New "Kawaii: Japan's Cute Culture" Exhibit Opens at Epcot

The Bijutsu-kan Gallery in the Japan pavilion at Epcot now features the "Kawaii: Japan's Cute Culture" exhibition. The exhibit displays how the simple concept of kawaii, or "cute," now plays a major role in Japanese culture and is expressed while at home, work, and play. It explores the evolution of how kawaii design began in Japan's Shinto past and now appears throughout everyday Japanese life, from schoolhouses to construction sites. It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Included in the display are historical artifacts illustrating the origin of kawaii, along with a replica of a modern Tokyo apartment furnished with kawaii characters and décor. Here you are some photos:

The exhibit's entrance:





It is a quite small room, but it contains a lot of items:









It's a very peculiar exhibit:









The root of "Kawaii":











"Kawaii" at home:























"Kawaii" at work and play:











The characters of "Kawaii":

Be sure to stop by the Bijutsu-kan Gallery in the Japan pavilion next time you come to visit Epcot!