
• Kawaii Bunny – my first post of bunny picks, always my favourite cute animal.
• Happy Halloween! – this Rilakkuma wreath is incredible – please bring it back now it’s much easier to buy things from Japan!

2009

• Guest Picks: jiji~punch – the first in a series of posts by creative friends and I roped in my sister Nicolette, who still covers events for us. Who remembers the Parasite Pals?
• Future Kawaii #2 – I somehow ended up on a mailing list that sent out next season’s kawaii product catalogues and used to share the best finds. These axolotls are still adorable.
• Hello Kitty Three Apples – a US exhibition of Hello Kitty-themed art that included future collaborators like Tado and 64 Colors. You can still view all the artwork online.
• Noodoll – look how far one of our favourite plush makers has come from their early days with patterned accessories.

2010

• Everyday Cute – it’s the first appearance of Pusheen in a hilarious dress-up game, years before her mega-stardom. I wish the link still worked – it was a lot of fun to play with.
• Tasty Peach Studios – who would have guessed that TPS would go from an Etsy shop of handmade charms to one of the biggest independent kawaii plush designers?
• More Hello Kitty Madness! – there are a lot of weird Hello Kitty posts in 2010 but kawaii engine oil is still one of the most baffling products to have existed.
• Festive Friends at Paperchase – this is still one my favourite product ranges. I own the nesting dolls and snowman solitaire which I love to display every Christmas.

2011

• Popin’ Cookin’ – I wonder if these weird DIY candy kits will catch on?
• Suami – the tiniest crochet creations I have ever seen.
• Graphic Spaces – why do I not yet have a kawaii tree shelf in my home?
• Maqaroon – that time Joanna Zhou drew us in our Bunny & Panda forms.

2012

• Year of the Dragon – One of the cutest new year plush ever.
• Hello Kitty x Kiss – could this collaboration between Sanrio and rock band Kiss have been the first inspiration for Aggretsuko?
• Molang the Fat Rabbit – I remember scouring random Korean websites trying to find out more about this cute chubby bunny. Glad he’s easier to find now.
• Sanrio Christmas Village – the photos from this Hong Kong shopping mall display are still adorable.

2013

• Kawaii Field Trip: Paperchase – that happy happy day when we finally got a new Paperchase store after being deprived of kawaii stationery for years.
• Easter Bunny Monday – the first of these bunny-themed posts that would become an annual tradition.
• iDomo-kun Smart Stuffed Toy – put your phone inside this Domo plush and it tells the time, news and more.
• Hip Hop Candy Halloween – I miss Hip Hop Candy a lot. Their Halloween designs were always so cute.

2014

• Farewell, Friends! – Co-founder Claire takes her leave with some happy memories and floats off to new things.
• Hyper Japan Christmas Market 2014 – our first recap of the UK’s most kawaii event with Nicolette finding all the usual kawaii stalls and treats.
• Free Christmas Amigurumi Patterns by Dendennis – one of Natasja’s first posts that still brings in lots of traffic every autumn.
• Sumikko Gurashi – the day I fell in love with San-X’s new characters that would be my favourites to this day.

2015

• Hello Kitty’s Supercute Friendship Festival – MissMuffcake visited this kawaii celebration of Hello Kitty.
• Teddy Bear Sewing Kit Review – my first try at making a plush toy and it turned out surprisingly well.
• What You Sow Review – I will never stop being mad that I put these adorable self-watering planters “somewhere safe” until the spring and have never been able to find them, despite searching my entire flat. What did I do with them?!?
• Enamel Pin Picks – the beginning of the enamel pin craze. I could write a post about enamel pins every day now and not run out of cute ones to share.

2016

• Super Cute Creators Interview: Kaila of Rainbowholic – inspiring interview with the runner up of Most Kawaii Person of the Year in the SCK Awards.
• TOMpacasso Alpacasso Plush Review – yes, I would like to review a giant rainbow alpaca plush! The best thing I’ve ever been sent at SCK.
• Pom Pom Purin Cafe – Eating at this character cafe was a major highlight of my last trip to Japan.
• Samezu Kawaii Sharks – one of our favourite discoveries: kawaii sharks that are always trying to eat a happy seal.

2017

• Pusheen Box Review – this worked out so expensive after shipping and customs fees but worth it for all the Pusheen cuteness.
• Hyper Japan Summer 2017 Highlights – my first visit to our favourite event and it was so nice to meet kawaii friends and DJ DOMO.
• Visiting the Hello Kitty Cafe at Tombo London – Nic had a super cute time at this pop-up cafe in London.
• Gudetama in a Halloween Pumpkin DIY Tutorial – Andi’s cutest original DIY made from a cheap foam pumpkin and some clay.

I hope you enjoyed having a look back at these posts. What have been your favourites?