In recent years, Japan's kawaii culture has exploded in popularity. WSJ's Eric Bellman speaks with author Manami Okazaki about how cuteness has gained a global fanbase.

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.

Japanese high-tech toys, fusing advanced technology and "kawaii" culture, are booming, even in education and space exploration. Through a Chinese woman at a toy maker, we look at their global advance.

Kawaii means cute or adorable In Japan, but it also refers to a style ... Kii Arens’ La-La Land gallery, known for its pop culture-inspired shows and Arens’ own irreverent works, gets ...

Doban-kun, which means "flat clay man" in Japanese, is 2.3 inches (5.8 ... Doban-kun represents a 3,500-year-old example of kawaii, or "cute culture," is still up for debate.

This series showcases what we are calling “kawaii” (cute) items made locally in the iconic Japanese city. Tanka, founded 270 years ago, is the only remaining pottery for Fushimi dolls ...

All images courtesy of Two Kids and a Coupon Dive into a world of cuteness overload with our collection of Kawaii Snack ...

She says Hello Kitty emerged amid the rise of a distinctly Japanese cultural phenomenon, what's called Kawaii or cute culture. A major expression of Japan's soft power, Kawaii focuses on cuteness ...