EXPLORING JAPAN ’ S CUTE CULTURE AT EPCOT
STORY BY AMANDA HAGOOD | PHOTOS BY COURTNEY REYNOLDS
The Japan Pavilion at EPCOT ’ s World Showcase makes a big impression . The five-story Goju-no-to pagoda towers over guests as they congregate to watch the Matsuriza drummers rock out with their athletic performances on giant taikos . A few steps away , a path leads toward a sprawling replica of Japan ’ s 17th-century Himeji castle ( modeled after a UNESCO World Heritage site ), winding through a courtyard flanked by life-size sculptures of mounted samurai . These striking structures are bound to astound .
But keep going : Follow the faint-butpeppy strains of J-pop in the distance , and you ’ ll find something that feels a little less awe , and a little more awww . It ’ s Kawaii : Japanese Cute Culture — a fascinating exhibit located in the Bijutsu-kan Gallery . during the Edo period ( 1603-1868 ) — spurred the way toward kawaii ’ s penchant for wearable , collectible cuteness . But the unlikely perfecters of this borderbounding culture were Japanese youth of the 1970s , looking for a means of fun and self-expression outside all the adulting stuff — the workaday world of education , business , and family .
This all makes Sebastian Masuda ’ s unique statue , Melty-Go-Round ( Harajuku Girl ), the perfect point to begin your exploration of the gallery . It ’ s hard to miss this sprightly life-size figure composed of jewelry , toys , and other trinkets captured in drippy pink resin . She perfectly captures Sebastian ’ s take on the cute culture he has helped to popularize :
You may not have heard of kawaii , but you ’ ve likely seen some of its most famous products and personalities . It ’ s in the soft bubble-gum pink of Hello Kitty ; in the stubby , squeaky lovability of Pikachu ; in the huge , sparkly eyes of the Powerpuff Girls . This adorable aesthetic has many roots in Japanese culture . Traditional Shinto beliefs place a high value on qualities of sincerity and simplicity often exhibited by kawaii characters . Some historic fashion trends — like the exquisitely carved netsuke buttons that fastened portable pockets to men ’ s robes
The Melty-Go-Round statue by Sebastian Masuda .