The Origin Story Of Hello Kitty

The white smiling cat, with the red bow is one of the most well-known cartoon characters in the world. However, the story behind this adorable kitty is not what you would expect. It all started in Japan on November 1st, 1974.

The Hello Kitty Creator

Yuko Shimizu, an award winning Japanese illustrator is the creator of Hello Kitty. Before she moved to New York City, where she now resides, she lived and worked in Japan. The company she worked for, Sunrio, wanted a lovable cartoon that little girls around the world would want branded on everything. Shimizu had the idea for a simple line drawing, and that’s how Hello Kitty was created. As soon as the owners of Sunrio saw the drawing, they decided to brand it on coin purses and see if their target audience liked the new cartoon. It was an instant sensation, and little girls all over Japan bought the purses. Shimizu ultimately decided she needed more creative freedom, and left Sunrio in 1976. She’s never seen any cash from the sales of Hello Kitty products.

The 1990s

While Hello Kitty continued to be popular in Japan, and became a sort of cultural icon, she also began to find widespread success in Europe and North America. If you thought Hello Kitty was supposed to be a cat, then you are very wrong. In fact, Hello Kitty is supposed to be a young British girl as the Japanese were anglophiles in the 1970s, which means they were obsessed with all things British.

In the 1990s, Sanrio decided to market Hello Kitty to an older crowd that may have been unfamiliar with her. She created a sense of 1970s nostalgia for adults and once more Sunrio saw a boost in Hello Kitty sales. In Japan, Hello Kitty continued to be popular but that is largely due to a cultural phenomenon called kawaii.

Kawaii Culture

Within Japan, the cultural phenomenon called kawaii is very real. Translated “kawaii” means loveable or cute. The main idea behind it is that everyone loves cute things, and Hello Kitty is one of the cutest. If you travel to Japan, you will see Hello Kitty figurines, stickers, and even themed restaurants all over the country.

A Piece Of History

Nowadays, Hello Kitty continues to be popular and children all around the world have pencil cases and lunch boxes with her image on them. She comes from a positive place, and as far as role models go, she is an excellent one for children and adults. Hello Kitty is never mean, and always does her best to make people feel welcome and loved. That sounds pretty good to us!

If you’re looking for the next toy to buy for your child, think about picking up something Hello Kitty themed.