TOKYO—Earlier this year, researchers discovered that our ability to perform critical tasks is heightened when we've been "primed" by exposure to cuteness. That's because we experience significant psychobiological changes when we encounter cute things — our heartrate drops, we become more attentive, more focused. Cuteness is addictive. And therapeutic.

Naturally, the authors of the study — Hiroshi Nittono, Michiko Fukushima, Akihiro Yano, Hiroki Moriya — are residents of the global capital of cute: Japan. No place...