Kawaii Creativity

Hello Kitty has won the hearts of people worldwide, and the pop artists who developed her and other cute (kawaii) characters have launched a global phenomenon. These pages give an idea of how Japan's sweet and innocent characters are created.

Written by Torikai Shin-ichi   Photos by Kono Toshihiko

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Fans Decide the Hello Kitty Look

Yamaguchi Yuko, designer for Sanrio Co., Ltd.

The company Sanrio, a giant in the cute character industry, created the original Hello Kitty in 1974. By the spring of 1975, the Hello Kitty purse was making waves, and this led to the development of other fancy Kitty consumer goods. But their popularity began slumping around 1977.

The early Kitty was outlined with thick black lines, and always had the same pose — face looking at you, body facing sideways, legs stuck out to the side. And she always wore overalls.

Yamaguchi Yuko saved Hello Kitty from her slump by reinventing that kitten cuteness. Yamaguchi started working on the Kitty redesign project in 1980, and was soon visiting Sanrio stores in different parts of the country to get girls and young women to tell her their opinions. Typical responses were: "She always looks the same, and that's boring!" and "She's not warm and cuddly."

Yamaguchi acted quickly, removing the thick black lines to give Kitty a softer, fluffier look. Hello Kitty appeared in 1985 hugging a teddy bear, and this was a smash hit. She was more than just a kitten character — she was practically an idol with a life of her own.

Even so, fans saw room for improvement. One suggestion was: "Give her a more mature look." This led to another version of Kitty, one with black and white tones.

The first Hello Kitty fans remained faithful over the years, and as they matured Kitty evolved with them. "It was the fans who changed Kitty's look," says Yamaguchi.

So what is the secret to Kitty's worldwide attraction? "The mouth tends to be the most expressive part of the body, but Kitty doesn't have one so she takes on the expression the viewer wants to see in her. If you're sad, Kitty will look like she's trying to raise your spirits. If you're happy, you'll feel she's happy too. I think that's where her charm comes from."