The Far East Economic Review described kawaii in 1984, with The Atlantic following in 1986, and Forbes in 1987. English speakers started using kawaii online as early as 1989. The kawaii aesthetic drew Western attention in the 1980s.

Other institutions, from banks to airlines, incorporated kawaii elements in their marketing.

Capitalizing on this schoolroom trend, Japanese companies like Sanrio started selling goods such as stationery, lunch boxes, diaries, and backpacks with “cute” designs and cartoon characters-most notably Hello Kitty, who became a global icon of the Japanese kawaii culture of cuteness.

Around this time, many Japanese students began to write in a rounded, thin-lined style, incorporating faces, hearts, and other images into their writing-all considered “cute,” or kawaii. While the word has a long history, in contemporary culture kawaii is primarily associated with a popular aesthetic emerging in Japan in the 1970–80s.

The literal meaning of the word denotes “lovable” or “pitiable.” In Japanese, the word kawaii describes something as “cute,” “adorable,” or “pretty,” usually carrying a connotation of smallness, shyness, and innocence.

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