Kawaii

Kawaii 可愛

Kawaii is a Japanese term which means "cute". Cuteness seems to be a highly valued aesthetic quality in Japanese society and particularly Japanese pop culture, and overpowering cuteness seems to carry less of the stigma of infantilization as it does in many other cultures. Kawaii is pronounced /ka.wa.ii/ (not to be conf

used with "kowai", /ko.wa.i/ the Japanese term for "scary"). "Kawaii" can be used to describe animals and people, including fully grown adults; while attractive women are usually described as "kawaii," young men are more likely to be described as kakkō-ii, meaning "good looking" or "cool". "Kawaii" is also used to describe some men who are considered to have "cute" personalities.