Editor’s note: This series showcases what we are calling “kawaii” (cute ... Many of the shop's unique items, which have proved popular both in Japan and abroad, are designed to have uneven ...

Editor’s note: This series showcases what we are calling “kawaii” (cute) items made locally in the iconic Japanese city. Yamada-Matsu Co. is a long-established specialty shop for incense ...

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.