The universal themes she embodies—friendship, kindness, positivity—ensure she remains well loved in the decades to come.
Hello Kitty just turned 50 on November 1. You read that right. Over the weekend, the perpetually expressionless cat-like character (more on this in a bit) with the red (sometimes pink) bow from Japan who is the face of a $80 billion empire has turned half a century old! Feeling old yet? C’est la vie!
Before we dive deeper into her five-decade life so far, let’s get one important thing out of the way: Hello Kitty is not a cat. She is a girl whose real name is Kitty White, according to Sanrio.
This rather perplexing bit of information was confirmed by Christine R. Yano, an anthropologist at the University of Hawaii, who is an expert on the Hello Kitty phenomenon. She tells in an interview with The Los Angeles Times in August 2014 that a script she made for a retrospective of the Hello Kitty paraphernalia at the Japanese American National Museum was corrected by Sanrio.
“Hello Kitty is not a cat. She’s a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend. But she is not a cat. She’s never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature. She does have a pet cat of her own, however, and it’s called Charmmy Kitty,” Yano says.
Related story: How Labubu dolls became the ‘It accessory’ we never saw coming
Related story: Vatican teams up with Tokidoki for its cute li’l mascot ‘Luce’—and the internet can’t handle it
Related story: The Peninsula Manila x Hello Kitty afternoon tea is the cutest collab we’ve seen this year
From Tokyo to the world
With that out of the way, we can trace Hello Kitty’s history to Sanrio’s headquarters in Tokyo in 1974. At that time, the company specialized in rubber sandals decorated with strawberry prints, per the BBC. On the prowl for another hit product, the company started hiring young illustrators to come up with designs that appeal to the Japanese people’s penchant for all things kawaii (cute).
Enter the then 24-year-old Yuko Shimizu, one of the company’s in-house illustrators. Taking inspiration from a white kitten she got as a birthday present from her dad, Shimizu drew a white cat with a red bow in its hair. The rest, as they say, is history.
Related story: SERIES: Japan by train
Related story: Japan by train series: Tokyo on a shoestring via JR Yamanote Line
Today, Hello Kitty is one of the world’s most recognizable characters, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other popular and well-loved characters such as Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and Pokémon. Despite newer Sanrio characters overtaking her in popularity—the equally adorable Cinnamoroll has topped the annual list since 2019 when it took the crown from her—Hello Kitty’s massive popularity is still undeniable. And the future looks bright for her as she still rakes in over US$4 billion a year, per an article on The Guardian.
Hello Kitty is so popular that her likeness has found its way to all sorts of merchandise from mugs to stationery, bags to plushies, instant noodles to potato chips. West Japan Railway even has its own Hello Kitty-themed bullet train which was launched in 2018. EVA Air, meanwhile, has a a series of special Sanrio livery jets.
Pro tip for Filipino Sanrio fans: EVA Air’s Joyful Dream and Celebration Flight jet plies the Taipei-Cebu route daily, and its BAD BADTZ-MARU Travel Fun plane takes to the Taipei-Clark route daily as well.
I have never been a Hello Kitty fan (Pompompurin is my favorite Sanrio character)—but my late mom was head over heels for her. I still have the Hello Kitty watch she bought for me at Gift Gate (Filipino millennials would remember this for sure!) when I was 7 or 8 years old.
On a trip to Japan in 2013, I made sure to treat her to a day in Sanrio Puroland located on the outskirts of Tokyo. I still remember the look of wonder on her face the entire time we were there, and her childlike excitement when we had a photo taken with a Hello Kitty mascot. It was her phone’s wallpaper for several months. I have Hello Kitty to thank for these fond memories with my mom. Arigatou, Kitty-chan!
That’s how pervasive Hello Kitty’s cultural influence is, that even non-fans such as myself would have at least one memory with/of her.
As she turns 50, I set out to interview Hello Kitty fans to help me and other non-stans understand why she has touched a lot of hearts over the years and in the many more decades to come.
Related story: What to expect in Japan’s first Nintendo Museum when it opens next month
Related story: 7 must-read contemporary female Japanese authors
Tanushka Dutta, journalist
Tanushka, a New Delhi-based journalist, shared to The POST that as a child one of her first makeup sets was a Hello Kitty one, complete with eye shadows and lipglosses. “I was obsessed with it,” she enthuses. She considers it one her favorite Hello Kitty possessions, together with a plate and cup set.
