Everything's Cute

In Japan, there aren't many domesticated animals that don't have a fully-stocked wardrobe. Dogs are pampered with such lavish threads that I am starting to worry that I'm under-dressed when I visit the pet store in downtown Himeji. But no number of skirted chihuahuas or pampered dachshunds could have prepared me for these absurdly-dressed rodents who were standing around with their owner at Himeji castle one day last year. What was more striking than their outfits was the harsh way that the man (who was clearly responsible for their wardrobe) was ordering them to stand upright for we spectators, lest the prairie dogs should embarrass him in front of a curious public. If I had to wager a guess regarding the working conditions for prairie dogs captured by crazy Japanese men, I'd have to say that they were berated with a wanton cruelty but quite well-fed.

Life can be really unfair. Millions of years of evolution will eventually sort out and refine the genes you carry in your DNA and render your various abilities accordingly. You're an example of successful genes. Maybe you're tall or blond or have an incredible aptitude for mathematics. Or, just maybe, nature's gradual game has kept you a small mammal with strong teeth and the ability to stand upright to watch for the predators who want a taste of your juicy, fleshy hide.

But nothing can prepare your genes for the moment where you are taken from your woodland home and dressed up in a display of anthropomorphism that rivals even the peanut butter lipsmack of that mean ol' horse, Mr. Ed. These traits, while cute to human eyes, are not present so that you can be captured and renamed Edna or Morris. You're supposed to be watching for hungry carnivores with quick wit and sharp fangs. Instead, here you are. Dancing for the public like the village idiot.

Japan's love for cuteness is ubiquitous. There are cartoon mascots for everything from construction signs to bars to lip balm brands. There are anime characters who thank me for using the bank machine and a sickly-cute frog reminding me to look both ways before I cross the street. There are piles of stuffed animals arranged in an effeminate manner across the dashboard of many vans driven by otherwise unruly-looking characters.

Hello Kitty is cute. Doraemon, a robot cat from the future, is cute. Anpanman is so cute you'll wretch. Pikachu is cute. Pooh-san (known also as Winnie) is a sticky kind of cute. Small dogs are not only practical if you have a small home, but they're fashionable. Why? Because they're so cute. Children are expected to be well-cared for and healthy. When they're cute, it's an extra delight.

Everything is acceptably infantile and playful. Governmental by-law signs and national airline jets are adorned with cute cartoons of some kind or another. Each ward has a cute and unique "don't-let-your-dog-crap-here" sign, occasionally with a cute dog and his cute owner examining the cutest pile of poop that was ever shat. Do all of these soft corners help to promote a harmony within the busy lives of the average Japanese person? Does a nation with this many people crowded into small urban spaces need the soothing cuteness to relax a mechanical populace? Or is it simply a trend that a Westerner can't be expected to truly understand?

December is update-a-day month! To read all the posts this month, click on December 2006 on the right-hand side of the screen!