Japanese Nail Art

One of the main attributes of kawaii nail art you will notice is the delicate aesthetic of it. These nails are the epitome of Japanese nails. The short length, subtle color scheme and embellishments added to the top.

For the individuals who just want a touch of embellishment added to their nails, this is a gorgeous option to try! The subtle ombre fading on each nail gives a peek of a modern feel thanks to some clear space, it’s completed perfectly with the subtle embellishing.

Such a gorgeous take on floral nail art! Leave it to the Kawaii design aesthetic to give flower nails new life. The subtle, dainty aesthetic is a perfect match for an updated floral design. Adding gold embellishments to the center of the nails adds a gorgeous touch.

Another design element you’ll notice a lot in Japanese nail art is the use of negative (or clear) space. These nails have kind of a French tip inspired feel. Painting cherry blossoms onto the nails in different areas brings the Japanese inspiration full circle.

Aren’t these so fun? We absolutely love the neutral color scheme of these nails. It doesn’t look like your typical neutral nail art, either. The realistic floral designs, gold metallic ends and use of negative space are stunning.

This design is really popular among Japanese nail art. Again you’ll notice the use of negative space and gold embellishments. We’re really feeling the soft color scheme combining white and very pale purple.

Even though a lot of Kawaii nail designs are soft in the color scheme, there are designs that embrace various colors – like this! While the colors are brighter, the watercolor effect keeps the feel soft and subtle.

This design is similar to the option we showed you a couple of pictures back, the difference is the placement of the color. Much like any other nail trend, you can really make Kawaii nails your own. If you want to have more of a French tip feel, this is perfect for you!

Hello gorgeous! We thought these nails were so fun. Applying different types of glitter to the ends of the nails in an ombre effect keeps the transition feeling seamless. The gold embellishment applied to one nail really completes the look.

We thought these nails were so unique and pretty. Keeping things pretty neutral and subtle with the base of the nails being left clear, or a very nude polish, what brings life to these nails is the gold touches. Applying different types of glitter to all the nails gives so much style to the nails.

We absolutely love the way Kawaii nail art uses gold embellishments and wire to transform simple manicures. Here the color scheme is pretty neutral and muted, thanks to the use of all the fun embellishment designs the nails don’t feel so muted.

Sometimes you need a nice pop of color on your nails! When that time comes, these nails are perfect to use as inspiration. The blue polish has a marble, almost see-through type of look to it that gives it the Kawaii feel. Of course the gold flaking gives nails some glam!

How fun are these kawaii nails?! They’re giving us honeycomb vibes. Again the delicate vibe brings in the Kawaii influence. Use a stencil or nail stamp to add shapes in a sophisticated design to nails like this.

Nails with a marbling type of look are another design element that’s pretty popular in the Japanese nail art world. It’s no wonder – look how pretty these nails look! Mix in different colors, since they’re on the softer side the colors feel a bit more wearable.

Few things scream Japanese culture inspiration quite like cherry blossom! Add an unexpected twist to cherry blossom nails by mixing in a soft turquoise tone, as shown in this image. It adds such pretty dimension to the nails.

We adore these Japanese inspired nails. Mixing different nail elements together is a sure fire way to achieve a unique manicure. They really elevated the marble design with rose gold chrome and embellishments.

If you like the look of Kawaii nail design, but want something that’s not as over the top these nails are for you! Keeping the look subtle with nude polish painted onto all of the nails, the addition of abstract art is the perfect accent.

Can you tell Japanese nail art is all about the embellishments? Such a fun way to change up your nail art. This manicure is a bit more glam with iridescent glitter flakes, gold embellishments in various shapes and bright colors.

Another gorgeous way to rock Kawaii nails, subtly! These nails are proof you don’t have to add bright colors and bold design elements to achieve a stylish manicure design.

Looking for Kawaii nails that are a brighter statement? Here you go! The subtle ombre effect using shades of blue keeps the kawaii aesthetic consistent. Adding clouds is an unexpected twist to the nails, but we really love it for the spring/summertime.

Tap into your creative side with Kawaii nail art. As you can see on these nails, you don’t have to use the same colors or designs on your nails in order to get a pretty manicure. Leaving negative space is what gives the Japanese influence here.

Neutral nail colors strike again! We love that they made the nails monochromatic, using different shades of the same color. Applying glitter flakes in the same tones to the accent nail gives the nails a completed feel.

We told you – Kawaii nails have a way of elevating neutral nail colors. Nude nail polish gets a major Japanese upgrade with heart shaped glitter, wire and pearls added to the top of the nails.

Aren’t these kawaii inspired nails fun? We love that the embellishments and glitter gives the look of texture added to nails. Since there’s a lot of goodness happening on the nails, mixing in a few neutrally painted nails balances things perfectly.

Mixing in a few nails with color and more design is a great way to add more interest to nude nail polish. We love the red marbling on these nails, especially because they only painted it onto a couple of nails. Once again, gold embellishments take things up a notch!

Cherry blossoms aren’t the only way to add nature influence to Kawaii nails. Here they went with a dandelion and leaves for more of an earthy take. Keeping things consistent with the design, the color scheme is gorgeous.

We thought these nails were SO fun. The fact that every nail showcases a completely different design gives these nails so much personality. The unexpected designs like the bunny and pearls are some of our favorites. Lesson: have fun with Kawaii nails!

If you’ve scrolled through some of our other posts, you’ve likely seen that jelly and clear nails are a major trend this year. It’s no surprise that trend has made its way to Japanese nail art as well. This see through pink tone is so pretty for the warm weather months.

Love pink nails?! Well, here you go! Pink nails get new life with these kawaii inspired nails. Mixing various tones of pink, gold accents and embellishments, and of course the ever popular use of negative space. Perfection!

Another nail trend that’s everywhere this year? Rainbow nails! Just take a peek at the rest of our posts from the past couple of months and you’ll see. We thought this was such an adorable way to add rainbows to your nails, with a Japanese design twist.

Red nails looking incredibly chic here! Even if it’s not Valentine’s Day, we love a design that includes some heart elements. Using very thin wire here keeps the hearts delicate, the perfect complement to pearls.

A lot of Japanese nail art uses pastel tones, but we wanted to make sure we gave some variety in case you’re more of a dark color kind of person. Deeper tones of red get a Kawaii upgrade with abstract art elements mixed in.

Beach inspired nails?! Yes please! Ok, well they’re not just beach inspired because they’re also Japanese influenced. We’re in love with the color and dimension iridescent flakes add to these nails. The perfect addition to seashell shaped embellishments.

Another gorgeous example of how you can opt for a darker color scheme for Kawaii nail art. Even mixing in just one nail that’s a darker tone is enough to make nails feel unique. These nails, due to the various colors applied, is a year round design.

These Japanese nails are similar to some of the other ideas we’ve shown you on the list. What makes these stand out, and the reason we had to share it with you, is the striping painted on the accent nail. Just enough design to transform the solid colors!