FOR ENGLISH SPEAKERS

米国に来て１ヶ月半ですが、その間、何人かにKawaiiについて説明をしてみました。

すると、意外にも興味を持ってくれた方が多かったことに喜びを感じている今日この頃です。

そこで、日本語を母国語としない人にも日本の“Kawaii”という概念を知ってもらうという私の任務を遂行すべく、がんばって英語で“kawaii”の概要を綴ってみました。

読みづらい箇所も多々有るとは思いますが、どうかお許しを。

また、今後は出来るかぎり、英語と日本語にて更新ができればなと思います。

For English speakers

I try to explain the general idea if “Kawaii” though my English is not perfect. However I really want people who don’t use Japanese as a mother tongue know about the notion of “kawaii”. I’ll write more specific ideas of “kawaii” in the near future.

And great thank for my English teacher, Fawzia who revised this essay.

Also I’m looking for someone who work together. Feel flee to contact with me.

It is too complicated and subtle for Americans to catch the essential meaning of the Japanese word “kawaii”. Normally the word is translated into “cute” or “pretty” and is used as a symbol of Japanese pop culture. Since the word has been exported from Japan to the world, we can see and hear it being used through out the world. In other word, “kawaii” is becoming an international word. However, usage of the word in the US is distinct from its use in Japanese since the word, “kawaii” is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, society, and history.

I remember my being overwhelmed by the “hugeness of America” when I came to the US for the first time, as a first grade elementary school student. Everything in the US was too big to handle for a small Japanese girl like me, for example, an American “small-size” Coca-Cola was equal to a “large-size” in Japan. Another time I went to a restaurant, I shared a portion with my mother and sister. People in the US also seemed huge to me, in other words they were both too tall and too fat. It was incredible for someone like me who cames from the country where people prefer the “smaller is better” philosophy. This is demonstrated through the art of “bonsai”. ( Bonsai is the art of aesthetic miniaturization of trees, or of developing woody or semi-woody plants shaped as trees, by growing them in containers.) Through these surprising observations on my first visit in the US, I discovered that Americans believe in the theorem that “Bigger is better”.

“Kawaii” has many meanings and is used in many situations. The primary usage of “kawaii” is to describe something pretty or cute, especially for clothes, cosmetics, and goods. “Kawaii” is also used as a description for a person. Japanese fashion magazines are filled with “kawaii” and Japanese girls use it as if it were a greeting. In addition, Japanese also use “kawaii” when they see someone who behaves like a child even if he or she is not truly a child. This is because “kawaii” is defined as lovableness based on immaturity. Therefore, Japanese use “kawaii” to describe tiny things and somethings that are “NOT perfect”. Imagining how babies or children look and their immaturity can help you understand the concept. In addition “kawaii” is used to express irony. Japanese use “kawaii” to ridicule someone who behaves too painfully to look at. For example, when I see someone trying to play the drums along to music, though he doesn’t know how to do it. And his motion clearly looks odd and funny, but he still keeps performancing without noticing that people are giggling. It seems to be “kawaii” to me even though he is neither pretty nor cute. The reason Japanese use “kawaii” ironically is that this word was originally used to mean “pity”. As I have shown, there are various usages of “kawaii” in Japan and the meanings change depending on the situation.


In contrast, the meaning of the word “kawaii” in the US is severely limited and is especially used as an expression of “Otaku cultures” which include Japanese Anime characters and video games. I have seen many shops sell Japanese character goods such as Pokemon, and Hello Kitty in the US. In this country, character goods are generally considered “kawaii”, even though when Japanese use “kawaii” for Otaku products, it means irony rather than cuteness and prettiness. I have never heard a situation where Americans use “kawaii” with its correct various meanings except as an expression of Otaku culture. Why is “kawaii” exported so limitedly? The problem is that Americans do not have the perspective of loving tiny, weak, immature things. As I mentioned before, they seem to prefer the “bigger is better” theory while Japanese adhere to the “smaller is better” philosophy. Furthermore, Americans seem to approve of maturity rather than immaturity. So it is difficult for Americans to understand the complexity of “Kawaii” because it encompasses a lovableness based on immaturity.


In closing, the word “kawaii” in the US is used very limitedly and mostly used as an adjective to describe Otaku culture event though it has various meanings based on immaturities in Japan. This is due to the cultural difference between these two countries. In other words, if you have the same sense of cherishing tininess and faultiness, you would be able to comprehend the idea of “kawaii” even if you are not Japanese. This sense has been built into the Japanese psyche over such a long period of time that it may be difficult for Americans to understand. I believe that there is no adequate word in English that represents the essential meaning of such a delicate word based on the Japanese spirit.

☆Japanese Parisのカリフォルニアライフ☆

★ランキングに参加しています★