Hello Kitty fans, rejoice! A whole Japanese airport has been rebranded with Hello Kitty theme as part of the Osaka World Expo. The Oita airport in Kunisaki, Oita prefecture, was given a makeover with the cute feline character all around, as part of the ongoing World Expo in the Japanese city.&nbsp;
The cute kitten mascots, images and paintings and other merchandise will adorn the airport till the World Expo 2025 concludes on 13 October.
<iframe width="600" height="auto" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 4/3;" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="external-video publive-iframes-block" src="https://cdn.thepublive.com/wion/static/kaltura_player/wion_video_player_iframe.html?thumbnail=wion/media/post_attachments/files/2024/01/27/2701_WION_HELLOKITTY_1PM-1706346314-00000003.jpg&amp;videourl=https://vodakm.zeenews.com/vod/WION/2701_WION_HELLOKITTY_1PM.mp4/index.m3u8&amp;duration=142&amp;tags=UK,London,hello kitty,exhibition" title="50th anniversary of the queen of cute Hello Kitty at Somerset House, London" id="PL_iframe_block-m9mr7rie-nzldrqmi-bakipd4j"></iframe>
The makeover of Oita airport was unveiled on April 13, complete with its official renaming as Oita Hello Kitty Airport.
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An official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in the presence of the cute kitten Hello Kitty, and other fictional characters like My Melody and Kuromi from the Sanrio universe.&nbsp;
<h2>About Hello Kitty and Sanrio Kawii world</h2>
Hello Kitty is one of the many 'kawaii' or cute characters created by the Sanrio Company Ltd in Japan.
Hello Kitty is ubiquitous in Japanese popular culture and entertainment, and went on to become a global icon, adorning school supplies, stationery and toy segments.
<h2>Oita Hello Kitty Airport revamp</h2>
Oita Hello Kitty&nbsp;airport revamp includes decorations of the terminals, staircases and signages and international arrival hall of the airport with Sanrio characters.
There is also a photo booth with several kawaii characters.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-police-rescue-3-year-old-stuck-inside-hello-kitty-claw-machine-686049">Australian police rescue 3-year-old stuck inside Hello Kitty claw machine</a>
Visitors can snap pictures with various fictional characters like Hello Kitty, Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi and My Melody.
Passengers will get luggage tags themed around Saniro characters.
There is also a bunch of other merchandise to choose from at the souvenir shop, like keychains, T-shirts and cookies.
Oita Prefecture is home to a Saniro character theme park. This is the only such theme park dedicated to Hello Kitty in Japan, other than Tokyo.
<h2>About Osaka World Expo 2025</h2>
World Expo is being hosted by Osaka for the second time, the first time being in 1970.
Organised by the Bureau International des Expositions, the Osaka Expo runs from 13 April to 13 October.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/hello-kitty-is-not-a-cat-its-creators-reveal-leaving-fans-shocked-742622">Hello Kitty is not a cat, its creators reveal, leaving fans shocked</a>
Osaka is expecting to attract nearly 28 million visitors to the World Expo this year.
The expo's concept is People's Living Lab, with themes like designing a future society; saving, connecting and empowering lives.
The Expo concentrates on creating a society that lives by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
It is also centred around Japan's national strategy of Society 5.0, or a supersmart society.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hello-kitty-ceo-of-supercute-turns-50-772319">Hello Kitty, 'CEO Of Supercute', turns 50</a>
Society 5.0 comes after the information society, industrial society, agrarian society, and hunter-gatherer society.
It aims at bringing prosperity to people by making the most of information and communication technologies and integrating cyberspace and physical space.
&nbsp;

Oita Hello Kitty airport revamp includes decorations of the terminals, staircases and signages with Sanrio characters. Trending Entertainment

