Yet the presence of costumed adults lining up for London’s own Comic-Con, a Swarovski-encrusted Hello Kittyworth thousands of pounds, and the profiling of Lolita fashion in magazine articles and V&A exhibits, show that cute culture is not just spreading beyond Asia, but it’s here to stay. And it means business. So, what is kawaii and why here and why now? 

[Hello Kitty is] so much more than just a cartoon character, she's the globally recognized ambassador for Japanese soft power in East Asia and beyond, according to anthropologist Dr. Christine Yano from the University of Hawaii.

Kitty is just so cute. Cute and mute. She's a cypher, a logo: and yet magically so broad in her appeal that she has become a carrier for and a manifestation of Japanese soft power throughout East Asia and beyond, Yano says. She's the globally recognised ambassador for Japan's cute or "kawaii" culture. 

The recent Hello Kitty Con–a massive gathering of the immortal Sanrio character’s biggest fans—only marked the beginnings of the pop culture icon’s celebration in Los Angeles. For another five months, until April 26, 2015, the city’s Japanese American National Museum hosts a pilgrimage-worthy exhibition: Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty.

Timed to celebrate the brand’s 40th birthday, a conference and exhibition has brought fans of the self-consciously cute brand out in their thousands.