“The appeal was very early on for me when all you can gauge is on the basis of how something looks—she with her bow being a smiley white cat and cute outfits was enough appeal for me to pester my mom to buy me Hello Kitty merchandise like stationery items,” she shares. For Tanushka, then and until now, Hello Kitty was and still is all about being cute.
“Growing up, I lost touch with Hello Kitty, as in she seemed to have lost the craze around me as well, not a lot of Hello Kitty items were being sold in the market either,” she admits. “But in the last few years I see a redemption happening, she has definitely made a strong come back and the image curation is also like badass now? Like she’s beyond just cute now!”
“I feel weird that she’s 50! I mean she’s someone I’ve grown up to like, and she’s 50 already, what?” I feel the same dear Tanushka, trust me.
Asked why she thinks Hello Kitty remains popular to this day, Tanushka feels it’s Sanrio’s ability to stay relevant while still retaining the same brand image that keeps her popularity. “Like of course the white cat with a bow is the brand image and mostly the target audience remains little girls,” she says. ” But the brand has expanded and brought about new products within that audience group- that in my opinion keeps her popular. ”
Angela Rebueno-Jou, PR professional
Public relations expert Angela recalls the instances when she and her older sister would always drop by the Gift Gate store whenever they went to SM North EDSA as kids. “We would touch all of the merchandise on the shelves but never really bought anything since we could not afford any of it,” she tells The POST. “Growing up, I also liked the other characters like Bad Badtz Maru, Pochacco, and Kerokerokeroppi. But Hello Kitty was my favorite because she was the most prominent of all, she even had a TV show on ABS-CBN (a local network) with Dear Daniel which I used to watch every morning.”
“As an adult, I no longer fantasize about Hello Kitty lunch boxes and pencil cases; I now dream of owning Hello Kitty appliances,” Angela admits with a chuckle. “Name it, Hello Kitty has it—electric fan, toaster, rice cooker, everything! I don’t have any of those things, but I have a treasured Hello Kitty pasta strainer that I enjoy using. I honestly dream about having a Hello Kitty-themed kitchen.”
Hello Kitty was the Sanrio character that resonated with Angela, a cat person, the most. She also thinks the beloved feline girl was what started her love for cats, which later on inspired her to rescue, foster, and adopt strays.
“It makes me happy that she is now 50 years old and has inspired so many children and adults over the years,” Angela says. “Hello Kitty is a classic character because she grows with you. You can like her as a child, and be a Hello Kitty super fan as an adult and nobody will find you weird.”
She adds with a knowing smile: “It seems like everyone understands Hello Kitty’s charm. A charm that transcends all generations.”
Ara Nieva, faculty member, UPIS
In a separate interview with The POST, Ara (who happens to be one of my son’s favorite teachers!) shares that she fell in love with Hello Kitty because of her friendly and playful aesthetic. “Even without a mouth, she radiates cuteness and charm,” she shares. “When I was a kid, I was drawn to the bright colors used on her designs. Also, she often appears with fun themes like rainbows, animals, and sweets that make her even more charming.”
As a “super Hello Kitty fan,” Ara loves collecting merchandise, joining themed events, and sometimes even chatting with other fans online! “I’ve been building my Hello Kitty collection since childhood and spend time and money looking for rare items. I enjoy visiting pop-up shops and keeping up with Hello Kitty news to learn about new releases and collaborations,” she says.
Ara also joins contests that give away Hello Kitty prizes. She recalls an instance when she submitted entries to a TV show competition using noodle packs, eating different flavors just so she could participate. “I even got my teammates to make a video with me to win a Hello Kitty diamond pendant. I once joined a fun run here in the Philippines not just for exercise but mostly for the photo ops and to earn a Hello Kitty medal,” she recounts.
Her most prized Hello Kitty item is a Hello Kitty Polaroid camera, which was a surprise gift from her sister. “She knew I was saving up for it and wanted to give me something special. I don’t particularly enjoy photography but I love that this camera captures special moments and lets me print photos right away. It is truly a cherished part of my collection.”
“It’s amazing that Hello Kitty has turned 50! I believe her popularity comes from her charming and adorable design which appeals to people of all ages, attracting new fans while keeping longtime collectors like me engaged,” Ara says. “As an adult with more spending power, I love that Hello Kitty stays relevant with a diverse range of products and collaborations with different brands.”
“I also think she embodies friendship and positivity which help her remain a beloved cultural icon,” Ara adds with a wistful smile.
Related story: Autumn in Japan 2024: When and where foliage will peak in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka
Related story: Four magical places to visit for a snowy getaway in Japan
Related story: 7 activities to make the most of Japan’s winter season
