Ero kawaii(エロ可愛い, literally "erotic cute"), or "erokawa", is a Japanese subculture that draws on Western notions of sexiness, in contrast to the popular cuteness (kawaii) trend. The term, coined in 2005, is a fusion of ero (shortened from the English word 'erotic', which has negative connotations in Japanese culture) and the lighter 'kawaii', meaning something like 'cute'.