Japan’s Kawaii Culture Went Global by Refusing to Change, Say Nakagawa Yusuke and Kimura Misa at Golden Melody Festival

Japan’s kawaii culture didn’t go global by adapting to Western tastes – it did it by doubling down on its own identity. That was the central argument at one of the 2026 Golden Melody Festival’s most colorful opening sessions, held in Taiwan ahead of the Golden Melody Awards. Kawaii – Japan’s aesthetics-driven pop movement built […]

By Naman Ramachandran