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MIZUMORI Ado has long created illustrations that adorably stylize girls, cats, and other animals, with a soft yet captivating charm. Since the 1960s, her cute and whimsical world has been captivating audiences, particularly women. This article explores the personality and works of an artist who continues to lead and inspire kawaii culture today.

In the 2020s, the term retro-kawaii has become popular in Japan. Kawaii is a Japanese word meaning “cute” or “charming,” and in this context it refers to nostalgic, charming designs and fashions—particularly those from the 1960s to the 1980s—that are being reevaluated for their warm, analog feel and distinctive aesthetics. Among the items leading this trend are Ado-chan goods, adorned with illustrations by MIZUMORI Ado, who has built a multifaceted career as an illustrator, painter, singer, and stage actress.

MIZUMORI’s illustrations range from cheerful, colorful depictions of girls to romantic portrayals of women with large, expressive eyes and soft, fluffy hair, rendered in a variety of styles. Since the 1960s, her work has attracted fans across generations. Ado-chan goods featuring her illustrations—handkerchiefs, stationery, music boxes, and fancy cases—became popular in department stores and stationery shops nationwide, capturing the hearts of young girls of the time. In recent years, items that appeal to contemporary tastes, such as mascot keychains, embroidered art, and mobile accessories, have also emerged. What is it about her work that continues to connect with and be loved across generations?

MIZUMORI Ado was born in Nihonbashi, Chuo City, Tokyo. According to her 2020 essay collection,¹ her mother—an accomplished artist, ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) teacher, and nihonga (traditional Japanese painting) painter—always kept a sketchbook and colored pencils in Ado’s bag, encouraging Ado to draw from an early age. Surrounded by the arts, she spent her childhood enjoying jazz music and tap dance, growing up as a curious and adventurous girl.

After graduating from high school, she undertook a rare study-abroad experience on the lush Hawaiian island of Molokai. Reflecting on the trip, she recalls, “Living on an island so rich in nature completely changed my outlook on life.” True to her promise to her mother, the illustrations she created daily in her sketchbook while in Hawaii were later recognized after her return to Japan, providing the launchpad for her career as an illustrator. Around the same time, she made her debut as a jazz singer and stage actress, establishing herself as a versatile, multi-talented artist.

MIZUMORI became known nationwide through her performances on the educational television program Tanoshii Kyōshitsu (“Fun Classroom”). Using both hands to draw on a transparent acrylic board, she amazed viewers across Japan. The idea for this unique performance arose during the program’s audition, when she was asked about her special skills and replied, “I can draw with both hands.”²

The short segment, called the Ado-tan Corner, showcased her ability to produce vivid, charming illustrations in a brief amount of time. Combined with her bright and endearing personality, the segment quickly gained popularity. From the 1970s onward, MIZUMORI’s illustrations appeared on a wide variety of products, helping her establish a beloved, nationwide presence.

While establishing her reputation as an illustrator—serving, for example, as the cover artist for the once-popular manga magazine Bessatsu Shojo Friend³—MIZUMORI also pursued a wide range of artistic endeavors, including stage acting, jazz singing, and oil painting. Reflecting on her work, she confesses, “If I had to choose what I love most… I guess it would be drawing. I don’t create my art with the goal of showing it to the world… Unlike singing or acting, drawing is something I can only do alone. It’s about solitude and silence.”²

The girls MIZUMORI depicts are romantic and charming, yet if one looks closely, a subtle sense of sadness and longing emerges, as if her own creative spirit has been infused into the illustrations. It is precisely her rich expressiveness, honed through jazz and theater, that gives her work a depth beyond mere cuteness. This sensibility embodying the freedom at the heart of the later-developing and diversified kawaii culture, while also connecting with women’s forms of self-expression such as Lolita fashion⁴ and yume-kawaii (“dreamy cute”).⁵ Even today, her work continues to be loved by many.

• 1. Translated from Migi Muke Hidari!! Hito to Onaji de Nakutte Ii ja Nai. Jibun Rashiku Ikou! (Right Turn~Left!! It’s Okay Not to Be Like Everyone Else. Let’s Be Ourselves!), Kawade Shobo Shinsha.
• 2. Translated from UCHIDA Shizue, MIZUMORI Ado (Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2010).
• 3. A Japanese manga magazine for girls, published by Kodansha. Launched in 1965 as Bessatsu Shojo Friend and renamed Bessatsu Friend in 1984.
• 4. See “The Diversification of Lolita Fashion,” HIGHLIGHTING Japan October 2025 issue
• 5. See “The Evolving Kawaii Culture that Transcends Borders,” HIGHLIGHTING Japan October 2025 issue

By MOROHASHI Kumiko
Photo: Ado Studio; Gourmandise Co.,Ltd.; Kawade Shobo Shinsha, Ltd

cADO MIZUMORI

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