Explore the Japan Pavilion’s Newest Exhibit – Kawaii: Japan’s Cute Culture

In the Bijutsu-kan Gallery at the Japan Pavilion at Epcot is a brand new gallery exhibit called Kawaii: Japan’s Cute Culture. The new exhibit explores how all things cute have become a way of life with the Japanese culture through use of artifacts and art.

Throughout the room, you’ll see how kawaii culture has become a fundamental part of Japanese life at home, at work, and at play. Kawaii is rooted in Japan’s Shinto past, and is a means of self-expression.

Cute really is everywhere in Japan and that is what this exhibit attempts to showcase. I was able to make a stop at the Japan Pavilion to take a peek at what the showcase has to offer and wanted to share it with you all.

The exhibit is located in the back of the pavilion and can be found in the same location as the previous anime exhibit, Spirited Beasts.

As you enter the exhibit, the first thing you will see is the art piece called Melty-Go-Round, which was created by artist Sebastian Masuda.

The exhibit starts off by explaining the history of kawaii.

The exhibit then goes through how this culture is showcased in modern Japanese living. It literally shows up everywhere, from bedrooms, to construction zones, to the bathroom, and even to food.

There are even some extremely adorable pieces on display that can be found from Tokyo Disneyland! (Seriously, I love all of the Japan merchandise from their Disneyland and wish more of it was sold stateside.)

The exhibit even explains how the culture has influenced the way people dress, courtesy of the Harajuku Girl display.

Overall, I thought the exhibit was very well done and filled with a lot of great information about this unique part of Japanese culture. I would strongly suggest taking a look at the gallery the next time you visit the Japan Pavilion.