When customers walk into Kawaii Konbini, a Japanese convenience store in Longmont, they aren’t greeted with a typical “hello.” Instead, the owners welcome them with a friendly “irasshai!” That’s how ...

From Sanrio characters to starry-eyed idol singers, it’s no secret that kawaii (“cute”) culture is huge in Japan. Whole museums and theme parks have been dedicated to the concept of kawaii. Heck, it’s ...