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July 24, 2026
 

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HELLO KITTY

Passersby walk past a billboard atop a building featuring a giant 3D cat in 4K resolution in Tokyo's Shinjuku district.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 25, 2026
Hello, little kitty ¡ª Japan¡¯s $20 billion cat boom
In recent years, Cat Day has exploded, as companies embrace a growing market for felines.
Hello Kitty designer Yuko Yamaguchi poses with a "Fairy Hello Kitty" at an exhibition during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Japanese cartoon character in Hong Kong in 2005.
BUSINESS
Feb 13, 2026
Hello Kitty designer bows out after 40 years in charge
Yuko Yamaguchi has been responsible since 1980 for the design of Kitty, overseeing her rise to the epitome of Japan¡¯s kawaii soft power.
Actor and World Athletics special ambassador for the local organizing committee Yuji Oda (front, fifth from right) poses with athletes at Tokyo's National Stadium during an open practice on Sept. 4.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Sep 11, 2025
Broadcaster TBS taps Hello Kitty and Yuji Oda in bid to sell World Athletics
TBS has provided televised coverage of the World Athletics Championships since the 1997 event in Athens.
A Japanese actress known for voicing Hello Kitty sparked national debate with an anti-immigration blog post, highlighting rising tensions over Japan¡¯s growing foreign population and the government's slow response to related concerns.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 12, 2025
Cultural anxiety and Japan¡¯s immigration pains
Japan must address legitimate public worries without inflaming xenophobia ¡ª or risk populist backlash.
Originally debuting on a coin purse, Hello Kitty became a national phenomenon in Japan and is now the second highest-grossing media franchise worldwide.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 20, 2024
Hello Kitty looks pretty at 50 (and is worth more than ever)
Kitty¡¯s broad appeal, especially to adults, helped popularize the Japanese concept of kawaii (cuteness), which has since become a global trend.
A Hello Kitty fan poses with a costumed character at the Sanrio Smile Shop on its opening day at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California. Hello Kitty marks its 50th anniversary on Nov. 1.
CULTURE
Oct 30, 2024
The ¡®CEO of supercute¡¯: Hello Kitty turns 50
She is the undeniable queen of kawaii culture in Japan ¡ª?and her likeness continues to make billions for her creators at Sanrio.
Canadian singer Avril Lavigne attends the opening ceremony of Gap Flagship Ginza in Tokyo in 2011, three years before releasing her music video for the Japan-inspired track ¡°Hello Kitty.¡±
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Apr 26, 2024
Avril Lavigne walked so today¡¯s influencer tourists could Mario Kart
Ten years ago, the pop star¡¯s ¡®Hello Kitty¡¯ video drew outrage from the West, but she wouldn¡¯t be the last visitor to use Tokyo as a backdrop for content.
Sanrio is marking Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary this year. The character's rise mirrors that of kawaii culture globally, and her longevity offers important clues as to the future of cute culture.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 22, 2024
Hello Kitty turns 50. What will the next cat¡¯s meow be?
The global rise of Hello Kitty, who turns 50 this year, tracks that of Japanese culture. What, then, does the next half-century of kawaii have in store?
Cute characters like Pikachu are deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. The global reach of kawaii has contributed to Japan's soft power and international appeal.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 26, 2024
What does the global power of kawaii say about us?
Kawaii is one of Japan¡¯s greatest cultural exports. But cuteness is more than just a fad or a commercial success story: It¡¯s part of our evolution.
Japan Times
CARTOONS / ZERO GRAVITY
Apr 8, 2023
Roger Dahl on Hello Kitty temptations
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 16, 2021
Duty-free store turns to cuddly toys to boost Lunar New Year sales
The items are taking the place of home appliances, from rice cookers to electric toilet seats, normally favored by Chinese tourists who travel to Japan to shop.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 18, 2020
¡®Pure Invention¡¯: How Japan¡¯s pop culture became the ¡®lingua franca¡¯ of the internet
From toy jeeps and karaoke machines to the Game Boy and Tamagotchi, ¡°Pure Invention¡± explores how Japan¡¯s cultural influence has spread across the globe.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: TECH
Apr 21, 2019
Often, it¡¯s the little things that count
These small gadgets have the big jobs of controlling home appliances, keeping kids safe and printing on virtually anything.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Mar 6, 2019
Hello Kitty headed for Hollywood after years of talks on film rights
One of Japan¡¯s most beloved cat cartoon characters is headed for Hollywood.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Nov 29, 2018
2025 Osaka World Expo promotional items, not meant for sale, now being sold online
Promotional items not meant for sale that were created to help Osaka win its bid to host the 2025 World Expo have been sold on internet auction sites, it has been learned.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: TECH
Feb 20, 2016
Time to watch out for those kids
Get ready to answer the cat phone
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Dec 22, 2015
Sanrio database leak seen covering info on 3.3 million Hello Kitty fans
A database for Sanrio, the Japanese owner of the Hello Kitty brand, was breached, putting the data of 3.3 million of its users at risk, according to security website CSOonline.com¡¯s report.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 30, 2015
From ¡®samurai¡¯ to ¡®Hello Kitty,¡¯ search data show how the world¡¯s view of Japan has changed
Analytics data suggest Japan is better known abroad as the land of Hello Kitty than as a country full of swaggering samurai and mincing geisha.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 8, 2015
Dempagumi.inc mew-ves into the world of Hello Kitty
Anti-itch cream and Hello Kitty may seem like an unlikely pairing, but these days it seems that cat can sell anything. This time, however, she has enlisted Akihabara-based idol group Dempagumi.inc to help.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Dec 26, 2014
Sanrio¡¯s ¡®Nutcracker¡¯ offers visual experience in 3-D
For anyone raised in the West, the year-end holidays in Japan can be a jarring experience, at least for the uninitiated. Decorated trees, illuminated boulevards and carols in convenience stores coincide with Colonel Sanders statuettes remade into Santa Claus and mini-skirted chorus girls in reindeer...
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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