The Story of Hello Kitty

I think the most surprising revelation in this story for me was that the identity of Hello Kitty's creator has been kept secret all this time.  It wasn't as surprising that Shintaro Tsuji is a billionaire.  Growing up in Hawai'i, I've been surrounded by Sanrio characters since, I don't know, preschool. . .I have the faint memory of female classmates walking in Hello Kitty slippers that squeaked with every step.  But maybe it's just a conjured memory; I can't be sure without photographic proof.  Anyway, the girls that I knew from that wee age loved Kitty and friends no more than did the adult women I worked with decades later at a drugstore (Longs), where I believe employees had a 50% discount on Sanrio products.  They bought that stuff up like crazy.

Fast forward to Japan, where I started out at an English conversation school in Tokyo, teaching alongside Becky from Great Britain.  Becky's on a trip round the world, put on pause so that she can properly experience Japan and build her savings a bit before continuing her journey.  She and her boyfriend have seen some things, trekked the hard way through South America and Australia.  She carries her own humongous backpack, a seasoned traveler who's pulled her own weight through multiple continents.

I can't recall the name of the student, but Becks and I both taught her.  Very nice young woman.  So whenever she and Becks get together, they whip out Hello Kitty stickers or Hello Kitty compact mirrors or, I honestly don't know because I wasn't really paying attention, but I guess there are literally thousands of other cute, cute products available.  The ladies sit in a corner and share these products and scream out "Kawaiii!  Kawaii!" as they revel in the cuteness and femininity.  I swear those were the only times I've seen my dear friend Becky be like that.  It was transformative, and endearing of course.  That's when I knew that Hello Kitty and Sanrio were a worldwide phenomenon.  Apparently Becks fell in love with Kitty before she set out  from the UK.

A short bit on the creator's life on this page, and in the video below.