Hiroshi Nittono receives funding from The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI No. 23330217. However, why cute things attract us and how they ...

A fluffy, doe-eyed kitten adorned with a rainbow and a unicorn horn may, at first glance, stir up images of childishness or innocence. However, this cute creature is more powerful than it may first ...

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. A decade ago, computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee (aka the inventor of the world wide web) was asked what had ...

If you’re a cat lover or simply a fan of all things Japanese and cutesy, this kawaii kitty-shaped Japanese milk bread (shokupan) might tickle your fancy. These meow-nificent treats are created by self ...

What is cute, or kawaii, to use the almost synonymous Japanese term? In 1943, an Austrian zoologist named Konrad Lorenz proposed that our perception of cuteness is based on certain physical ...

From Sanrio characters to starry-eyed idol singers, it’s no secret that kawaii (“cute”) culture is huge in Japan. Whole museums and theme parks have been dedicated to the concept of kawaii. Heck, it’s ...