Culinary Delights: The Rise of ‘Umashikaku Food’
The ‘Cafe & Gourmet’ sector is set to be dominated by “Umashikaku Food”—a term coined to describe dishes where deliciousness is a guaranteed visual certainty. Chinese and Korean food trends continue to hold sway, with a focus on customizable, voluminous meals that look as good as they taste.
Expect to see an explosion of:
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Huge Drinks (Deka-Drink): Large-capacity beverages, particularly from affordable chains like China’s MIXUE.
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Korean Bagels: Known for their chewy texture and elaborate, voluminous toppings.
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Tacos: A versatile Mexican dish, perfect for customizable ‘taco parties.’
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Potato Specialty Stores: Offering unique flavors beyond typical fast food.
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Seiro-mushi (Steamed Dishes): Healthy, visually appealing, and easy to prepare, making them SNS-friendly.
For those with a sweet tooth, the trend leans towards visually stunning desserts that offer both volume and vibrant colors:
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Aux Merveilleux de Fred: Belgian meringue-based confections, known for their elegant presentation.
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Ice Churros: A delightful combination of ice cream sandwiched between churros.
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Sago (Sago Bowls): Gluten-free, chewy tapioca pearls served with fruits and coconut milk.
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Macaron Cereal: Miniature macarons enjoyed like breakfast cereal, popular in ASMR videos.
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Button Cookies: Cookies shaped like buttons, aligning with the broader ‘button-core’ fashion trend.
Embracing Offline: The ‘Attention Detox’ Lifestyle
The ‘Things & Experiences’ category strongly reflects the ‘Attention Detox’ theme. Amidst information overload and digital fatigue, young people are seeking experiences that offer a temporary escape from constant attention and digital environments. Craft activities and closed social media groups highlight a preference for intimate, small-group interactions.
Key trends include:
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Magical Girl World: Immersive experiences and fashion inspired by magical girl aesthetics, bringing childhood fantasies to life.
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Medicine Notebook World: A new decoration trend, customizing medicine passport covers with idol photos and charms.
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Selfie Monitors: Attachments for smartphones that mirror the screen, allowing users to check their appearance when using the rear camera for higher-quality selfies.
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Phone-Free Travel: Journeys undertaken without smartphones, emphasizing self-reflection, mental refreshment, and deeper human connection.
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yope: A private SNS app for sharing images and messages within close circles, featuring AI-powered collage functions.
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BeReal. Notebooks: Physical albums made by printing and pasting photos taken with the BeReal. app, preserving authentic daily life.
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Original Childhood T-shirts: Custom T-shirts featuring childhood photos of oneself, friends, family, or idols, often made using services like UNIQLO’s ‘UTme!’.
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3D Printer Keyholders: Unique, self-made keyholders, often designed to hold lip balm or trading cards, gaining traction through creation videos.
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Italian Charms: Customizable charms that allow for the creation of unique watches or bracelets, perfect for personal expression or matching with friends.
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Patchwork T-shirts: Simple plain T-shirts remade with fabric patches, offering an easy way to express individuality.
Fashion & Beauty: A Nod to the Heisei Era
The enduring Y2K trend is evolving, with a new focus on “Heisei Joshi” (Heisei era girl) aesthetics, reflecting a ‘younger’ shift from the previous ‘gyaru’ style. Expect to see fashion and beauty trends inspired by shojo manga characters and nostalgic elements from the Heisei period. Cosmetics are also transforming into playful fashion accessories.
Some of the emerging trends include:
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Shojo Manga Core: Fashion inspired by Japanese shojo manga, allowing wearers to embody their favorite characters.
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Idol Costume Cosplay: Popular for cultural festivals and Halloween, with specialized costume shops gaining attention.
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Side-Facing Nails: Character art drawn sideways across the entire thumb nail, offering expressive designs.
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Snow-fur: Hybrid shoes combining sneakers’ comfort with loafers’ classic elegance.
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Japanese Sensibility (Nihon Kansei): A Korean-originated term referring to a world view inspired by Japanese fashion and culture, characterized by pleated skirts and monotone items.
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Jelly Shoes: Plastic shoes, often customizable with charms and available in a wide array of colors.
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Jelly Tint: Lip tints with a plump, jelly-like texture, offering a glossy and translucent finish.
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Cowgirl Core: Western and cowgirl-inspired fashion, blending girly tops with cowboy boots.
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Toy Cosmetics (Omocha Cosmetics): Cosmetics with playful, toy-like packaging that are also functional, such as Peripera’s ‘Tok Blush Keycap,’ which mimics a keyboard.
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Can Badges: Various sizes of can badges used to accessorize bags, clothes, and hats, adding a personal touch to outfits.
The Evolving Landscape of Artists, People, and Characters
The ‘Artists’ category showcases a diversification of talent, moving beyond traditional audition programs to include idol groups produced by YouTubers and even Vtuber idols. This reflects a broader acceptance of diverse pathways to stardom.
In the ‘People’ category, a common thread of intimacy is observed. Influencers who cultivate a sense of familiarity, like close friends, family, or couples, are resonating deeply with young audiences. This indicates a desire for authentic, relatable connections rather than distant celebrity.
The newly established ‘Characters’ department sees a dual focus: characters evoking Heisei-era nostalgia and those with white-based designs that easily blend into various aesthetics. This suggests a craving for comfort and versatility in beloved figures.
The Future: Concentration and Introspection
The overarching theme for 2026 is undoubtedly ‘Attention Detox,’ leading to a focus on ‘concentration and introspection.’ The continuous exposure to vast amounts of information and constant communication on social media has led to a noticeable fatigue among young people. The prevalence of offline, small-group experiences in this trend prediction underscores a growing movement to avoid excessive attention and broad social connections.
It’s clear that the youth of today are actively seeking moments of ‘concentration and introspection’ away from the digital noise. This means more physical disengagement from smartphones and a return to activities that evoke a sense of nostalgia for a simpler, pre-SNS childhood. The prediction is that 2026 will see an increase in offline experiences that offer a chance to heal from digital exhaustion through focused, reflective time that cannot be found online.
This trend towards ‘Attention Detox’ and a craving for genuine, personal experiences suggests a deeper engagement with culture, moving beyond the fleeting virality of online trends. For the future of Kawaii culture abroad, this could mean a shift towards more meaningful, handcrafted items, intimate fan communities, and experiences that prioritize personal well-being over constant digital performance. The pursuit of true joy, it seems, lies in both the familiar and the refreshingly unplugged.
For more insights into youth marketing trends, visit the SHIBUYA109 lab. website: https://www.shibuya109.co.jp/shibuya109lab/
