50 Years of Hello Kitty
Image credit: Instagram @hellokitty
“Perhaps you would allow me to note one particular individual who turns fifty this year, raised in a London suburb with her twin sister, a self-made entrepreneur worth billions of dollars, and a U.N.I.C.E.F Children’s Ambassador on top of all that. So I can only wish a very happy birthday to…Hello Kitty!” said King Charles in his speech at the Japanese State Banquet this June.
Created by Yuko Shimizu in 1974 for Japanese entertainment company Sanrio, Hello Kitty has remained a global kawaii cultural icon for decades, having been featured on over 50,000 products sold across 130 countries. However, it may be a surprise to some that the famous character is in fact not a cat, nor is she Japanese. According to the official Sanrio website, Hello Kitty (full name Kitty White) is a feline-like British girl born on November 1st 1974 in the leafy suburbs of London. Having captured the hearts of young girls and celebrities alike for generations, with notable fans including Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne and Paris Hilton, this year marks the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty’s conception. To mark the occassion, Sanrio have collaborated with numerous brands to push Hello Kitty to the forefront of public attention. From collections with high street retailers such as Primark and Claire’s to Hello Kitty Crocs, 2024 has truely been a year of Hello Kitty mania. But what exactly is it that makes Hello Kitty so popular with so many people?
Image credit: Primark Cares
Hello Kitty Crocs. Image credit: Journeys
‘’Kawaii’’ is a Japanese artistic and cultural style that emphasizes the quality of cuteness, emerging in the 1970s as a form of self-expression during Japan’s economic boom. Hello Kitty is a symbol at the heart of the kawaii aesthetic, with her classic and timeless design giving her global appeal. In recent years, Hello Kitty has also influenced several aesthetics on social media, such as ‘’sanriocore’’ and the ‘’soft’’ aesthetic, distinguished by pastel colour palettes and cute characters. These fashion and makeup styles are particularly popular on TikTok, with ‘’#sanriocore’’ being tagged in over 230,000 posts.
Image credit: Aesthetics Boutique
Overall, at her core, Hello Kitty serves as a symbol of love and acceptance. According to Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji, there are three key messages in Hello Kitty. ‘’First is, you should be loved, and you need to be nice to others to be loved,’’ said Tsuji in an episode of “The Toys That Made Us.” ‘’And the ribbon represents human connections. We should all get along with one another. Also, having no mouth means we need to express with our actions, not only by words. Those are the meanings.’’
Are you a Hello Kitty fan? Let us know your thoughts on the kawaii character in the comments!
Image credit: Instagram @hellokitty
References:
Campbell, C. (2024) Sanrio CEO on the key to hello kitty’s 50 years of success, Time. Available at: https://time.com/6993173/hello-kitty-anniversary-50-years-sanrio-tsuji/ (Accessed: 29 August 2024).
Christopher, R. (2024) The kawaii phenomenon: How hello kitty embodies Japanese cuteness culture, Japan Nakama. Available at: https://www.japannakama.co.uk/the-kawaii-phenomenon-how-hello-kitty-embodies-japanese-cuteness-culture/?srsltid=AfmBOoo-LEOT1ROSXhxAbMbrnyMlMTkh6TGTtW80EHHwA1pa1tg3fW62 (Accessed: 29 August 2024).
Colón, E. (2022) How hello kitty took over the world, The Science Survey. Available at: https://thesciencesurvey.com/arts-entertainment/2022/03/07/how-hello-kitty-took-over-the-world/ (Accessed: 29 August 2024).
Kawaii definition and meaning (no date) Collins English Dictionary. Available at: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/kawaii (Accessed: 29 August 2024).
MediaChomp (2022) The three messages in hello kitty, Media Chomp. Available at: https://mediachomp.com/the-three-messages-in-hello-kitty/ (Accessed: 29 August 2024).
Murphy, V. (2024) King charles mentions hello kitty and pokémon in Japanese state banquet speech, Town & Country. Available at: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a61410928/king-charles-japan-state-banquet-speech/ (Accessed: 29 August 2024).
Sanrio: Hello kitty (2011) Sanrio. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20110624000114/http://www.sanrio.co.jp/english/characters/detail/hellokitty/index.html (Accessed: 29 August 2024).
