Business Feb 16, 2021
Duty-free store turns to cuddly toys to boost Lunar New Year sales
The items are taking the place of home appliances, from rice cookers to electric toilet seats, normally favored by Chinese tourists who travel to Japan to shop.
Books Jul 18, 2020
'Pure Invention': How Japan's pop culture became the 'lingua franca' of the internet
by Matt Schley
From toy jeeps and karaoke machines to the Game Boy and Tamagotchi, “Pure Invention” explores how Japan’s cultural influence has spread across the globe.
Business / Corporate Jun 13, 2020
Founder of Hello Kitty creator Sanrio steps down after 60-year stint
The company just posted a net income of just ¥191 million for the year, 95 percent lower than a year ago and less than 10 percent of its forecast.
Business / Corporate Jun 3, 2019
Special Hello Kitty dessert buffet available at Hilton Osaka
A Hello Kitty-themed dessert buffet is now available at Hilton Osaka to mark the key anniversaries of one of the world's most beloved feline characters and the hotel's brand. Folk Kitchen on the hotel's second floor is decorated with Hello Kitty dolls and colorful ribbons ...
Digital | ON: TECH Apr 21, 2019
Often, it's the little things that count
by Chiho Komoriya
These small gadgets have the big jobs of controlling home appliances, keeping kids safe and printing on virtually anything.
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. Sanrio announced on Wednesday that it will team up with New Line Cinema and FlynnPictureCo. to create an English-language Hello Kitty film for global audiences, with Warner Brothers as distributor. The iconic cat, first ...
National Nov 29, 2018
2025 Osaka World Expo promotional items, not meant for sale, now being sold online
Promotional items not meant for sale that were created to help Osaka win its bid to host the 2025 World Expo have been sold on internet auction sites, it has been learned. On Mercari Inc.'s online flea market, stickers printed with an illustration of popular ...
Business Jun 26, 2018
West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) showed a Hello Kitty-themed bullet train to the media Monday before its debut later this week. The white eight-car train, which is decorated with drawings of pink ribbons to mimic the look of the popular character created by Sanrio ...
National May 18, 2018
West Japan Railway Co. said Friday it will begin operating a Hello Kitty-themed shinkansen on June 30. The interior and seats of the 500-series shinkansen, to be used for daily round trips between Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka Prefecture and Hakata in Fukuoka Prefecture, will feature ...
National Nov 28, 2017
Hello Kitty and Pikachu recruited to back Osaka's bid to host the 2025 World Expo
Hello Kitty and Pikachu have been enlisted to give Osaka a boost in its efforts to host the 2025 World Exposition. "I would like for you to represent Japan and proactively (promote) the attraction of Osaka inside and outside of the country," Foreign Minister Taro ...
Business / Corporate Jun 15, 2017
EU launches antitrust investigation into Sanrio over product distribution
The European Commission said Wednesday it has launched an antitrust investigation into whether Hello Kitty owner Sanrio Co. is illegally blocking the sale of licensed products across borders and online. In addition to Tokyo-based Sanrio, the commission has started probing sportswear giant Nike Inc. and ...
Digital | ON: TECH Feb 20, 2016
Time to watch out for those kids
by Chiho Komoriya
Get ready to answer the cat phone Aimed at kids — or even adults who love all things kawaii (cute) — the Hello Kitty Figurine KT-01 smartphone, created by Japanese startup Ola, is just as the name suggests: a cute palm-sized figurine that flips open ...