Cute Food: Exploring Kawaii Food in Harajuku (Extended Version)

Explore the world of kawaii food in Harajuku with Haruka Kurebayashi from the Global Kawaii Association. What is kawaii food, and why is it so popular?

In this video from the Kawaii in Japan & Beyond: Theory & Praxis project Kurebayashi interviews vendors at Candy A Go Go and Marion Crepes on Harajuku's famous Takeshita Dori street and the designer Taadaki Wakamatsu, who designs cute fashion and food at Q-pot. Wakamatsu provides key insights into how cute food design stimulates imagination, friendship, and play. Through meeting with key players on the ground in Harajuku and learning about their processes and practice, students learn about—and are invited to question—international narratives about "wacky" food in Japan.