The term kawaii in its modern form emerged in the 1970s, according to a paper written by professor Sharon Kinsella of the University of Manchester. She says that it sprung out from a trend in “cute handwriting,” but that soon child-like cuteness became the dominant pop culture and fashion aesthetic of the period. It was during this decade that Sanrio came to prominence, introducing the mega-popular Hello Kitty in 1974 and soon becoming a billion-dollars-a-year company. Kawaii culture only grew bigger as time went on, showing up in household appliances, food, and sex toys.

The traditional characteristics of kawaii, according to Kinsella, are “sweet, adorable, innocent, pure, simple, genuine, gentle, vulnerable, weak and inexperienced.” In the ‘90s, though, younger Japanese people, bored of those traits, coined “kimo-kawaii.” The early Internet meme of the “dancing baby” originated in America but came across in Japan as prime kimo-kawaii, becoming popular enough to appear in a Toyota ad. Another example was the comic-turned-cartoon Coji Coji. The title character seemed cuddly enough, but was surrounded by far stranger-looking types, and the show generally took kawaii to a more surreal place.

A similar trend happened in America during the decade, with the rise of raunchy animated series like Ren and Stimpy, Beavis and Butt-head, and The Simpsons. Yet those shows, filled with adult references and jokes, aimed to prove cartoons weren’t just for kids. Kimo-kawaii, meanwhile, offered an alternative to the traditionally child-like definition of “cute.”

It wasn’t until the 2000s, though, that kimo-kawaii really became a cultural force. Characters like Pikachu, “relaxation bear” Rilakkuma, and Hello Kitty remained extremely popular, but more alternatives emerged. One was Gloomy Bear, a pink critter that a graphic designer going by the name Mori Chack created as an explicit response to kawaii, saying, “Say there’s an illustration of a bear holding hands, dancing happily with a human. Is this not the epitome of cruelty?” Tall and violent, Gloomy usually has blood splattered on his face and claws from repeatedly attacking his human companion, Pitty. His official website allows users to bludgeon the kid in three different ways.

The year 2006 brought the debut of Kobitodukan, a set of dwarf-like creatures with weird faces, who became popular enough to warrant several convenience-store tie-ins. They were soon joined in pop culture by video-game characters like the mushroom-come-alive Nameko and the strange-faced alpaca from “Alpaca Evolution.” The vogue for the bizarre hasn’t been limited to Japanese creations—Spongebob Squarepants, America’s favorite cartoon freak, has become newly popular in Japan over the last few years, as has the unsettling ‘90s fad toy Furby.

Most kimo-kawaii stars of late, however, are government creations. The last four years have seen a boom in hyper-specific mascots for everything from the post office to electronic tax filing. These yuru-kyara (“loose character”) most often represent cities and regions, and at their best can help bolster an area’s tourism and overall economy. The most famous yuru-kyara is Kumamon, a rotund black bear representing Kumamoto Prefecture. Items featuring him have racked up millions of dollars, and have helped draw visitors to his homeland. Success stories like Kumamon’s inspired nearly every town in the country to create multiple characters of their own.