Kawaii Beyond: Kawaii Culture in Atlanta, Georgia

How has kawaii culture traveled beyond Japan to assume unique forms in different locations across the globe? This hour-long documentary from the Kawaii in Japan & Beyond: Theory & Praxis project explores how kawaii culture has been taken up in the local context of Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

We follow Erica Kanesaka, Assistant Professor of Cute Studies at Emory University, as she offers a brief and personal history of kawaii's globalization. She then takes us on a tour of kawaii culture in the Atlanta area, visiting kawaii-style shops and cafes and speaking with individuals who have cultivated kawaii within their local communities. Interviewees include Atlanta-area lolita fashion practitioners and the owner of a kawaii-style boba shop.