“Absolutely anything that’s tiny is endearing,” wrote 10th-century Japanese author Sei Shōnagon in her definition of the term "kawaii." This concept of innocent cuteness has become a huge part of pop culture in Japan, and is one of the nation’s most successful cultural exports, inspiring kids around the world to collect Hello Kitty everything and emulate kawaii culture. But this commercial by ad agency Dentsu proposes that kawaii is more than just adorable and childlike—it’s also a bold statement of female power and national pride. “Kawaii is flirtatious,” say actresses in the ad. “Forever immortal. A bit of exposed leg… yes, kawaii is a new form of cultural asset. It’s what we now call cool Japan.” All this in an ad for—if you can believe it—soup.
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