How a melancholy egg yolk conquered Japan

Gudetama, explained.

Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO

Read Alex's original article here: http://www.vox.com/2017/4/3/14685348/gudetama-sanrio-hello-kitty-explained

When you think about the cuteness culture in Japan, the word “kawaii” comes to mind. The word, which signals more of a childlike sense of cute, came about in the 70s and it’s been used globally ever since. And Sanrio, the company that created Hello Kitty, has built an empire around the “kawaii” culture. Cuteness is a reaction. In Japan, the kawaii culture and concept is often linked to the country’s post-WWII years. The idea is that, because of its trauma and defeat, the country leaned into its vulnerability. Decades later— Sanrio’s new face of kawaii is an egg yolk with depression, questioning life.

Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com to get up to speed on everything from Kurdistan to the Kim Kardashian app.

Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE
Follow Vox on Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H
Or on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o

Nästa avsnitt

S01E359 - Why your old phones collect in a junk drawer of sadness