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October 24, 2025
 

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SANRIO

People take photos of Sanrio characters at an event organized by a transportation and real estate firm in the city of Okayama in July. Hello Kitty celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024, while My Melody reached its 50th anniversary this year.
BUSINESS
Sep 28, 2025
Oshikatsu consumption grows in Japan, buoying related stocks
According to research company Intage, 35.1% of 5,000 people said they support certain characters or celebrities, and this proportion was higher among younger respondents.
Sanrio characters Kuromi (left) and My Melody star as rival bakers in a big contest in Netflix’s “My Melody & Kuromi.” When mystical forces threaten their world, the pair team up to find a solution.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Aug 27, 2025
From foil to fan favorite, Kuromi embodies Sanrio’s darker side of cute
Once My Melody’s mischievous antagonist, Kuromi is now outshining her pastel-pink counterpart, with a rebellious personality that resonates with today’s audiences.
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 — and her likeness continues to make billions for her creators at Sanrio.
Sanrio, the owner of the Hello Kitty brand that operates two indoor theme parks, has enjoyed a 93% gain in its stock this year, as the ongoing heat and heavy rain keep visitors away from outdoor entertainment.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 4, 2024
Hello Kitty stock soars 93% as Tokyo heat sends tourists indoors
Ongoing heat and heavy rain have been key factors in keeping visitors away from outdoor entertainment facilities.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Mar 4, 2023
'Aggretsuko' swansong urges youth to rage
The Netflix show's fifth and final season turns its attention from workday dilemmas to death-metal outbursts aimed at the political state of modern Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 11, 2022
Gudetama, the incredible, miserable egg
Sanrio's world-weary character stars in a new Netflix series.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 8, 2022
‘Aggretsuko’ digs into toxic work culture and self-worth
The newly released fourth season of 'Aggretsuko' digs into some truly bleak storylines about the realities of work, but still finds a way to humanize even its most unlikeable characters.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Oct 5, 2019
Floresta's doughnuts get a (sort of) spooky spin for Halloween
'Nature doughnuts' chain Floresta is getting into the spooky Halloween spirit with a corporate tie-up with Sanrio's kawaii My Melody characters.
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.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Dec 1, 2018
Netflix hopes to attract new anime fans with old favorites
After launching in Japan in September 2015, Netflix has aggressively gone after the nation’s streaming market with an array of content. Original programming such as “Aggretsuko,” “Terrace House” and a reboot of “Ainori” have helped capture the attention of many cordcutters who want the...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 19, 2018
Sanrio characters in 'Aggretsuko' reflect the realities of life at work — rage included
Sanrio Co. is known for churning out some of the most adorable creatures out there, including Hello Kitty and the bunny My Melody. Its characters are often cute and colorful, and usually silent.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2016
Shibuya's tourism car gets Sanrio makeover to ward off Halloween chaos
In a bid to thwart the more rambunctious revelers who gather in Shibuya Crossing on Halloween night, the green train car and information center in front Shibuya Station has been dressed up to look like Sanrio's popular character Pom Pom Purin.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: FASHION
Jan 9, 2016
Avatar models, Sanrio menswear and disheveled clothing — fashion at its oddest
Louis Vuitton is being struck by Lightning
JAPAN / 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
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 Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 1, 2014
Hello Kitty: still fabulous at 40
Who is only five apples high and has no mouth — yet is one of the country's biggest cultural ambassadors?
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Feb 20, 2014
Family flashbacks to a psychedelic day with Kitty
In this column, it has been my sworn duty to share Tokyo's bounty of kid-friendly activities with interested parents like you. I hope earlier columns indicate that I take this responsibility seriously, striving to showcase only places that add much-needed components of fun, culture and education to the...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 18, 2013
Sanrio said to violate children's privacy
Iron Man, Captain America and Spider-Man greet visitors to Disney's MarvelKids.com website, but parents may be surprised to learn that these superheroes may also open the door to tools that track their children's activities across the Web, according to federal complaints to be filed Wednesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 12, 2013
Cute craving a cash cow for Hello Kitty creator
Tanya Stanich, a 43-year-old lawyer, clutched a handful of pink and black Hello Kitty notebooks at Sanrio Co.'s store in Manhattan's Times Square and touched a sequined bag adorned with the face of a cartoon cat.
For three key Cabinet posts, Takaichi turns to an eclectic trio
Shinjiro Koizumi — son of a former prime minister and rival to the current one — was appointed defense chief after falling short in his bid for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency earlier this month.
Rare female yakuza walks path to redemption in Japan
Retired yakuza Mako Nishimura sorts fallen leaves during a clean-up activity at the Gifu Gokoku shrine in Gifu Prefecture on Sept. 28.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.
The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
New ‘immigration minister’ post signals Takaichi Cabinet’s priorities
Kimi Onoda, economic security minister and minister for harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals, arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Japan's first female PM promised more women in her Cabinet. She picked two.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi poses with members of the newly formed Cabinet on Tuesday night.
AI-optimized cybercrime increasingly targeting Japan
A recent cyberattack on brewer Asahi Group Holdings resulted in the company suspending shipments.
K-pop idol Chanyeol does J-pop his own way on ‘Hibi’
South Korean singer Chanyeol made his Japanese-language solo debut with the EP “Hibi,” which features six tracks inspired by his love of Japanese music.
In pictures: The day Japan’s glass ceiling finally cracked
Takaichi, surrounded by LDP influencers
London exhibition perhaps sumo's most successful trip abroad
With the recent sumo jaunt to London being essentially a goodwill exercise, <i>rikishi</i> were far more outgoing and relaxed than normal.
Nakatsu keeps its cool as gentrification looms
Shunsuke Takahashi, owner of the cafe Hood by Vargas, says the Osaka neighborhood of Nakatsu feels brighter and calmer with the influx of new businesses.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.
By Thu-Huong Ha and Mike Fu

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Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

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