Symposium: Fashion for/against cuteness: Japan, shôjo and cute culture in perspective

Saturday 12 November

Lipsius 1.48, Cleveringaplaats 1, Leiden

Japanese culture today is no longer cherry blossoms- it is "cute". Even the Tokyo Metropolitan Police uses the cute character Pipo as an icon. The concept kawaii (cute) has been applied increasingly in Japan in the past thirty years: in design; in fashion and especially as attitude. The ultimate example of cute-as-attitude are the shôjo, or "girls". Ever since the 1980s, the ideal "cute" behavior for "girls" has become a standard for ever greater segments of the population. This is also why Japanese artists since the 1990s have been using shôjo and "cute" as subjects for their paintings and installation work.

In the past ten years Japanese cute-culture has reached ever further beyond the borders of Japan. The more Japanese pop culture is a normal frame of reference for youth culture in Europe and the USA, the more important "cute" (Japanese style) becomes for us. In the Netherlands too, there is a remarkable increase of "cute": cultural behavior inspired by Japanese popculture.

The SieboldHuis and Leiden University welcome you to a symposium which frames "cute" and "girls"culture from a Japanese, as well as a Western perspective.

Speakers
prof. Sharon Kinsella (University of Manchester)
Black faces (ganguro), Witches (yamamba), and Transracialism

prof. Vera Mackie (University of Wollongong)
Transnational Bricolage: Gothic Lolita and the Political Economy of Fashion

drs. Anneke Beerkens (Universteit van Amsterdam)
Fashion Gods: Neo-tribes of Tokyo

Commenters
prof. Kitty Zijlmans (Universiteit Leiden)
prof. Kasia Cwiertka (Universiteit Leiden)
prof. Ivo Smits (Universiteit Leiden)

Programme

14.30 u                 Reception with tea and coffee (Lipsius)
15.00 u                 Symposium (Lipsius, room 1.48)
18.30 u - 19.30 u  Drinks (SieboldHuis, Rapenburg 19)

Interested in attending? Please send a message to: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The symposium is free of charge.