"I associate Tokyo’s hyper-colored, maximalist Hello Kitty–style and pastel neon cafes with artist Sebastian Masuda, who created Kawaii Monster Cafe — a Tokyo tourist destination that closed during COVID. Masuda’s work, including his 6%DOKIDOKI brand and collaborations with Hello Kitty and Pac-Man, helped fuel the consumer side of the kawaii explosion and export the subculture beyond Japan." - John Tsung