Today, November 1st, Sanrio’s beloved character
Hello Kitty celebrates her 50th anniversary. Befitting a pop icon at midlife, the bubble-headed, bow-wearing character's fictional birthday has brought museum exhibits, a theme park spectacle and a national tour. And that's just in Japan, her literal birthplace... but not the one listed in
her official biography.
Hello Kitty didn’t start as a cartoon. A young Sanrio illustrator named Yuko Shimizu drew her in 1974 as a decoration for stationery, tote bags, cups and other small accessories. The design made its debut on a coin purse the next year and became an instant hit in Japan.
Sanrio permits anyone to use the Hello Kitty design for any purpose, as long as they pay the licence feel. It didn't take long for her to become emblazoned on various types of clothing, although the item shown here is probably an unlicensed knock-off.
As Hello Kitty’s commercial success expanded beyond Asia, so did her personal profile. By the late 1970s, Sanrio revealed the character's name as Kitty White. Her height is 5 apples and she weights 3 apples. She was born in suburban London [Bet you didn't know that! Ed.], where she lives with her parents and twin sister Mimmy.
At some point, Sanrio designated Kitty's birthday as November 1st, the same as that of Ms Shimizu. Her background was embellished with hobbies that included playing piano, reading and baking. Her TV appearances required co-stars, including a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty that made its debut 20 years ago.
Hello Kitty's 40th birthday brought an update that astonished fans. Sanrio clarified to a Los Angeles museum curator that Kitty, despite her feline features, was a little girl. A company spokesperson repeated the distinction this year, renewing debate online about the requirements for being considered human.
Part of the confusion stems from a misunderstanding of "kawaii", which is Japanese for "cute" but also connotes a lovable or adorable essence. The word is used often in Japanese society, not only to describe babies and puppies, but also: an elderly man (ahem, ahem), something as innocuous as an umbrella, a subcompact car or a kitchen utensil. Even a horror movie monster can be labelled "kawaii".
The idea may seem terribly girly-girly to us Westerners, but it’s taken seriously in Japan, where the concept is linked with the most honourable instincts.
The complexity of "kawaii" may help explain Hello Kitty's enduring appeal across generations and cultures, why Avril Lavigne released a song titled "Hello Kitty" a decade ago, and why King Charles wished Hello Kitty a happy 50th birthday when he hosted Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at Buckingham Palace last June.
Happy 50th, Kitty! We love ya!
Gramatical footnote from Ed.: We continue to be appalled at the degradation of the language of Shakespeare. The apostles of DEI tell us, over and over again, that speaking and writing proper English is racist. (See Walt's comments on the apostrophe error in "The Great Garbage controversy", WWW 30/10/24.)
We have noticed, and condemn, the trend in the broadcast meeja to use phrases like "fifty-year anniversary" instead of "50th/fiftieth anniversary". Puleeze peepul! The word anniversary is derived from the Latin word "annua", which means "year". Saying "fifty-year anniversary" is a horrendous redundancy. As for "six-month anniversary", that's just ridiculous.
