D I S S E R T A T I O N A Y A K A Y O S U M I
How does kawaii mascot characters work as a therapy to cure working women’s daily stresses and anxieties in Japan?
W H Y I S I T R E L E V A N T ? To me To others Gender inequality remains common and large across As a Japanese person: the world and it is prevalent in different areas of life (e.g. employment, education, medical care) I need to understand the issues that working women are facing in Japan’s modern male-centred work The 2018 Global Gender Gap Report finds that culture (e.g. workplace sexism) women have reached 68% parity overall, which means that there is still a 32% average gender gap As a graphic design student: that remains to be closed It is crucial to learn how design can identify and solve problems - the therapeutic effect of mascot characters and how it relieves the audience’s stresses and anxieties
Context
O W N E R S H I P R A T I O O F C H A R A C T E R M E R C H A N D I S E Total (n=1,000) 62.5% 37.5% Male 20s (n=79) 60.8% 39.2% 58.6% 41.4% Male 30s (n=99) 38.8% 61.2% Male 40s (n=1 16) 55.2% 44.8% Male 50s (n=96) 38.2% 61.8% Male 60s (n=1 10) 9.2% 90.8% Female 20s (n=76) Female 30s (n=97) 10.3% 89.7% 83.3% 16.7% Female 40s (n=1 14) Female 50s (n=97) 63.9% 36.1% By age and gender 65.5% 34.5% Female 60s (n=1 16) Source: Adult’s favourite mascot character ranking 2018 (conducted by Macromill, answered by 1,000 male and female Own Do not own Japanese participants from the age 20-69)
E L E M E N T S E X P E C T E D F R O M A C H A R A C T E R Cuteness 62.3 % 54.3 % Comfort 29.3 % Relaxation Entertainment 18.9 % 15.9 % Uniqueness Return to childlike innocence 15.6 % 15.6 % Relief Top 7 from 18 elements Source: Adult’s favourite mascot character ranking 2018 (conducted by Macromill, answered by 1,000 male and female Japanese participants from the age 20-69)
W O M E N I N J A P A N ‘ S M A L E - C E N T R E D W O R K C U L T U R E Working mothers • Dual roles as a care taker and an ideal worker • Poor access to childcare - lack of nurseries in Japan • Negative attitudes towards working mothers Lack of career opportunities • Few opportunities for women’s promotion or good benefits • Expected to follow the masculine work norm (e.g. working long hours) Harassment (power and sexual)
Theories/ideas
Iyashi (healing of a wound to the emotions)
Baby schema (Konrad Lorenz, 1943)
Anthropomorphism (gijinka)
Case studies
Rilakkuma (San-X) Aggretsuko (Sanrio)
Rilakkuma and Kaoru
Aggretsuko 18
S O U R C E S U S E D I M A G E S kawaiicutely.blogspot.com/2013/07/rilakkuma-10th-aniversary-wallpaper.html www.laweekly.com/sanrios-new-character-is-a-rage-filled-25-year-old-office-worker/ group.tyo.jp/news/pressrelease/61 16.html www.san-x.co.jp/rilakkuma/profile/ www.laweekly.com/sanrios-new-character-is-a-rage-filled-25-year-old-office-worker/ icotto.jp/presses/15608 www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.0041 1/full casabrutus.com/art/102029/2
S O U R C E S U S E D I N F O R M A T I O N honote.macromill.com/report/20180222/ Brand Mascots And Other Marketing Animals Yuru-kyara and Mascot Characters: Cute Aesthetics and the Empathic Effect of Kawaii in Japanese Commercials
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