This study illuminates how Israelis define and treat the Japanese term kawaii<br>

<p>An online survey was conducted to clarify the semantic image of the cute and attitudes toward cuteness in three countries: Japan, the United States, and Israel (total <i>N</i> = 2,155). The results show a remarkable resemblance in respondents’ conceptions of the cute (<i>kawaii</i> in Japanese and <i>hamud</i> in Hebrew) across countries. Several common tendencies were found: (1) Cuteness is highly appreciated and believed to induce positive affective responses, (2) women tend to find things cute more frequently and strongly than men do, (3) animal babies are thought to be cuter than human babies, and (4) infants are found to be cuter when people get older, while older people generally show less positive attitudes toward cuteness. This study demonstrates that the concept of cuteness and the feelings connected to its perception are universal.</p>

This study illuminates how Israelis define and treat the Japanese term kawaii<br>

<p>An online survey was conducted to clarify the semantic image of the cute and attitudes toward cuteness in three countries: Japan, the United States, and Israel (total <i>N</i> = 2,155). The results show a remarkable resemblance in respondents’ conceptions of the cute (<i>kawaii</i> in Japanese and <i>hamud</i> in Hebrew) across countries. Several common tendencies were found: (1) Cuteness is highly appreciated and believed to induce positive affective responses, (2) women tend to find things cute more frequently and strongly than men do, (3) animal babies are thought to be cuter than human babies, and (4) infants are found to be cuter when people get older, while older people generally show less positive attitudes toward cuteness. This study demonstrates that the concept of cuteness and the feelings connected to its perception are universal.</p>

In Japan high value and appreciation is ascribed towards anything that features the physical characteristics considered to be kawaii (roughly translated as cute in English), particularly infants. As such, kawaii plays a significant role in Japanese popular consumption culture, especially for female consumers. This paper applies mixed methods, including literature review, questionnaires conducted among 692 Japanese female of varying ages and social status, and interviews with 12 Japanese company female employees to investigate perceived positive affective aspects associated with kawaii products, including their impact on emotional states and behaviour. The cross-sectional study results reveal the importance of kawaii among Japanese women and positive aspects in consuming cute items; for working women, it was found, kawaii products help in dealing with stress and serve as a momentary gateway from the harsh world of everyday life to a romanticized world of one's childhood and for younger women serve as a fashion statement.