How a cute Japanese icon turned into a $6b industry

The Japanese icon, celebrating her golden jubilee, is emblematic of a global craze for child-like things that has grown in troubled times.

Hello Kitty display at the exhibition, As I Change, So Does She, marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the Tokyo National Museum. AP

The Economist

Nov 5, 2024 – 12.26pm

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Most have to wait until their centenary to receive birthday wishes from the king of Britain. But King Charles made an exception for “a self-made entrepreneur worth billions of dollars and a UNICEF children’s ambassador on top”. The monarch was feting a figure more recognisable than any billionaire or emissary: Hello Kitty, who turns 50 this year.

The character was created by Yuko Shimizu, a Japanese illustrator, on November 1, 1974. Soon after, Kitty appeared on an astounding array of trinkets.

The Economist