Oana-Maria Bîrlea’s research while affiliated with Babeș-Bolyai University and other places

"Kawaii (Cute) Signs and Symbols as a Means of Maintaining Harmony in Japanese Society. This study focuses on the various facets of the Japanese concept of kawaii (“cute”, “adorable”), as resulting from print advertisements. In the last decade it has been intensively studied by different scholars from various research fields aiming to understand the Japanese worldview. The analysis of pop culture elements, of which kawaii is part of, was not an area of interest due to the fact that they were considered inferior to high culture (classical arts and traditions), but the influence of this concept on culture and language, as well as on the way the Japanese communicate and relate is significant. Starting from the idea that the viewer is (often) persuaded through culture-specific signs and symbols, we intend to present the role of kawaii (“cute”, “adorable”) verbal and visual signs in maintaining group harmony (wa), one of Japan’s core values. Hofstede’s (2001, 2003, 2010) cultural dimensions theory was used to identify some of the dominant values in the Japanese society which determine people’s expectations and behavior and signs and symbols used in adverts were analyzed from a cultural semiotics perspective. In order to explain the popularity of cute characters and “sweet talk” (oseji) in advertisements, we conducted a content analysis based on a corpus of over 200 Japanese print advertisements, covering both commercial and social (public interest) advertising, out of which we have selected four to discuss in this paper. Keywords: advertising discourse, cultural semiotics, advertising language, kawaii, cute, cute studies, Japanese, pop culture "

This article aims to explain the use and role of cute, adora- ble characters in Japanese advertising. Kawaii culture or the “culture of cute” has become known worldwide mainly because of Hello Kitty, the cat which led the “pink globalization”, as Yano (2013) states. In this paper we have attempted to reveal the symbolism of these apparent meaning- less cute signs and characters. Starting from Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions (2001, 2003, 2010), which shows how a society’s culture influ- ences the values of its members, we intended to show how are these kawaii characters used in Japanese advertising and how they fit cultural specif- ics. Used either in non-commercial, educational or commercial advertising, cute personae can make the target audience feel more comfortable, secure and cooperating (Murakami, 2005). In this paper we have discussed the role of three iconic characters: the emblematic Hello Kitty, Kumamon, the lovely bear created by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture (Japan) and Gudetama, a lazy egg yolk produced by the Japanese company Sanrio in 2014. The selected characters reflect different types and personalities and each of them serves a specific purpose, but via the analysis conveyed we conclude that perhaps their main aim is to persuade and create a long-term relationship with the public.

The purpose of this essay is to present how Japanese eating habits have changed in the context of globalization. We start from the premise that eating is not merely about meeting a basic need, but about creating a relationship with nature. It can be regarded as a ritual practice because it reveals a culture and its people’s beliefs, values and mind-sets. As Geert Hofstede et al. note, life in Japan is highly ritualized and there are a lot of ceremonies (192). Starting from the idea that food consumption is based on rituals too, we intend to explain the relationship between eating habits and lifestyle change in contemporary Japan. Considering that the Japanese diet is based on whole or minimally processed foods, we ask ourselves how Western food habits ended up being adopted and adapted so quickly in the Japanese society. With this purpose in mind, we intend to describe some of the most important festivals and celebrations in Japan, focusing on the relationship between special occasions and food. In other words, we aim to explain the cultural significance of food and eating and to see if and how these habits have changed in time.

