Six months have passed since 26-year old Canadian Micaela Braithwaite was sworn in as the second mayor of Kawaii-ku (Cute Ward). She’s done everything from participate in last year’s Asian Month festivities to teach nursery school kids how to brush their teeth, yet she still managed to keep making her trademark videos. According to Braithwaite, the response has been positive: “In January when I visited Taiwan, I urged everyone to come to Fukuoka because it’s less crowded than Tokyo, has great food and plenty of shopping. The response was great–probably the best yet.” She is also dedicated to realizing Cute Ward’s three-pronged policy of 1) spread the word that Fukuoka=Kawaii, 2) rediscover Fukuoka’s charms, and 3) actively contribute to Fukuoka’s economy: “I want to do something more for the people who’ve signed up as Ward residents. For example, I joined the Sweets Marathon earlier this month and I think we can collaborate better with events like this.” After six months, she is still exploring what the meaning of “kawaii” is. She admits it’s much more than just cute: “If you look at the kanij, they mean ‘can’ and ‘love.’ In other words, the feeling of being able to love something or growing to like something is, itself, ‘kawaii”. I think that’s a wonderful thing.” Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 3/19
