Kawaii Culture and the Erasure of Japan’s Gender Issues

Soft Power and Cultural Diplomacy: The Expansion of Kawaii Culture

If we don’t look closely, the surface will only give us half of the truth.

Recently, more and more maid cafés have been popping up in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, my hometown. It seems they are gaining attention, at least for now. One of my friends remarked, “The maid café in Japan must be even better; the girls would have way more customers; they just have to act cute and dance around a bit!”. The reality is that, regardless of the high volume of customers, the ‘maids’ are usually seen on the street with advertisement signs. Some have to stand outside in freezing cold or 40-degree heat, yet they still manage to put a smile on their faces while enduring such harsh conditions. These maids have been turned into commodities for pleasure, and their treatment has become normalized among consumers. The trend back home shows how, when it comes to consuming Japan’s culture, we usually scratch the surface and neglect the issues that come with it. 

Without in-depth research, how do we form our impressions of a country?

A quick search reveals popular tourist spots and globally loved cultural exports. In Japan’s case, maybe: anime, manga, and kawaii aesthetics. But behind these appealing products are deeper, often ignored social realities that help shape, and perhaps, distort Japan’s global image. Take the last example, have you truly understood what Kawaii Culture really is, or do you only know it through advertising that glorifies it? As the years pass, Japan has proven itself to be one of the leading countries in producing media products, both tangible and intangible entities, that transcend national boundaries, one of which is the kawaii (可愛い) culture.

It can range from pastel-colored mascots or cute, personified animal characters to adorable, energetic young idols or high-pitched, honey-like Virtual YouTubers (VTubers) in cute models. Kawaii culture appeals to a huge fan base consisting of not just adult males but women and children of all ages. Underneath those commodities, “Cute culture reflects the changing modes of social, economic, and political conditions, especially young women’s ideas about work and marriage and young male perceptions about their future” (Sato,2009).

These ideals were able to persist and thrive throughout the years of Japan’s ability to boost its international perception through cultural promotion. As many scholars have remarked and agreed upon, “public diplomacy and nation branding are in no way unique to Japan, but its government has drawn attention for being openly invested in national(izing) popular culture”(McLelland,2016).

Moreover, “the standard Japanese idea of pop-culture diplomacy tends to rely on naïve assumptions about media culture’s capacity to improve Japan’s reputation abroad, and to transcend the problematic and historically constituted relations between Japan and other Asian countries.” (Iwabuchi,2015).

Photo by Tong Su on Unsplash

In a sense, they have somewhat succeeded in doing so. As individuals who engage only with the surface-level aspects of the country, they may come to excuse or, even more concerning, may overlook its historical wrongdoings. This tendency extends beyond the past; current affairs are similarly neglected, resulting in diminished pressure on policymakers to tackle local issues that have the potential to impact the global stage. To illustrate my point, let's examine Kawaii Culture through a more critical perspective.

Kawaii Culture – Cuteness Turned Eroticized?

Cuteness today is a means for expressing identity from the margin of society where powerless can lead into subversion (Sato,2009). From being a simple concept, Kawaii Culture has expanded beyond being a realm for self-expression; it has evolved into a commercialized bubble and become a powerful tool for showcasing uniqueness and ‘superiority’ in the competition of aesthetic building. A prime example of this commercialized cuteness is the idol industry.

Nowadays, Idols are not exclusively ‘of Japan’ anymore, but the cute aesthetic remains a ground that Japan alone thrives upon. What predominates the idol culture of cute is women’s pretension to be small children by means of childish talk, pastel-colored fashion, and their love of cute stationery goods and fluffy animals (Sato,2009).

The charm that pertains to its success locally and internationally has unfortunately come to harm the Idol industry and the Kawaii Culture, making it into a metamorphosis of the male gaze, fetishization, and even contempt towards women. The Japanese idea of cuteness in fact emphasizes the sense of pathos that the powerless and helpless object inspires in the observer’s mind (Sato,2009).

This unintentionally turns women into objects of pleasure, and Kawaii Culture is no longer as pure and harmless as it appears to be back in early modern Japan. The issue goes beyond what has already been discussed; it also involves the young girls who participate in the idol industry. While they may appear to willingly adopt roles that cater to the gaze and become objects of pleasure, this is less a matter of choice and more a reflection of the cultural and commercial systems that condition them into such roles.

Rather than criticizing these girls, it is important to recognize how they are often manipulated into internalizing and performing this aesthetic, normalizing exploitation while silently enduring its emotional and physical toll. At the same time, nobody views Kawaii Culture critically and overlooks the dark side. For example, few outside Japan remember the case of Minami Minegishi from AKB48, who shaved her head in apology for spending a night with her boyfriend (BBC,2013), a disturbing reflection of how strict and gendered the idol industry is. This is just one of many occurrences of how toxic the industry is to girls who want to perform and express themselves in the aesthetic that they love.

Photo by Senad Palic on Unsplash

We see cute girls thriving, gaining popularity, fame, and money, but we don’t know the underlying distress, and then we come to ignore it.

This pattern persists as we ignore the cracks beneath Japan’s charming exterior. Beyond the Kawaii Culture, images of women in traditional cultural kimonos, and popular culture that make ‘Cool Japan’ successful, gender issues and stereotypes of women are apparent, yet often unnoticed by ‘Japan-lovers’ internationally.

