As the entire nation gears up for the 70th anniversary of the day Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, various celebrities are lending their support for sending out messages of peace. The latest big name is Hello Kitty, Sanrio Co.'s globally popular character.
"All of us want peace, but there's always war somewhere in the world," said a message carried in the August issue of the monthly Ichigo Shimbun magazine published by Sanrio, which holds the copyright of the hugely popular character.
"We must deliver a promise that we'll never wage a war!"
Ichigo Shimbun is a newsletter for fans of Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters.
The August issue of the magazine features Hello Kitty shedding tears while carrying peace messages from another Sanrio character, My Melody. Also featured is a testimony by a real war survivor who calls the last war "hell on Earth."
Among the messages is the one by Sanrio President Shintaro Tsuji, 87, who underlines the importance of mutual help as a life motto.
