CUTIE STREET—redefining what kawaii means as they take Korea by storm. At a time when more acts are ditching what makes them distinct and chasing global standards, CUTIE STREET carries on the aesthetic and vibe unique to Japanese idols, proving that what’s most local can also be what’s most universal. They sing versions of their songs translated so perfectly they feel like the original, upload videos almost daily, and give their all no matter the occasion. Even though it’s all part of a meticulously planned strategy, an unmistakable authenticity still comes through, and that’s what has set CUTIE STREET apart from just another idol group chasing overseas success and has led to them resonating with fans. Performing an encore concert in Korea an unprecedentedly short four months after the original show, what’s next on the horizon for the group?

Your earlier show, “CUTIE STREET Live in Korea 2026,” was a massive success, leading you to hold an encore concert. How did you feel when you saw your fans up close and personal at that first live show?
Aika Sano: I was really happy we finally got to meet all the Korean fans who’d been cheering us on through social media all along. I still think about when we actually got onstage and their eyes were practically sparkling as they watched us. Even while singing, I could feel in my bones how much we love our Korean fans. 
Risa Furusawa: I had all these worries in my head since it was our first time performing for our Korean fans. “Are there any fans of me specifically? How much do they know about CUTIE STREET in Korea? Will they really come out to see us live?” But seeing how they brought uniforms and light sticks, and seeing them right there in person, I was seriously overflowing with happiness!

Korean music shows, your own concert, the 2026 WECONFE—you’ve done a lot in Korea in a short time. I’m curious what you learned through the experience, and the kind of spark you got from being in Korea.
Emiru Kawamoto: I never imagined so many people in Korea would cheer us on like this. I was seriously surprised! Before we went to Korea, I did feel sort of anxious about whether it’d be okay for us to just be ourselves, but we believed in our personal brand of kawaii and went over without changing a thing about our outfits or our vibe. I was so happy they found us cute just the way we are!
Miyu Umeda: We’re from a different country, and before we went to Korea, I was a little worried whether they’d accept us, but I was so happy to see the fans being so sweet and kind! ♡ Ever since we started branching out into Korea, I’ve gotten really interested in learning Korean. I’ve been studying it as a hobby, squeezing it in when there’s time while working, or sometimes late at night!

I imagine the whole atmosphere of Korean music shows and the way they’re filmed was pretty different from Japan. Did any moments stand out to you as particularly unique? Do you have any lasting memories from the experience?
Kana Itakura: In Korea, even though it’s a live broadcast, the performance that airs is actually prerecorded, but then you perform live for the audience there at the exact same time the broadcast goes out. It’s not like that in Japan, so I was really surprised! And the thing that really drove the difference home was the fancams. After the show, I saw a fancam of myself, and I was so touched! I was overflowing with a mix of disbelief and joy—like, “This is amazing! I can’t believe I’m the star of this fancam!”
Haruka Sakuraba: We don’t do fancams in Japan, so the mere fact that they filmed a fancam of me was already touching! I loved hearing all the fans cheering while we were filming, too.

You sing Korean versions of all your songs when performing in Korea, and I understand you spoke entirely in Korean at WECONFE too. What’s the most noteworthy thing about studying Korean in your experience?
Nagisa Manabe: I found it tricky how the meaning of a word can change depending on the shape of your mouth or what you’re doing with your throat. There’s still stuff I’m not used to, but it feels like you have to move your mouth so much more than in Japanese that when I’m recording vocals, my mouth just can’t keep up! The only thing I knew how to say originally was “gamsahamnida,” so studying everything from scratch was tough. Memorizing new expressions is fun, though, and I feel like it’ll be so much more fun once I can actually communicate in Korean, so I want to keep studying hard!
Ayano Masuda: There’s sounds that don’t exist in Japanese, so I was like, “Wow, this is hard!” But CUTEST in Korea studies Japanese and talks to us in it, and that makes me really happy, so that’s become part of my motivation to work at it even harder!