Hello Kitty fans, rejoice! A whole Japanese airport has been rebranded with Hello Kitty theme as part of the Osaka World Expo. The Oita airport in Kunisaki, Oita prefecture, was given a makeover with the cute feline character all around, as part of the ongoing World Expo in the Japanese city. The cute kitten mascots, images and paintings and other merchandise will adorn the airport till the World Expo 2025 concludes on 13 October. The makeover of Oita airport was unveiled on April 13, complete with its official renaming as Oita Hello Kitty Airport. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid new anime movie: Trailer, cast, ending song and release date! An official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in the presence of the cute kitten Hello Kitty, and other fictional characters like My Melody and Kuromi from the Sanrio universe. About Hello Kitty and Sanrio Kawii world Hello Kitty is one of the many 'kawaii' or cute characters created by the Sanrio Company Ltd in Japan. Hello Kitty is ubiquitous in Japanese popular culture and entertainment, and went on to become a global icon, adorning school supplies, stationery and toy segments. Oita Hello Kitty Airport revamp Oita Hello Kitty airport revamp includes decorations of the terminals, staircases and signages and international arrival hall of the airport with Sanrio characters. There is also a photo booth with several kawaii characters. Australian police rescue 3-year-old stuck inside Hello Kitty claw machine Visitors can snap pictures with various fictional characters like Hello Kitty, Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi and My Melody. Passengers will get luggage tags themed around Saniro characters. There is also a bunch of other merchandise to choose from at the souvenir shop, like keychains, T-shirts and cookies. Oita Prefecture is home to a Saniro character theme park. This is the only such theme park dedicated to Hello Kitty in Japan, other than Tokyo. About Osaka World Expo 2025 World Expo is being hosted by Osaka for the second time, the first time being in 1970. Organised by the Bureau International des Expositions, the Osaka Expo runs from 13 April to 13 October. Hello Kitty is not a cat, its creators reveal, leaving fans shocked Osaka is expecting to attract nearly 28 million visitors to the World Expo this year. The expo's concept is People's Living Lab, with themes like designing a future society; saving, connecting and empowering lives. The Expo concentrates on creating a society that lives by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. It is also centred around Japan's national strategy of Society 5.0, or a supersmart society. Hello Kitty, 'CEO Of Supercute', turns 50 Society 5.0 comes after the information society, industrial society, agrarian society, and hunter-gatherer society. It aims at bringing prosperity to people by making the most of information and communication technologies and integrating cyberspace and physical space.

Hello Kitty fans, rejoice! A whole Japanese airport is rebranded with Hello Kitty theme

You must have heard about Hello Kitty the cute enigmatic character that adorns everything from handbags to rice cookers turns 50 today. Watch to know more.

Celebrating 50 Years Of Iconic Adorability

Hello Kitty, the cute, enigmatic character that adorns everything from handbags to rice cookers, turns 50 on Friday -- and is still making millions for her Japanese creators.

The simple design of the character -- who is not a cat, but a little girl from London according to Sanrio, the company behind Kitty -- has mileage as a money-spinner for years to come, experts say.

One woman in the US state of California has amassed so much Hello Kitty merchandise that her husband built her a pink so-called "she-shed" to keep it in.

Stuffed inside are thousands of toys and other items featuring Kitty and her eye-catching red bow, including rows of sunglasses, a swivel chair and novelty gumball dispensers.

"People my age, you know, we are told many times, 'Hello Kitty is for little kids,' and I laugh at that," said Helen from Riverside County, conceding she is "50-plus".

Helen, who drives a Hello Kitty-decorated SUV and runs the local fan club "Hello Kitty SoCal Babes", has been "obsessed" with the character since its 1970s US debut.

Her vast collection of Hello Kitty plushies "make me feel warm", she said, describing spending hours among the soft toys, many of them rare, on a regular basis.

"Something in my inner child gets healed," she said.

Hello Kitty started life as an illustration on a vinyl coin purse.

It has since appeared on tens of thousands of products -- official and unofficial -- including tie-ups with Adidas, Balenciaga and other top brands.

The phenomenon shows no sign of slowing, with a Warner Bros movie in the pipeline and a new Hello Kitty theme park due to open next year on China's tropical Hainan island.

Sanrio's share price has soared more than seven-fold, pushing its market cap over one trillion yen ($6.8 billion), since young CEO Tomokuni Tsuji took over from his grandfather in 2020.

