You can trace the word “kawaii” all the way back to the start of the 11th century, when an early form of it, “kawayushi,” which at the time translated more to “having pitiable qualities,” appeared in ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Mark Travers writes about the world of psychology. In 1943, ethologist Konrad Lorenz proposed the concept of “Kindchenschema” or ...

A couple years back, a team of research psychologists ID’d a phenomenon called “cute aggression,” wherein the sight of something cute (an infant, a puppy) paradoxically yields statements like ‘I just ...

This year has been anything but cute. It’s been occasionally optimistic, but mostly unpredictable, tumultuous, and painful. But cute? Far from it. Enter the timeline cleanse. You may have seen them: ...

From Hello Kitty to Pikachu, the country changed what the world considers adorable. But do these characters represent joy — or rage? By Ligaya Mishan Artwork by Hiroshi YoshiiKimiaki Yaegashi and ...

Named for the Japanese term for the sound of an excited heart beating, Doki Doki Kawaii Shop, in all its pastel glory, sits on Lakewood’s Madison Avenue. Kawaii refers to the Japanese culture of ...