Cuteness (kawaii) as myth in Japanese advertising discourse. In the present article we intend to explore the values of “cute” as social and cultural artefact depicted in Japanese print advertisements. Like any other discourse, advertising has as a starting point that corresponds to the form, which, in relation to a certain historical framework, will give birth to the myth. For example, the “consumer” of myths found in advertising is not captivated by the signs per se, but by the ideas they invoke. Based on this statement, we expose the concept of “cute” (kawaii) as myth of Japanese daily life, serving as (perhaps) the most efficient tool for preserving group harmony (wa) and for persuading the receiver. By focusing on the implications and historical roots of the concept in Japanese society, this paper aims to reveal the “hidden meaning” behind the ubiquitous “cute”. The analyzed corpus consists of three non-commercial print adverts created between 2016-2017 for Keio Corporation and Tokyo Metro, two major Japanese transportation operators. The idea of ‘cuteness’ is perceived by the Japanese as a “time capsule” for it can postpone adulthood responsibilities and prolong childhood innocence. In the context of globalization, kawaii has become a totem which continues the centuries-old myth (in the traditional sense) of uniqueness of the Japanese. Rezumat. „Drăgălășenia” (kawaii) ca mit în discursul publicitar japonez. În prezentul articol intenționăm să explorăm valorile „drăgălășeniei” (kawaii) ca artefact social și cultural prezent în afișele publicitare japoneze. Precum orice tip de discurs, publicitatea are un punct de plecare care corespunde formei, și care, în raport cu un anumit cadru istoric, va da naștere mitului. Spre exemplu, „consumatorul” miturilor găsite în publicitate nu este captivat de semnele în sine, ci de ideile pe care le invocă. Pe baza acestei afirmații, explorăm valențele conceptului „drăguț” (kawaii) ca mit al vieții cotidiene japoneze, servind ca (poate) cel mai eficient instrument de păstrare a armoniei grupului (wa) și de persuadare a receptorului. Concentrându-se pe implicațiile și rădăcinile istorice ale conceptului în societatea japoneză, studiul propune dezvăluirea „sensului ascuns” din spatele omniprezentului „drăguț”. Corpusul analizat constă din trei afișe cu caracter necomercial, create în perioada 2016-2017 pentru Keio Corporation și Tokyo Metro, doi operatori de transport japonezi majori. Ideea de „drăgălășenie” este percepută de către japonezi ca o „capsulă a timpului” deoarece poate amâna asumarea responsabilităților și prelungirea inocenței copilăriei. În contextul globalizării, kawaii a devenit un totem care continuă mitul (în sensul tradițional) unicității poporului nipon. Cuvinte-cheie: discurs publicitar, semiotică culturală, limbaj publicistic, kawaii, cultură pop, cultura ca interacțiune socială, mit.

The purpose of this paper is to reveal the impact of cultural exchange on Japanese advertising discourse construction perpetuated through the idea of prestige. This phenomenon can be explained through the concept of mukokuseki (Jap. 無国籍) ‘lack of nationality’, a term which encompasses the idea of transculturality in Asia. In the context of globalization, erasing the identity or any sort of national mark enhances the absorption and integration of foreign elements and leads to reconsidering aesthetic communication. Japanese advertising discourse is based more on emotional reactions rather than cognitive ones, and this can be noticed through the extensive use of kawaii ‘cute’ symbolism. Considering that the idea encompassed by the concept of “cute” is present in any culture, and its effects are more or less the same, by freeing it from any cultural or societal restraints ( mukokuseki ), it becomes an intermediary space where traditional, national elements can overlap foreign ones without damaging the essence of the discourse, but on the contrary. Interculturality and inbetweenness manifests not only at the visual level but also at the linguistic level through hybrid language use: the coexistence of gairaigo (loan words) along wago (words deriving from Japanese) and kango (words deriving from Chinese). According to several studies, gairaigo and wasei-eigo (Japanglish, English words coined in Japan) create a special effect and often serve as euphemisms. Thus, we have selected three Japanese print adverts (displayed between 2000 and 2012) in order to explain the phenomenon by focusing on their sociolinguistic function and their impact on discourse construction. Advertising discourse has surpassed its primary economic function and has come to be a statement of the global world.

Having as a starting point one of the stereotypes of Japanese women considered a purveyor of kawaii this paper aims to explore a counterexample to Sanrio’s Hello Kitty mania offered by Shiseidō cosmetics through its overseas advertisements created during a long history on the European market. Even though the image of Japan is based mainly on the concept of kawaii Shiseidō tried at first on the local market to make a turn from that fragile, helpless and naïve perception of women to a more sophisticated one. Successful advertisements are made to answer a specific target audience’s needs, thus in order to go global there was a need to adapt typical Asian beauty standards to European ones. Shiseidō’s mission is to keep up with the times without forgetting the roots, the source of power, thus it has constantly worked in developing new strategies in order to thrive on the Western beauty market without setting aside Japanese tradition. Shiseidō corporate through its smaller brands like Majolica Majorca, Pure & Mild, Haku (meaning “white”) etc. still promote whitest white skin, a beauty ideal which prevails since the Heian period (794-1185). Considering that Shiseidō has a history of more than 50 years on the European market we propose an analysis on three beauty print advertisements elaborated during 1980-2000 in order to observe the constructed image of Japan through the imaginary of the French artist, Serge Lutens, responsible for the visual identity of the brand in Europe since 1980. The question is if it is a matter of “selling” the exotic to an unfamiliar receiver or a naive reflection of Japaneseness from a European’s perspective? Through this case study on beauty print advertisements created for the European market after 1990 we want to mirror the image of Japan in Europe as depicted through the specter of the biggest Japanese beauty conglomerate in the world, Shiseidō.