Why are some things cute, and others not? And how did cuteness go global, from manga cartoons to Disney characters? These are questions explored by Joshua Paul Dale, a Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Tokyo Gakugei University. He’s a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, and his new book looks at how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe, from Lolita fashion and emojis to the unstoppable rise of Hello Kitty.

In Episode 3, Joshua visits Zao Fox Village, some 300 kilometres north of Tokyo where he lives. There, Japanese tourists flock to cuddle baby foxes and admire their cuteness. But the foxes remain wild - despite human contact, they do not respond to human affection. Professor Dale then tells the fascinating story of a Russian experiment to tame wild foxes, through selective breeding across many generations. The experiment was secret – this kind of genetic science was banned in the Soviet Union. It was also highly effective, yielding startling results.

Reader: Adam Sims
Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 Show less