![Nihon no Kawaii](https://metropolisjapan.com/wp-content/themes/metropolis/assets/images/no-image-large.png)
Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2012
![](https://metropolisjapan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/946-AG-exhibition.jpg)
“Kawaii” is now so thoroughly associated with Japanese cuteness around the world, the word has its own English Wikipedia entry. But how did the kawaii esthetic arise? The cozy Yayoi Museum takes a look at the emergence of kawaii characters through so-called fancy goods—stationary, hand towels and the like—in the early and mid-20th century. Craftsmen and artists like Rune Naito began to decorate household products with big-eyed girls and adorable animals that in retrospect can be seen as the direct ancestors of Hello Kitty and Pokémon.
Yayoi Museum, until Jun 1 (listing).