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.

TOKYO--Hello Kitty turns 50 on Friday ... Part of the confusion stems from a misunderstanding of “kawaii,” which is Japanese for “cute” but also connotes a lovable or adorable essence.

Editor’s note: This series showcases cool and special souvenirs made in Japan’s capital of Tokyo, formerly known as Edo. Founded in 1931 in Tokyo's Tsukiji district, Tsutaya Shouten Co.

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.

This super kawaii shop in Harajuku offers a sweet version of the popular dish, combining colorful taco shells with a variety of sweet fillings. Choose from four ice cream flavors, all with a whole ...

Before moving to Tokyo in ... his genre as Kawaii Metal (or ‘Cute Metal’), which mixes some elements from heavy metal and J-Pop. One of the pioneers of this genre is a Japanese idol trio ...

So naturally, he had to travel to their hometown of Tokyo to discover ... Bunny Bissoux. "Kawaii" means cute - but as Bunny explained, anything can be cute in Japan. She took us through the ...