Kawaii

is the culture of cuteness in Japan. It can refer to items, humans and non-humans that are charming, vulnerable, shy and childlike. Examples include cute handwriting, certain genres of manga, anime, and characters including Hello Kitty and Pikachu.

The cuteness culture, or kawaii aesthetic, has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, and mannerisms.

Over time it has also become interchangeable with calling something attractive in a more broad way and is very context dependent. It has a strong connotation of affection and affection for things that are young, small, or have a charming appearance. Therefore, it was considered rude to use it for adults, except when it was considered "cute" for a lover or among certain family members.

Recently, kawaii has been combined with other terms like "ero" (erotic), "busa" (ugly), "kimo/kimoi" (disgusting or gross), "yuru" (laid-back or relaxed), "kakko/kakkoī" (cool), or "kirei" (beautiful or pretty) to alter or dramatically change the usual meaning of kawaii.