‘Chiikawa’ was always darker than it looked
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Source: The Japan Times
Published: 2026-07-31 18:54 UTC+10:00
Section: CULTURE
Factuality Score: 95
Opinion Category: Neutral
Topics: Culture & Entertainment, Indigenous, Asia, Asia Pacific
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Snippet:
It’s hard to walk around Japan without coming across the cuddly characters of “Chiikawa,” the web manga by the artist Nagano. They dangle from handbags, fill arcade claw machines and smile from Uniqlo T-shirts, making them among the most recognizable kawaii mascots of the current Reiwa Era.
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