ABSTRACT
IN J A P A N , Mickey Mouse is being pursued by a cat. By many accounts she isan even more innocent, innocuous, and cute creature. She goes by the name of Hello Kitty. Currently, this kitten queen of cuteness with tiny eyes and a large, marshmallow-shaped head seems to pop up everywhere in Japan. At the risk of sounding conspiratorial, Hello Kitty is not as innocent as she appears, and it is her very innocuousness that conceals her power. Her efficacy, influence, and impact derive from her plainness, simplicity, and artlessness – a contagion of consumerism grounded in her looks of sincerity, openness, and innocence. Her quietude generates dynamism, a feverish activity of consumption spun from a placid disposition that lacks even a smile. Indeed, some attribute Hello Kitty’s distinctive charm to the simplicity of her visage, referred to as ‘Zen cuteness’ (Fox 1998). As one woman put it, ‘Her expressionless face (muhyôjô) is unexpectedly cute.’
