Kawai Culture

Culture is my interest. Talking about my culture, finding out about their culture, and the psychology of it too – that`s all fascinating to me.
I don`t speak Japanese and by result of this fact, the people I meet and make friends with are the ones that speak English. Usually these are the peoplewho are interested in cultures too – that`s why they want to learn. And obviously the people who like to come to events like the world culture seminar, certainly are those who are interested to learn about new cultures, who want to share cultures.

As a significant side point to note, the vast majority of this group of people that I have just been classifying, are middle-aged to old women.
I tend to meet a lot of these women. They tend to befriend me. I am interested in them because I love to find out more about the Japanese culture. (Though it does get a little out of control at times – the bombardment of questions during teatime after my speech was quite overwhelming, as one example).
I have been reliably informed that I am very attractive to women like this. They see me as the polite English girl. Absolutely typical of their image of my culture – and that is why they love to meet me, and befriend me. I don`t mind it. I like to meet women who are interested, like me, in sharing information about cultural differences. Though sometimes it does get a little out of control with multiple clashing invitations of lunch dates with old women!

But, it is just brilliant in many other ways, because these women like to share their culture just as I do … and I love to learn about their culture. Sometimes they tell me explicit new things (like what Japanese people do for New Year – decorate their front gate, and make a special Mochi rice cake, and what they eat for breakfast – rice and natto). But, other times they tell me nothing new. We talk about things that I have already observed, but they explain why those things are like that/ done like that. Sometimes, they mention things that I have observed unconsciously but never really thought about as something different or significant in itself.

One conversation, it was as if she had invented a new phrase – but it fitted so perfectly to what I had been unconsciously noticing, but without properly realizing: Kawai Culture. I hadn`t heard it before … but it is so true.

Kawai translates into English as “cute”. Girls and women in Japan, as a generalized rule like everything Kawai. They are Kawai. They strive to be Kawai. Females like everything pink, and young, and cute. As winter has been approaching so the baby blankets which the Japanese girls wear to keep their legs warm are coming out. These are 15-16-17-18 year old girls – with really baby blankets. I was quite surprised. But, that`s what it is – kawai culture exactly.

I wonder if boys like girls who are kawai. I wonder where it comes from, this urge to be small, little, cute and pink. Hello Kitty as well – the alternative national symbol of Japan! Kawai culture. It is everywhere here.

And Kawai culture doesn`t stop with teenage girls. Japanese women are Kawai aswell. My supervisor – probably aged 40 ish (but you never can tell …) – she has a bright pink phone and a pale pink, girly lunchbox. The 40 year old woman I have English conversation practice with is similarly cute and pink in her tastes for things. Her Home Economics room is very girly. You wouldn`t really see many middle aged women like this outside of Japan I don`t think.

Perhaps it is bound up with an urge to look childlike. I wonder if that is in fashion. Certainly, everyone in Japan always looks younger than their years. Maybe this is due to genetics, but also due to the fact that many women do wear young fashions.

Something that struck me in my class this afternoon was the immaturity of Japanese students. Perhaps this is all related as well. This was a class of 15-16 year olds, and yet I realized I was talking to them as if they were 12-13, or 11 even! I always am like this towards them. And it is normal – that is how they are. That is how they want to be talked to. They are immature, and I wonder if this is all bound together with the Kawai, cute, young culture.
I was particularly struck by this immaturity in this lesson because of the presence of the Australian exchange student. She was much more as I would expect a 15-16 year old to be. It made me realize that when I teach, I often forget the age of the students. I realize that I often teach as if I am teaching a class of 12-13 year olds – because that is how they behave! That is how they are! Immature, and the girls kawai aswell.
I wonder where this urge to be young, cute, small, childlike and kawai comes from. It is distinctively Japanese. I can`t think of other countries where physical immaturity like this is an ideal.