Origins in Soft Pastels The story of kawaii begins in postwar Japan, where a nation sought new symbols of innocence amid reconstruction. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, schoolgirls’ rebellious letter-writing and doodles introduced the world to rounded handwriting, simple cartoon faces, and emotive hearts in pink and baby‐blue. This soft revolution found its first ambassador in the form of “Hello Kitty,” created by Sanrio in 1974. Flat, featureless, and endlessly adaptable, the icon captured international attention on stationery and trinkets, proving that what was once considered childish could become a lucrative cultural export. By the 1980s, kawaii had

+ MoreThe Global Export of Japanese “Kawaii” Culture: From Harajuku Streets to International Gaming