Cute. In Japan, there's cuteness wherever you look -- Hello Kitty, Tare Panda, The Dog, etc., etc. But from next month to September 2003, Japanese people will be able to glimpse the creativity behind the cuteness of that cuddliest of all cuddlies -- the teddy bear -- when Germany-based Margarete Steiff GmbH celebrates the 100th birthday of its first teddy with an exhibition opening in Tokyo then touring the nation.

Since it first introduced its bears to Japan, Steiff has sold 300,000 of its products here -- making it less surprising that it is throwing such a big birthday party so far away from home. As well, though, Steiff has a special "present" made exclusively for Japan in the shape of "PB28," the oldest surviving antique design, of which just 2,002 will be sold to exhibitiongoers with 35,000 yen to spare.

Steiff's teddy bears, loved by children of all ages the world over, are distinctive, says Toyohiko Sato, a member of the exhibition committee. "First, the material used is mohair, the expensive fur of Angora goats. Second, the teddy bears are jointed, with movable arms and legs. Finally, the shape is quite human, with especially long arms, making it something that fits between pets and family members."

In the exhibition chronicling the history of Steiff teddy bears, the main attraction is a display of 400 antique bears loaned by the Puppenhaus Museum in Basel, Switzerland -- the first time they have ever left the museum to be seen and appreciated elsewhere. Other events include a workshop where visitors can see how each bear is made; a taiken (hands-on) corner where teddies can be held and cuddled; and a charity auction where one-of-a-kind Steiff teddy bears (like one wearing Levi jeans or another JAL-sponsored one wearing a pilot outfit) will go under the hammer.

"One of the main purposes of holding this event in Japan is to have Japanese people actually see the craftsmanship of the German makers," said Yasuta Sato, chairman of the event and director of Japan Toy Culture Foundation at a press conference at the German Embassy.

But of course, the exhibition is also a good chance to showcase the company whose road to success began with a soft stuffed elephant. Margerete Steiff, after whom the company is named, created the animal from felt, originally intending it to be a pin cushion. But the soft touch of the elephant was so irresistible to children that it became a big hit. Before long, the company was making all kinds of stuffed animals.

"This new discovery made by Margarete Steiff was revolutionary," says Jean Lafitte, export manager of Steiff. "She was a remarkable woman who foresaw that her company could lead the stuffed-toy market for generations. Her achievement was all the greater for the fact that she was physically handicapped by polio from infancy."

In 1902, Margarete's nephew, Richard Steiff, created the world's first teddy bear, although that name was not yet in use. The bear was the product of years of sketching and experimenting. To give it a soft feel, Richard used mohair plush, a material that was new in the industry at that time.

The word "teddy bear" was coined later the same year. It originated in an incident involving the 26th U.S. President, Theodore Roosevelt. When he was on a bear-hunting trip, he came upon an injured cub. Instead of shooting it, he felt sorry for it and let it go. The story of "Teddy's bear" (Teddy was Roosevelt's nickname) was reproduced in a caricature by Clifford Berryman in the Washington Post, and the incident became famous throughout the world.

As did the teddy bears themselves. So much so that Franz Steiff, another of Margarete's nephews, hit upon the idea in 1904 of giving the bears a distinctive Steiff trademark. Since then, all Steiff's stuffed toys have had a "Button in Ear," a gold-plated or a metal button implanted in their left ears to distinguish them from their imitators.

For many years, Steiff's products -- of which 1.5 million are made annually -- have been highly collectable, and at a Christie's auction in London in 1994 the Izu Teddy Bear Museum in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, paid the highest price on record -- 110,000 pounds sterling (18 million yen at the exchange rate then) -- for a "Teddy Girl," one of the few surviving bears made in 1904.

Who knows, but perhaps one of the limited-edition "PB28s" that are sure to be snapped up at the exhibitions in Japan may someday command such an astronomical price as well . . .