The second song you chose to promote in Korea was “Pri Kyu Kyu.” I’m curious why you chose that song in particular, and what aspect or selling point of the group you wanted to convey to Korean fans through it.
Aika Sano: “Pri Kyu Kyu” is defined by the catchy rhythm in the chorus and the choreography. And importantly, the repeated phrase “pri kyu kyu” in the chorus is easy to remember no matter what language you speak. We felt it was a song that could cross the language barrier and get a lot of love, so we decided to bring it to Korea too.
Risa Furusawa: Our makeup artist, who knows a lot about Korea, told us, “I think ‘Pri Kyu Kyu’ would go over great for your next Korean song!” At the time, I was like, “Really?” But that turned out to be right. It’s really easy for Korean fans to remember the repeated phrase “pri kyu kyu.” I think that’s what makes the song so great!

You made yourselves known right out of the gate with your hit debut single, “Can’t we just be cute? -Kawaii Dakejya Damedesuka?-” When did you first realize that people really love you? And looking back now, how do you feel about how popular the song is?
Emiru Kawamoto: When I realized that everyone from little kids to grandmothers recognize us, I really felt like, “Wow, this thing’s spreading far and wide!” But I also felt weighed down wondering if our name recognition or talent could live up to the popularity of the song. But the eight of us worked ceaselessly to hone our skill set to match the level of recognition. It really hurt to be seen as idols that became popular overnight without putting in any real effort, so we gave it our all, not just in our performance, but with our mentality, too. And it’s probably all that effort that’s led us to where we are now. The most important thing is that we’ve had a ton of opportunities starting with “Can’t we just be cute?” That makes it a really precious asset of ours!
Miyu Umeda: I still can’t believe it a lot of the time. When I really feel it is when my friends or family say it’s popular with people they know or I hear it walking down the street or playing in a clothing store. It started with us having all these opportunities before we’d really gotten enough experience, which sort of felt like it was one new challenge after another, so it came with its share of pressure a lot of the time. Still, there’s no denying that our debut song is what got us this far, so I really think it’s become a huge asset for us.

The single album “CUTIE SPHERE / Very Nice,” released this past May, is a wide-ranging release, including a “Pokémon” ending theme song, one produced by another artist, and the group’s first subunit songs. How do you feel about the release?
Nagisa Manabe: I think it really broadens our range and raises the possibilities for what we’re capable of expressing! Usually we’re all about the kawaii, but I think we’re able to pull off cool looks and an emotional vibe, too. I also feel like anime fans, fans of utaite singers, and people who love rock music seem to like us more than they did before thanks to this release!
Ayano Masuda: To me, it feels like a treasure chest full of dreams. With “Dreaming Prima Donna,” which we performed a lot at the release event, the super catchy “Pri Kyu Kyu,” and our first subunit songs all included, I think it really shows how much we’ve grown as we come up on our third year!

The first subunit songs—Team Cutie’s “I Amai Me Mind” and Team Street’s “Crush on you”—pursued contrasting directions. I’m curious whether working with a smaller group and trying things in a brand-new style led to any new discoveries or stand-out moments.
Aika Sano: The biggest draw of “Crush on you,” the song I was a part of, is the sense of maturity not really seen in our other songs and the challenging choreography. The dance moves were so hard that we practiced together a ton. With fewer people involved, there were a lot of moments where the spotlight was on each of us individually, and it became a great chance for us to take a serious look at our expressiveness.
Risa Furusawa: I always hoped we’d get to do subunit songs, so I was thrilled when we finally got to do it! “I Amai Me Mind,” the song I did, is one of my favorites! I love the sort of retro vibe of the music video and the vibe of the song itself!

You’ve been on a nonstop journey these past two years since you debuted. What do you feel has changed about you the most compared to who you were back then, and what’s been the most memorable part of the journey for you?
Emiru Kawamoto: I think, more than anything else, I’ve become stronger emotionally! I used to lean toward negative thinking, but now I’m able to think more positively, and even when something upsetting or sad happens, I can stay calm and think it through instead of just crying. I feel like I’ve sort of grown in that sense. That’s all thanks to how bright and upbeat the rest of the group is!
I’m also the type of person who holds onto disappointment for a long time, and there were plenty of moments like that too, like not winning a New Artist Award at last year’s Japan Record Awards, or not getting to be on the “Red & White Year-End Song Festival.” Still, it’s really the live shows that stick with me most. Since I’m from Kanagawa Prefecture, putting on a concert at Pia Arena MM was amazing for me! Feeling all the love from all those people brought me a lot of solace and made me glad I never gave up on being an idol.
Miyu Umeda: These past two years have been packed. We experienced so much in such a short amount of time. Not only did we get better at singing and dancing, but we really strengthened our teamwork, too. I think we’ve grown in a lot of different ways over the past two years.

