The niche they carved out in the Japanese entertainment industry is now filled by popular idol groups like AKB48, Nogizaka46, and Momoiro Clover Z. But the idol industry has a dark side.

In recent years, Japan's kawaii culture has exploded in popularity. WSJ's Eric Bellman speaks with author Manami Okazaki about how cuteness has gained a global fanbase.

[A perverted idol doesn't usually show her face in public...] Together with her manager and boyfriend, she heads to today's work site...a 'love hotel'. What unfolds there is a vivid and nasty ...

In Japan, ‘cute’ is a big deal. Their own word for it, kawaii (“ka-why-ee”), is more of an ethos than an adjective. Shops and billboards are filled with big-eyed fluffy figures.

Part of the confusion stems from a misunderstanding of “kawaii,” which is Japanese for “cute” but also connotes a lovable or adorable essence. Sanrio recruited Shimizu and other ...

What is popular in Japan isn't always hitting it big in the states. Why is a horse girl anime so popular overseas?