Kawaii – Cute Girls in Ukiyo-e

Harajuku's Ota Museum pays homage to its neighbourhood with this spring display centred around the colourful fashion of Edo in general and the beauty of its young ladies in particular. Although the shogunate occasionally cracked down on avant-garde fashionistas, the women of Edo always found new ways to express themselves – whether through the print of one's kimono, the use of intricate hairpins or the choice of extravagant makeup. In fact, the roots of today's kawaii culture reach back to these fearless innovators and the depictions of them created by artists like Keisai Eisen and Utagawa Kunisada.