“Can’t we just be cute? -Kawaii Dakejya Damedesuka?-” puts its own spin on the word “kawaii.” As you’ve gone on performing the song, has the meaning of kawaii within it shifted or deepened for you? What does kawaii mean to you now?
Nagisa Manabe: This is another reminder of just how hard kawaii is to define! It comes down to each person’s own values, so honestly, I don’t think you can flat-out disregard it when someone doesn’t find something cute. But flip that around, and you can’t do it when they find something cute, either. In a word, I think it’s about freedom!!
That said, if someone were to think they’re not cute and lose their confidence all because of that, I’d want to do everything in my power to stop them from thinking that way. I want us to keep discovering our own kawaii together. After all, we’re the KAWAII MAKER!!!
Ayano Masuda: It’s really changed a lot! There’s a line in one of our other songs that goes, “It’s okay to be clumsy! You know you have your own kind of kawaii, right?” Everyone really does have their own brand of cuteness, and it really made me feel a lot better to realize that the things that used to make me ask “Why am I like this?” were actually just my own special kind of cuteness! And that’s the real message hidden behind the word “kawaii” that we want to convey to you all. I hope we can keep sharing that idea with even more people going forward.

Looking at interviews with each of you individually, you get the impression that you all have a slightly different idea and definition of what it means to be an idol. I’m curious what it means to each of you, and how you feel these different values and experiences come together within the group.
Kana Itakura: Thanks to the rest of the group, our staff, and the fans, I’ve been able to discover aspects of myself and new ways of expressing myself that I never knew about before joining the group. And most importantly, CUTIE STREET gives me an outlet where I can keep pushing myself. That feeling, at least, probably isn’t going to change. I also think it’s kind of miraculous that the experiences and time the eight of us had on our own have come together to make one group, and I think each of our different kinds of kawaii comes from the individual experiences we’ve each been through to get here. What I think’s great about our group is how everyone gets to be free and open in their own way and can be true to themselves.

You’re set to play the Budokan in August, followed by “CUTIE STREET JAPAN ARENA TOUR 2026,” the biggest tour the group has gone on since forming. Now the things you dreamed of early on are gradually becoming reality. I heard you’ve made it a regular thing to grab a bite together after lessons and have “conversations where you reaffirm your dreams.” Have those conversations given rise to a new dream for what your group wants to pursue next?
Emiru Kawamoto: Lately our goal’s been to appear on this year’s “Red & White Year-End Song Festival,” so we keep talking about what we can do right now to make that happen. From some point last year, whenever we would hype ourselves up before a live show, we’d quietly say, “We’re getting on ‘Red & White’!” Lately, though, we started to say it loudly, and tell ourselves to trust in the power of words! We also have goals to perform at the Tokyo Dome or put on a “dome tour” someday, and lately we’ve been talking a lot about even bigger ambitions, like wanting to hold a live show somewhere like a huge stadium!
Miyu Umeda: Lately we talk about wanting to do a show at the Tokyo Dome! And we also talk about our long-term goal of getting on the “Red & White Year-End Song Festival”!
Risa Furusawa: Tokyo Dome!! Dome tour! “Red & White Year-End Song Festival”! I just want the eight of us to keep being happy together!

Your encore concert, “CUTIE STREET Live in Korea 2026 SUMMER,” is coming up in July. Do you have a message for your Korean fans reading this interview?
Nagisa Manabe: We’ve been practicing a ton to put on an even better show for you this time around, and we’ve got some special things prepared too! I really hope you’re looking forward to it!! And hopefully we’ll study Korean even more so we can interact with you even better!! And most of all, thank you so much for showing us all the love and counting down the days to the concert. We get to meet so many more of our Korean fans thanks to Weverse and all the different events, and I couldn’t be happier!!
Ayano Masuda: We’ve got something special prepared for this concert!!! I’m so excited to see CUTEST’s reaction! And I’m so happy we get to perform in Korea again like this. We’re going to give it our all onstage to give you all the best show possible! I hope we can fill you all up with CUTIE!!! Let’s have a great time together that’s all smiles! Thank you so much for reading this interview. To all our Korean CUTEST!!! Thank you so much, always!!! Love you! ♡