A Study of the Differences in Factors That Influence the Impression of “Cute”: A Comparison between Japan and China

Abstract

“Kawaii” is not exclusive to Japanese culture, but it is attracting widespread attention overseas as a part of pop culture and in subcultures. Kawaii for individuals is primarily a psychological and emotional experience; however few studies have examined these psychological factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the concept of kawaii between Japan and China by comparing Japanese and Chinese characters and analyzing the differences between the two countries’ characters that are considered kawaii in both countries. The survey sample consisted of 116 Japanese university students (91 males and 25 females, mean age 19.66 years, standard deviation 1.29). The survey was conducted in July 2021. The questions were titled “Questionnaire on Impressions from Images,” and were administered during lecture time. The questions were asked by presenting images of 12 Japanese and Chinese characters, both animal and human, and asking for responses. The results showed that Chinese characters were cuter than Japanese characters. Furthermore, Chinese animal characters were found to give the impression of being younger than their Japanese counterparts.