- 'Pure product' - 
 
"We'd be foolishly cynical to say that we don't need these soft, fluffy, pink things," Christine R. Yano of the University of Hawaii told AFP.

In fact, "given the fraught nature of our contemporary lives, perhaps we need it now more than ever", said Yano, author of the book "Pink Globalization" about Hello Kitty.

"This is not a phenomenon that has died or is going to die, at least soon," she added.

Unlike other Japanese cultural exports such as Pokemon or Dragon Ball, there is minimal narrative around the character, whose full name is Kitty White.

She has a twin sister Mimmy, a boyfriend called Dear Daniel, and a pet cat of her own, Sanrio says. She loves her mother's apple pie and dreams of becoming a pianist or poet.

The rest is left to fans' imaginations -- just like the "abstract, bare design that can speak with a kind of simplicity and elegance to more people", Yano said.

"I call her a pure product," the researcher added.

Some feminists say Hello Kitty's lack of a mouth is a symbol of disempowerment, but Yuko Akiyama, Sanrio's head of global brand management, said it allows the character to "reflect" different emotions.

"So if they're sad, Hello Kitty will comfort you. If you are happy, Hello Kitty is there to share the happiness with you," Akiyama said.

- Kawaii - 
 
Famous Hello Kitty fans include Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry, and her appeal extends to royalty: Britain's King Charles wished her a happy birthday this year.

On Hello Kitty's TikTok account -- whose bio is "CEO of supercute" -- sardonic memes and footage from "Hello Kitty Day" at US baseball games delight 3.5 million followers.

Hello Kitty is the epitome of Japan's "kawaii", or cute, soft power, and she is the mascot of a campaign promoting tourist etiquette in Tokyo.

Posters celebrating the 50th anniversary are on display at Sanrio Puroland theme park, where businesswoman Kim Lu from Manila had brought her four-year-old niece during their holiday.

"This really is our priority here in Tokyo," she said.

"To be honest, we really don't know" the reason for Hello Kitty's ineffable success, said Lu, 36.

"I think it's the kawaii charm."

Sanrio owns the copyright to hundreds of other popular characters, and Hello Kitty now accounts for 30 percent of profits, down from 75 percent a decade ago.

But Kitty is still a favourite of 23-year-old Rio Ueno, who took an overnight bus from Japan's northern Niigata region to visit the park with a friend.

"I've had Kitty goods around me since I was a small child," said Ueno, dressed in a fluffy Hello Kitty sweater, sporting a Kitty bag, and clutching a Kitty doll.

"She is someone who is always close to me, and I want it to stay that way."

Hello Kitty, the cute, enigmatic character that adorns everything from handbags to rice cookers, turns 50 on Friday -- and is still making millions for her Japanese creators.

