Kawaii is a word from Japan that means “cute,” and it’s become really popular all over the world. The idea of modern kawaii art is often said to have started with a Japanese artist named Rune Naito. He was known for his pictures of girls with big heads and baby faces. Naito’s art uses bright colors, cute patterns, and characters that look like kids.
The Origin of Kawaii Art and Culture
“Kawaii” is a word from Japan that’s often used to talk about a style of Japanese art and culture that’s all about being cute. This kind of art is a big part of Japanese society and has become popular all over the world. People often say that modern kawaii art started in the 1950s and is connected to a Japanese artist named Rune Naito. Naito’s art was different from traditional Japanese art and focused more on how things look.
The Life and Work of Rune Naito
Rune Naito loved art from a young age and was inspired by Junichi Nakahara, an artist and fashion designer. After finishing high school, he worked with Nakahara and helped with Junior Soleil, a magazine for girls that Nakahara edited. Naito’s famous picture, “Rune Girl,” was published in this magazine and became so popular that it was often featured in girls’ magazines in the 1950s. Since then, these pictures have been linked to the new idea of kawaii, which is more about culture and how things look.
Naito’s art is still loved by many people today. His bright colors and cute patterns are considered stylish by young girls all over Japan, and his “Rune Panda” character, which he drew after seeing pandas at the London Zoo in 1971, is still popular. Naito passed away in 2007 at the age of 74 from heart failure, but he is still thought of as a pioneer of the kawaii style.
Celebrating Rune Naito’s Legacy
For Naito’s 90th birthday, the Hanshin Department Store Umeda Main Store in Osaka is having a show with about 300 of Naito’s artworks. The show is called “Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Rune Naito Special Exhibition: Wonderful Dreams in Daily Life,” and it has works that Naito made himself, like illustrations, paintings, clothes, kitchen things, and decorations. The people who planned the event hope that the show will make visitors feel like they’re back in the Showa period (1926–1989).
