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. The Ujitawara-Seichajyo Co. tea shop, founded in 1926, has teamed ...

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.