Social media also contributed to the lack of awareness on such matters by circulating sayings like “Japan is living in 2050” when consumers see advertising content showcasing its technology, hospitality, and culture. The reality is that it’s still a nation with ongoing issues, and one alarming one at that is gender inequality.

The Veiled Reality of Gender Injustice in Japan

While foreign audiences celebrate Japan’s creativity and safety, they often overlook the structural sexism, labor exploitation, and gender inequality faced by women within the very industries powering this global image. Despite Japan's reputation as a modern and developed nation, deeply ingrained cultural norms, traditional gender roles, and institutional barriers continue to hinder women's full participation and advancement in the workforce (Yamada,2024). 

In 2024, Japan ranked 118th among 146 countries in the 2024 Global Gender Gap Index released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on June 12 (Kanno, 2024).

Recent laws have introduced guidelines for establishing gender parity in political candidates, but women still made up less than a quarter of those gaining seats in recent elections (Johnston, 2020), while in the corporate world, less than 8% of top executives are female (Kinouchi, 2021). There is a wide variety of factors that perpetuate these imbalances, but Japan’s deeply entrenched gender norms are one of the strongest (Gray, 2022).

In the Kawaii Culture, women are pitiful and vulnerable, then in the conventional workplace, women are the weaker links, are emotional, and are similarly at the mercy of men. The norms remain that women must be in positions that don’t compromise the hierarchy. Naturally, as the world moves forward, it is expected that women will withstand their assumed position in Japanese society. When this happens, “many Japanese men use the sex industry as a substitute source of self-worth that they cannot find in their homes. It is understandable, though certainly not forgivable, that such men will feel challenged by women who threaten to undermine the self-worth they derive from their traditional, career-focused roles.” (Gray,2022).

When there is a need, demand follows. The sex industry in Japan has thrived and gotten through the loopholes that the Prostitution Prevention Law still possesses, so widespread to the point that it is becoming one of the most chosen places for ‘sex-tourism.’(France 24, 2025).

Demands are sourced locally, but the rising number of foreigners engaging in sexual exploitation of vulnerable, freelance sex workers is what is causing the scenario to occur more frequently. As foreign tourists come to Japan and engage in activities that put women in degrading situations, like serving them as a ‘master’ in maid cafes, wearing cute clothes to perform on the streets, and selling their bodies just to get by, they are inadvertently fueling the problem.

The situation is worsened not only by those who indulge in such entertainment but also by foreign observers whose ‘’Orientalist’’ judgments reinforce stereotypes rather than challenge them.

At the end of the day, people wouldn’t think of such trivial matters, as it is not ‘theirs to be concerned about’, and rightfully so. Nobody is expecting foreigners to protest for the rights of the Japanese women, as the best they can do is to steer clear of the entertainment that imprisons women in such a submissive position.

That is what I hope this article is understood as: A wake-up call for those who are either looking at Japan through rose-tinted glasses or knowingly indulge in the country’s cultural activities that negatively impact women’s rights.

That is the reality that we live in. The same case can apply to any other country. My opinion is not to say that you are not allowed to admire, adore, and wish to visit Japan, but rather to express how cultural diplomacy can be presented in a way that subdues all of its dark sides and distorts the audience’s view. The global admiration of Japan’s kawaii aesthetic cannot be separated from the gendered realities it conceals. Cultural diplomacy should not become a smokescreen for injustice. As global citizens and cultural consumers, we must look beyond curated images and critically engage with the power structures they represent.

In this day and age, we all are the members of the global cultural community that aims for the highest quality of life besides being mere citizens of our own countries. The idealized version of feminine power within the Kawaii Culture would spread other misconceptions about women in Japan. We must keep ourselves aware of the disinformation and steer clear of nations’ soft power in hiding their issues from an international audience.

Bibliography

1. AKB48 pop star shaves head after breaking band rules. (2013, February 1). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-21299324

2. Gray, G. P. (2022). Japanese Gender Norms and Their Impact on Male Attitudes Toward Women. In M. S. Schotanus (Ed.), Gender Violence, the Law, and Society (pp. 143–159). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80117-127-420221012

3. Iwabuchi, K. (2015). Pop-culture diplomacy in Japan: Soft power, nation branding and the question of ‘international cultural exchange.’ International Journal of Cultural Policy: Vol 21, No 4. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10286632.2015.1042469

4. Kanno, R. (2024, June 12). Japan crawls up to 118th in global gender gap but struggles in political, economic spheres. Mainichi Daily News. https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240612/p2a/00m/0na/011000c

5. McLelland, M. (2016). The End of Cool Japan: Ethical, Legal, and Cultural Challenges to Japanese Popular Culture. https://www.routledge.com/The-End-of-Cool-Japan-Ethical-Legal-and-Cultural-Challenges-to-Japanese-Popular-Culture/McLelland/p/book/9781138606692

6. Sato, K. (2009). From Hello Kitty to Cod Roe Kewpie: A Postwar Cultural History of Cuteness in Japan. Association for Asian Studies. https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/from-hello-kitty-to-cod-roe-kewpie-a-postwar-cultural-history-of-cuteness-in-japan/

7. Social media helps fuel growing “sex tourism” in Japan. (2025, April 20). France 24. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250420-social-media-helps-fuel-growing-sex-tourism-in-japan

8. Yamada, A. (2024). Gender Inequality in the Workplace in Japan. International Journal of Sociology, 8(2), 36–46. https://doi.org/10.47604/ijs.2592

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