Navigating reality has become an almost constant shock to the system. With the ongoing cost of living crisis, wars, political polarisation, and global environmental issues, life’s stresses are becoming increasingly difficult to escape. With individuals and collectives in a perpetual state of disturbance, peop...

People are craving comfort. Amid what can feel like a state of constant crisis – a layering of traumatic societal events – it can sometimes seem like we’ve lost a sense of scale and cohesion. In the face of this, the desire to retreat into nostalgia is more seductive than ever.

South Korea is growing into a nation of kidults who turn to nostalgia for escapism. The country has become one of the largest markets for classic Japanese character company Sanrio, a brand experiencing a global resurgence across different sectors, including food, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.