Storytelling Close-Up Hello Kitty: A Japanese cat conquers the world

Do you know the word kawaii? It means something like “adorable”, “sweet” or “cute” and comes from Japanese. One character that represents this term like no other is Hello Kitty. The little cat girl is celebrating her 50th birthday this year. A good occasion to take a closer look at the brand and its development.

Not only popular with children! | © Sanrio Fandom

Once upon a time there were a pair of flip-flops

Shintaro Tsuji is certainly known to very few of us. The businessman founded the Yamanashi Silk Center in Tokyo in 1960, where he sold bathing shoes, among other things. He quickly realized that decorated slippers sold much better than unadorned ones. So he came up with an idea that was simple but very effective: to boost sales of his sandals, he had them printed with small flowers. It was a hit, because customers loved it kawaii. Tsuji was so successful that he soon expanded the business to include other products and had strawberry motifs printed alongside pretty flowers.

The call for something of our own

Over time, the company experimented with other patterns and motifs. As fruit had already proved successful in the past, Tsuji tried it with cherries and was met with bitter failure. Paradoxically, the red fruits in a double pack were not at all well received by the Japanese and a new, original idea was quickly needed.

He asked well-known Japanese artists to design figures, which he then used to decorate coffee cups, plates and other tableware. The businessman also secured the necessary trademark rights to sell Barbie and Snoopy products and Hallmark greeting cards. However, the battle for the licenses annoyed him and he was dissatisfied with the company situation. He wanted something of his own. So, without further ado, he set up his own design department.

Kon’nichiwa Hello Kitty

The company was now 14 years old. The not very memorable name Yamanashi Silk Center had to make way and was replaced by the much shorter name Sanrio. The employed designer Yūko Shimizu had a great weakness for cats – especially for the grinning furball from Lewis Carroll’s books “Alice in Wonderland” and “Alice Behind the Mirrors”. After a few sketches, she had a figure on paper: a large white head, about twice the size of the rest of the body, black dots for eyes, a yellow nose, but no mouth. There was also a decorative bow on the right ear.

Her name says it all: ハローキティ, which means “hello kitty”. Kitty is also depicted waving most of the time. This is no coincidence, as Shimizu based her design on the Japanese Bobtail cat breed, which is considered a lucky charm in Japan.

No resemblance to the inspiration: Did you know that the model for Hello Kitty was the Cheshire Cat? | AI generated

In keeping with kawaii culture, Kitty also needed an official character description. According to this, she was born on November 1st (year unknown) in London. She is five golden apples tall, is passionate about baking delicious cookies and loves homemade apple pie. Her biography reflects the enthusiasm of the Japanese at the time for Western culture, especially British culture, and is also a clever move. With such an international and universal outlook, Kitty was ready to win the hearts of people around the world.

Hello Kitty’s journey: From wallet to global fan base

The Japanese first became acquainted with Hello Kitty in 1975 when they discovered her on a small purse. The item was such a hit that the company quickly launched other products such as stationery and toys on the market. Similar to Hasbro or Lego, the kitten quickly became the best-selling licensed product that Sanrio had to offer. Other characters such as My Melodie, a little white bunny, and Hello Kitty’s best friend, Tuxedo Sam, a little chubby penguin or Keroppi, the cheerful frog, were soon added.

In the 1980s, the Hello Kitty brand managed to expand its fan base beyond Japan and captivate people around the world. The reason for this was the flexibility of her design: the simplicity of the character meant that every conceivable product could be printed with the iconic cat – from pencils to fashion accessories. Thanks to the decision not to give her a mouth, fans around the world were able to identify with her.

After designer Yūko Shimizu left the company, Yuko Yamaguchi took over the management of the brand. Not an easy task, as the character had already been designed and established. For a creative person, this meant little room for maneuver. But Sanrio works differently to American companies, where the shapes, size and other features of their characters are subject to strict regulations. Yamaguchi was given the freedom to break new ground and so she still accompanies the cat in the role of mentor to this day.

90s retro feeling and pop stars

The last few years have been quiet around the white kitten. The children who grew up with the Hello Kitty brand had grown up and had their own offspring. Disney and Co. were global big players and the competition on the merchandise market was correspondingly strong. But in the mid-1990s, she made a comeback – and what a comeback it was! The brand’s target group was always clear: children! But Hello Kitty was increasingly adopted by adults – either because they themselves grew up with the character during their childhood or because they were infected by the hype.

Sisters in spirit: Lady Gaga with Hello Kitty on her 40th birthday © IBTimes

Suddenly, celebrities such as Paris Hilton and pop stars like Mariah Carey and Gwen Stefani “outed” themselves as fans of the Japanese cat. The phenomenon continued into the 2000s. For the kawaii icon’s 40th birthday, Lady Gaga proudly appeared on the red carpet with her fluffy friend. Hello Kitty increasingly became a symbol of pop culture and lifestyle. Designer brands such as Swarovski produced decorations with the license; fashion labels such as Levi’s, Vans or the cult shoe brand Converse: They all depicted the cat girl!

Statement shoes! Hello Kitty and Converse | © Sanrio

From toy to subculture

Today, the brand is known in over 60 countries and is represented on more than 50,000 products – more than its competitors Barbie or My Little Pony. Hello Kitty has achieved something that only other product manufacturers such as Lego have managed: she has created a completely new target group with the so-called “kidults”. In other words, adults who are getting older but not growing up and who consciously retain their childhood preferences. There are now several TV series, numerous computer, console and mobile games, two theme parks in Japan and another is planned in China. For many people, their love for the Kawaii character even goes under the skin and she has become a popular tattoo motif.

More than a kawaii icon – from heroine to mentor

Hello Kitty manages to appeal to several generations of fans and is constantly reinventing herself, while always remaining kawaii and true to herself. After all these years, could she be the cutest mentor a target group could wish for? YES! Because in a very subtle way, the little white cat empowers her followers to live kindness, empathy and openness.

Although Hello Kitty has no mouth, she conveys important non-verbal messages that remind us that sometimes gestures mean much more than words. As a universal character with no specific cultural or language barriers, she teaches us that she is not tied to a specific nationality, ethnicity or group and is loved by a wide variety of people around the world. She represents the idea that community and connection can be created through values such as friendship and cohesion.

If you now fancy more adventures and heroic stories from your favorite children’s series and film characters, why not take a look at the Hero’s Journey from Disney*Pixar?