Have you ever asked yourself how the kawaii phenomenon was born? Today we usually associate this word with Hello Kitty & co. or colored Harajuku fashion, but in fact the origins of the style date back to a century ago!
In 1914, the painter and poet Yumeji Takehisa opened a store in Nihombashi, a district of Tokyo, selling stationery items in Art Nouveau style and inspired by Western art. It’s here that kawaii style was born! In the following decades, popular illustrators and mangaka began to spread the style in the country, until the advent of our beloved Sanrio in the Seventies.
Illustrazioni di Kiichi Tsutaya e Ado Mizumori. Immagini da Japan Times.
To celebrate the centenary of kawaii style, in Tokyo has opened an unmissable exhibition that traces its history, exposing antique accessories from various historical periods since Taisho era (1912-1926) and the memories of those who experienced kawaii culture through the years. “Taisho Hajimatta kara Nihon no Kawaii Ten” (“Japanese kawaii items from the beginning of Taisho era”) is the name of the exhibition that will remain open until July 1st at Yayoi Museum in Tokyo. If you’re there (lucky you!), you can’t miss it! For the ones far awat from Japan, there are some photos and clips from the exhibition.