Japan’s kawaii culture is more than cute—it’s a global movement reshaping fashion, branding, and emotional connection.

Inside the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in the Odaiba district is a bizarre interactive museum, where visitors can take photos with kawaii unko, or cute poop. Don’t worry, there is no actual excrement the ...

You can see it all in Tokyo and Kyoto, plus day trips to Mashiko, Osaka, and stay at an onsen ryokan on this 11 days in Japan ...

From Hello Kitty to Pikachu, the country changed what the world considers adorable. But do these characters represent joy — or rage? By Ligaya Mishan Artwork by Hiroshi YoshiiKimiaki Yaegashi and ...

You can’t visit Tokyo without seeing them. These pale-yellow boxes of individually wrapped bite-size cakes are emblazoned with images of the capital’s most famous tourist attractions and, sometimes, ...

When winter sets in and the night drags on, the Jardin d'Acclimatation rekindles the flame. From December 10, 2025 to March 8 ...

Born from the trauma of World War II, this bow-wearing cartoon icon became a powerful tool for diplomacy, reinvention, and cultural soft power. Dressed in a kimono, Hello Kitty performs a classical ...