research- pop culture in Japan

THE FUSION OF POP CULTURE IN PLACE BRANDING IN JAPAN

aroline SL. Tan
Department of International Economics, Toyo University, Japan

These ‘rules’ are religiously adhered to by, both women and men in their efforts to be seen as cute. Aside from clothing and displayed behavior, mascots and characters are key in embodying cute culture (Drake, 2001; Mead, 2002; Roach, 1999).

Characters and mascots have become the face of various companies where they are believed to enhance the sales of products and services, even politicians are also using mascots (Kyodo News, 2012; Torres, 2012).

Cuteness is a common trait in Japan as it is ubiquitously found in decorations and illustrations (Schilling, 1997; Yano, 2000). From construction figures of rabbits to rice balls decorated to resemble pandas and other cute animals or characters, it is a very common sight to find cuteness in every nook and corner of the country.

Hello Kitty is also another epitome of cuteness and has fans both locally as well as overseas (Belson & Bremmer, 2003). The appeal of cuteness has witnessed the success of characters in terms of sales of goods and brand equity. As of 2008, Hello Kitty alone has contributed to half of Sanrio’s $1billion turnover (Walker, 2008)