Calling all fans of Japan

[devi]

This has been bugging me all evening. Maybe one of you can help me. Isn't there a Japanese word which means 'big eyes, small mouth', and basically stands for their whole concept of cute? And what is it?

On a not unrelated note, how come I never noticed the Hello Kitty shop in Chinatown until kyte pointed it out today? They practically had to drag me out again, while I babbled "awwww!" and "Engrish!" and such stuff, and tried to get Chinese shop assistants to translate the Japanese on things, embarrassing everybody involved.

Comments

Hello Kitty

[killalla]

I vote with the folks above, who suggest "kawaii" or some approximation thereof. And yes, Hello Kitty - cute but deadly. I recommend the sanrio.com and associated websites if you want more information about characters and trends. In terms of purchase, I don't know where to go in England, but I can recommend the San Francisco flagship store in the US. The recent line drawn series is a particular favorite of mine.