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Kawaii, the Japanese term for “cuteness,” extends far beyond fashion and can be seen and expressed through in just about anything, including food. From cute lunch boxes to decked out sweets, Japan loves to add visual flourish in their food to make it “kawaii.” Bentos (“lunch boxes”) has been part of Japan’s history and culture for centuries, being an integral part of both everyday lives and special occasions. In recent years, kyaraben (“character bento”) which are homemade bentos that uses the food to resemble popular anime or manga characters, have taken lunch to a new level with their decorative designs. Although it may not seem like it, these animal and character designs are all edible! They are made with rice, ham or spam, pasta, cheese slices, and even thinly cut pieces of nori, or seaweed, for intricate details such as eyes or lines. Many of Japan’s sweets are also known for both their tastiness and their kawaii look, such as shaved ice desserts and soft serve ice cream in various unique flavors such as matcha and sweet potato. Kakigori is made with crunchy yet soft shaved ice topped with colorful syrups. Soft-serve ice creams and kakigori are perfect for the summer season in Japan! It’s not just the food itself that Japan puts the “kawaii” in, the cafes themselves are often decorated with unique, cute theming as well, often representing character brands like Sanrio or Pokémon. “King of Kawaii” Sebastian Masuda also had his own Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku as well, with both the interior and food decorated in his signature colorful and quirky “kawaii” look. These food items, while delicious, also look aesthetically pleasing as a feast for the eyes; they're almost too cute to eat! They are examples of ways the kawaii aesthetic and movement extends to all parts of life. Have you ever tried any of these treats? Let us know your thoughts on this cute food in the comments below! “Yes, KAWAII is Art -EXPRESS YOURSELF-“ exhibition: https://bit.ly/3v5nTyT Media Sponsors: LAist & Los Angeles Magazine #JHLA #Kawaii #YesKawaiiIsArt #ExpressYourself #JapaneseFood #KawaiiFood #BentoBoxes #Kakigori #IceCream #ShavedIce #JapaneseCuisine #JapaneseDesserts #JapaneseTreats #JapanHouseLA #JHLAKawaii #KawaiiMonsterCafe #KawaiiCafe #SoftServe #BentoBox #Foodie #LAFoodie #JHLosAngeles

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