Shopping for Kawaii Souvenirs, the Japanese Culture of Cute

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In Japan, there is a culture of cute known as “kawaii” (critical note: the “i” is pronounced like “Hawaii” not “Kauai”–which means the opposite of cute– dreadful. Trust me once you make this mistake once your Japanese friends will never let you live it down).

Symbols of kawaii are absolutely everywhere in Japan. While you would expect kawaii in things like Japanese children’s toys, kawaii also winds its way well into the adult world. You’ll find adorable little cartoons adorning the most unlikely places– police stations, airport terminals, even road barriers.

At first, I’ll admit I didn’t “get” the whole kawaii thing– why were grown adults so enamored of grinning cartoon characters with big round heads? But it didn’t take long for the Japanese culture of kawaii to grow on me, and now I am officially cute-obsessed. As we toured the Kanto region of Japan, it became common for us to nudge each other and point, “oh kawaii” whenever we spotted the latest bit of cuteness.

Examples of Kawaii in Japan

Cute kawaii road barriers at construction sites are certainly more cheerful than Western versions.

A Japanese food stall vendor in Kawasaki uses kawaii to help sell his products (Kawasaki, Japan).

Dressing up in costumes “cosplay” is also part of the kawaii culture (Tokyo, Japan).

Why wouldn’t you use a giant cartoon wasabi sign to sell wasabi flavored ice cream?

Sometimes I couldn’t tell if something was supposed to be kawaii or slightly creepy– or maybe a combination of the two.

Sometimes you have to wonder if it’s kawaii or kind of creepy.

These bunnies scare me.

Kawaii Souvenirs

After my overexposure to all things cute in Japan, it only made sense to bring home some kawaii souvenirs. I found all these kawaii souvenirs on my latest trip in the Kanto region of Japan, but you can find kawaii items pretty much anywhere in Japan.

Kitty Land, Tokyo

One of the best places to get plush kawaii souvenirs is at Kitty Land in Tokyo. Although the name suggests it’s a temple to all things Hello Kitty, Kitty Land has a wide selection of kawaii.

Kitty Land in Tokyo is exactly what it sounds like– a store dedicated to all things cute and kawaii.

Sometimes I had to look carefully at the plush toys to figure out what they were. And sometimes I still had no idea. (Kitty Land, Tokyo, Japan).

I liked the ears on this guy. (Kitty Land, Tokyo, Japan).

A pile of blue kawaii plushies. (Kitty Land, Tokyo, Japan).

Yup, definitely kawaii. (Kitty Land, Tokyo, Japan).

I’ve seen this kawaii bear design in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. (Kitty Land, Tokyo, Japan).

The Harajuku area of Tokyo (check out my fun post here) is chock full of kawaii souvenirs.

Just some random kawaii I snapped along my travels in the Kanto region:

Because who wouldn’t want a plush kawaii wasabi.

Cute plushies at a shopping mall in Okayama.

Cats are very popular sources of kawaii culture.

My own kawaii souvenirs from Japan

I could not resist these kawaii bears on a towel.

Kawaii lucky cat on silk pouch– perfect to carry makeup and hairbands.

Do you also love kawaii in Japan? Tell us about your favorites!

Disclosure: my visit to Japan was hosted by JTB, however, all shopping picks are my own.

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