On the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty (long article)
This is an op-ed I wrote for The Japan Times.
Guest Appearance on WGN Morning News
WGN Morning News Chicago guest appearance:
How our brains are wired to gravitate toward cuteness
Cute Conduits: Diving Deep into the Adorable
On how the cuteness of digital entities like LUCA, a new Artlab Digital Commission from Ed Fornieles, can act as a catalyst for the evolution of human-digital relationships.
What gave rise to the global power of cute and kawaii? (long article)
This is an op-ed I wrote for The Japan Times.
Podcast Episode: Can Cuteness Make You a Better Person?
Episode on cuteness for the No Fixed Address podcast.
Three things you’ll learn from reading my book “Irresistible”
Article for the NZ Listener.
Book Break at the FCCJ
Reading at a “Book Break” event at the Foreign Correspondent's Club of Japan.
CUTE Exhibition
The exhibition “Cute: the Irresistible Rise of Cuteness in Contemporary Culture” begins January 24, 2023 at Somerset House in London.
Kawaii Kyoto: small childlike statues
The Sanzen-in Temple in Kyoto houses a captivating collection of Warabe-Jizo statues, each carrying a profound sense of serenity and charm.
Article: Why do we find cuteness so hard to resist?
The big idea: why do we find cuteness so hard to resist?
Video: Why cuteness needs to be studied
A video about the new academic field of Cute Studies.
The Sign of the White Rabbit
This smiling rabbit was the logo of Bunkio Matsuki’s (1867-1940) Boston shop that sold Japanese imports in the early 20th century.
The 800-year-old puppy
What happened when I showed an 800-year-old puppy statue at a Japan Foundation New York workshop.
The Beginning of Kawaii
Sanrio exhibition “The Beginning of Kawaii” featuring Hello Kitty and friends.
Cuteness and Kawaii Reading Group
An online reading group for the Aww-Struck: Creative and Critical Approaches to Cuteness, 8 December 2021.
Why Kawaii Conquered the World
A panel discussion at the Casa Con online convention, December 16-18, 2021