Hello Kitty turned 50 on Friday. Befitting a pop icon at midlife, the bubble-headed, bow-wearing character’s fictional ...

An elderly man, something as innocuous as an umbrella, a subcompact car or a kitchen utensil, or even a horror movie monster can get labeled "kawaii." By Western standards, the idea may seem ...

Sanrio recruited Shimizu and other illustrators to create "kawaii” characters at a time when cute, girlish styles were popular in Japan. But the word is used often in Japanese society and not only to ...