Japan is the home to world’s most kawaii (cute) culture. Be it beauty, food, cafes, home decor, or the well-known Hello Kitty, everything in Japan has a kawaii touch to it! Let’s check out some of it which you can enjoy on your trip to Japan!
Hello Kitty World!
This character does not need any introduction! Hello Kitty’s cuteness rules
Japan. Hello Kitty designs on the subway wasn’t a novelty but now also, bullet trains are drenched in the Hello Kitty theme.
To enjoy the adorable kitty, head straight to Sanrio Puroland in Tokyo. Regular parades and shows are the main attractions. In addition to other attractions, there are tons of merchandise shops.
Make sure you stay in budget. It is easy to give into the cute temptations here! I avoid national holidays here. Check out their wait time information to avoid the crowd.
Themed cafes
Hello Kitty Cafe
If Sanrio Puroland wasn’t enough, there are kitty themed cafes too. The closest one around Tokyo is in Odaiba. The vibe is similar to the restaurants in Sanrio Puroland.
Maid Cafe
How good would it be to have a sweet personal maid! Maid cafes know their customers bang on. There’s a little dance performance on the menu too! In addition, adorably styled food is a mark of such cafes.
Kawaii Monster Cafe
This is a sheer Instagram worthy cafe. Located near Harajuku, the pop culture hub, is the devilish kawaii cafe. Day and night themes are slightly different.
There are several other cafes like Gutadema Cafe, Alice in Magical Land Cafe, etc. and we can write about it for several pages! But let’s hold on here.
Nail art salon
Every female traveler must visit some nail salon to get artistic nails. Gone are those days when manicure was a trend. Japan being itself has the influential gel nail culture now. Gel nails are adhesive artistic nails on your real nails. These are unbreakable and a quick escape from the monotonous nail routine. You can customize the designs you want or pick from the available designs.
In my opinion, the available designs are simply gorgeous! The usual costs begin from around ¥5000 and depend on the design you pick. Also, don’t worry about the language barrier. There are good nail salons with English support too. Joli Nails , Nail Salon Pinky , and Ethsete being some around Tokyo. Go out there with your girl gang and pamper yourselves the Japanese way!
Kyaraben (Character lunch box)
Amongst the culinary events, the special one is ‘kyaraben’ making. This is an art of converting food to different characters. I often hear my Japanese friends talking about how their moms would pack a kyaraben for them during school.
Prepare and relish food the way a Japanese mom would prepare it 🙂
Purikura
‘Purikura’, shortened form of Purinto Kurabu (Print Club), is a photo booth where you can add graffiti to your beautified and Japanified pictures. You can enjoy this with your partner or with your gang, it is guaranteed to generate a lot of giggles! You get a hard and a soft copy of the picture. Also, it is as cheap as ¥500. These photo booths are usually available in the entertainment districts like Shibuya or Akihabara in Tokyo.
I hope this gave you a sneak peek into the pop and kawaii culture Japan flaunts. Come immerse yourself in a bit of Japan!
御門桜 [CC BY-SA 3.0], Rsa [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], luckysundae [CC BY-SA 2.0], Pixelms [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], Jirka Matousek [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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