The History of and Information About Hello Kitty

During my time as a little girl, being involved with the famous Sanrio characters seemed to be a rite of passage. Girls were so much into these characters, and we had to pass that stage where we were crazy about possessing different items with these colorful and pretty characters. Interestingly, many of these characters have lost their popularity. New ones were added to be part of the Sanrio family. But only Hello Kitty appears to have endured time. It has remained its magical appeal, now not only to little girls but to many adults as well. Hello Kitty has even emerged as a global fashion icon. But who is Hello Kitty?

The inspiration of the character was the famous Japanese porcelain or ceramic cat, maneki neko. This is the cat that many would see in stores and restaurants that is believed to bring good luck for the establishment. Literally, its name means beckoning or welcoming cat. Normally this porcelain or ceramic cat has one paw raised, and is built in such a way that the paw moves or appears to wave to people. Many believe that the raised right paw attracts money, while the left raised paw attracts customers.

Kitty White was supposed to be a original name of this character. This name comes from one of the cats in the book Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. At the time her Japanese creators were conceiving the concept of her character, the British culture was very popular in Japanese girls. But because of mistranslations, the name Hello Kitty was adopted.

Hello Kitty's creators developed an interesting profile for her. Her website reveals that she was originally named Kitty White and was born on November 1, 1974. She was born in Cambridge, but lived in London, England. Her parents are George and Mary White, and she actually has a twin sister named Mimmy. The lovely news is she has a significant other, fondly called Dear Daniel. She was described as bright and kind-hearted, and loves traveling and baking cookies.

Hello Kitty was actually illustrated by Sanrio employee Ikuko Shimizu in 1974 in Kobe, Japan. Later, the work to further develop Hello Kitty's image and character was given to Setsuko Yonekubo and Yuko Yamaguchi. The very first item that came out bearing Hello Kitty's image was released in 1975. It was a small plastic coin purse.

She became a huge hit. The first Sanrio shop in the US opened in 1976. Her popularity gave her the privilege of holding the position of US children's ambassador for UNICEF since 1983.

To date, there are more than one hundred Sanrio shops worldwide, and thousands of affiliate shops. Many stores do not carry items with the other characters. There are stores that actually sell only Hello Kitty merchandise. Yamaguchi's special team introduces new designs yearly. New items are developed, while an equal number of old items are removed. Although originally aimed at pre-adolescent female market, the Hello Kitty logo is seen so almost every product imaginable. From school supplies, clothes and accessories, luggages, purses, cosmetics, jewelry, food, computers and even cars.

In Japan, Hello Kitty has become a part of every aspect of their life. She is no longer part of little girls' collections, but has become equally popular with teenagers and adults. They put her logo even in a wedding dress.

Some people say that Hello Kitty's mouthless face adds to her mystery. Her current designer has said that she should have a mouth because she is depicted as lacking in emotion. But for others, her costumes depict her emotions. The official statement of Sanrio stated that she speaks from the heart, having no need of any particular language. Her original creator wanted her emotions to be interpreted by the viewer.

Perhaps this has added to Hello Kitty's magic. People just adore her cute image, and they are the ones who give her feelings, emotions and character. Famous celebrities have been giving this feline the iconic image. Celebrities like Mariah Carey, Mandy Moore, Paris Hilton and Lisa Loeb had been seen with Hello Kitty goods and items.

She has her own theme park in Japan, and has her own fans club. Several films and books about her have been done. Hello Kitty is simply living up to her image as the billion dollar feline of the world.