April 18, 2009
“Kawaii”: young women in today’s Japan and ancient Japan, and what about men?
“Kawaii,” which means cute or pretty, is a keyword which has contributed to exporting Japan’s pop cultures, such as animation products, in recent years. The government is out to promote Japan’s new breed of cultures more as a new export item by, among other things, naming young “kawaii” actresses and TV personalities as “special envoys.”
Kawaii is usually used for females in their early 20s and teenagers, but the term is sometimes used more widely as some women at higher ages like to be kawaii.
The word can be paraphrased in various ways, but it may be taken to mean the charm of being immature and fresh.
A waka poem composed by an unknown author and included in the Manyoshu (ten thousand leaves) poem anthology says:
My love’s lively smiling face was flickering in the lamplight.
Her face comes up in my mind’s eye.
(A personal translation)
A man was spending the night alone while recalling a close look of his love and longing for a day to see her again. Japan’s first waka poem collection was compiled in the early eighth century. The spread of women trying to be kawaii in today’s Japan, according to critics, suggests young Japanese women are hoping not to be adults. What about males? Media reports say “herbivorous” young men are gradually increasing. These men are less interested in getting married, focusing on their own world.
The changes in young people’s love behaviors may be a reflection of a recent uneasy mood in Japan’s society.
Young women do not like to be adults or they give more emphasis to careers. Young females and males equally look unenthusiastic about finding partners for their life. This should become a source of headache for Japan’s political leaders as Japan’s birthrate has been declining steadily.
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