In the past several decades, Japanese popular culture has become
inundated with a “cute” or kawaii aesthetic that is unique to
the country. This imagery is present in media, advertising, and
merchandise, and its appeal has expanded to overseas markets—the
worldwide popularity of Hello Kitty being one of the best
examples of this phenomenon. But when the bright colors, cartoon
characters and whimsical subject matter began appearing in high
art, it prompted a discussion as to why cuteness had developed
such appeal and become so omnipresent. Japanese artists of the
Superflat movement use the language of this pop culture
iconography to explore what kawaii says about the Japanese
people and their history. Takashi Murakami, founding member of
the Superflat movement and author of its manifesto, views the
development of kawaii as Japan’s response to World War II and
the atomic bomb. Murakami, “Mushroom Bomb Pink” The Neutered
State When the Americans rewrote the Japanese constitution after
World War II, they included