Born on May 8, 2001, in Tokyo, Japan, Yukari Kageyama is not just a captivating idol but also a rising sports enthusiast actively shaping her image in the football community. Kageyama is a student at ...

Others are a bit more narrow, like kawaii metal. Created in Japan when Babymetal was formed, kawaii metal (also known as ...

In Japan, ‘cute’ is a big deal. Their own word for it, kawaii (“ka-why-ee”), is more of an ethos than an adjective. Shops and billboards are filled with big-eyed fluffy figures.

The niche they carved out in the Japanese entertainment industry is now filled by popular idol groups like AKB48, Nogizaka46, and Momoiro Clover Z. But the idol industry has a dark side.

Part of the confusion stems from a misunderstanding of “kawaii,” which is Japanese for “cute” but also connotes a lovable or adorable essence. Sanrio recruited Shimizu and other ...

Risa Furusawa, Aika Sano, Kana Itakura, Ayano Masuda, Emiru Kawamoto, Miyu Umeda, Nagisa Manabe & Haruka Sakuraba spoke to Billboard Japan. By Billboard Japan Billboard Japan’s Women in Music ...