Hello Kitty, the cute, enigmatic character that adorns everything from handbags to rice cookers, turns 50 on Friday -- and is still making millions for her Japanese creators. The simple design of the character -- who is not a cat, but a little girl from London according to Sanrio, the company behind Kitty -- has mileage as a money-spinner for years to come, experts say. One woman in the US state of California has amassed so much Hello Kitty merchandise that her husband built her a pink so-called "she-shed" to keep it in. Stuffed inside are thousands of toys and other items featuring Kitty and her eye-catching red bow, including rows of sunglasses, a swivel chair and novelty gumball dispensers. "People my age, you know, we are told many times, 'Hello Kitty is for little kids,' and I laugh at that," said Helen from Riverside County, conceding she is "50-plus". Helen, who drives a Hello Kitty-decorated SUV and runs the local fan club "Hello Kitty SoCal Babes", has been "obsessed" with the character since its 1970s US debut. Her vast collection of Hello Kitty plushies "make me feel warm", she said, describing spending hours among the soft toys, many of them rare, on a regular basis. "Something in my inner child gets healed," she said. Hello Kitty started life as an illustration on a vinyl coin purse. It has since appeared on tens of thousands of products -- official and unofficial -- including tie-ups with Adidas, Balenciaga and other top brands. The phenomenon shows no sign of slowing, with a Warner Bros movie in the pipeline and a new Hello Kitty theme park due to open next year on China's tropical Hainan island. Sanrio's share price has soared more than seven-fold, pushing its market cap over one trillion yen ($6.8 billion), since young CEO Tomokuni Tsuji took over from his grandfather in 2020. - 'Pure product' - "We'd be foolishly cynical to say that we don't need these soft, fluffy, pink things," Christine R. Yano of the University of Hawaii told AFP. In fact, "given the fraught nature of our contemporary lives, perhaps we need it now more than ever", said Yano, author of the book "Pink Globalization" about Hello Kitty. "This is not a phenomenon that has died or is going to die, at least soon," she added. Unlike other Japanese cultural exports such as Pokemon or Dragon Ball, there is minimal narrative around the character, whose full name is Kitty White. She has a twin sister Mimmy, a boyfriend called Dear Daniel, and a pet cat of her own, Sanrio says. She loves her mother's apple pie and dreams of becoming a pianist or poet. The rest is left to fans' imaginations -- just like the "abstract, bare design that can speak with a kind of simplicity and elegance to more people", Yano said. "I call her a pure product," the researcher added. Some feminists say Hello Kitty's lack of a mouth is a symbol of disempowerment, but Yuko Akiyama, Sanrio's head of global brand management, said it allows the character to "reflect" different emotions. "So if they're sad, Hello Kitty will comfort you. If you are happy, Hello Kitty is there to share the happiness with you," Akiyama said. - Kawaii - Famous Hello Kitty fans include Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry, and her appeal extends to royalty: Britain's King Charles wished her a happy birthday this year. On Hello Kitty's TikTok account -- whose bio is "CEO of supercute" -- sardonic memes and footage from "Hello Kitty Day" at US baseball games delight 3.5 million followers. Hello Kitty is the epitome of Japan's "kawaii", or cute, soft power, and she is the mascot of a campaign promoting tourist etiquette in Tokyo. Posters celebrating the 50th anniversary are on display at Sanrio Puroland theme park, where businesswoman Kim Lu from Manila had brought her four-year-old niece during their holiday. "This really is our priority here in Tokyo," she said. "To be honest, we really don't know" the reason for Hello Kitty's ineffable success, said Lu, 36. "I think it's the kawaii charm." Sanrio owns the copyright to hundreds of other popular characters, and Hello Kitty now accounts for 30 percent of profits, down from 75 percent a decade ago. But Kitty is still a favourite of 23-year-old Rio Ueno, who took an overnight bus from Japan's northern Niigata region to visit the park with a friend. "I've had Kitty goods around me since I was a small child," said Ueno, dressed in a fluffy Hello Kitty sweater, sporting a Kitty bag, and clutching a Kitty doll. "She is someone who is always close to me, and I want it to stay that way."

Hello Kitty, 'CEO Of Supercute', turns 50

Fans are shocked after learning that the iconic fictional character of 'Hello Kitty' resembling a cat, may not be feline at all.&nbsp;Japanese company Sanrio, the creator of Hello Kitty, on its 50th anniversary, has set the record straight about the beloved character by stating that it is not a cat, albeit a little girl.&nbsp;

Sanrio’s senior vice president of marketing and brand management, Jill Koch, made the revelation which may surprise even the hardcore pop culture fans.&nbsp;

“Hello Kitty is not a cat.&nbsp;She’s actually a little girl," Koch told Today,&nbsp;ahead of the icon’s 50th anniversary.&nbsp;

Koch also informed that Hello Kitty is not of Japanese descent, despite being created by a Japanese company. She is based in London where she has a family.&nbsp;

“She’s actually a little girl born and raised in the suburbs in London.&nbsp;She has a mom and dad and a twin sister Minnie, who is also her best friend. She enjoys baking cookies and making new friends," she&nbsp;added.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/50th-anniversary-of-the-queen-of-cute-hello-kitty-at-somerset-house-london-684218">Watch |&nbsp;50th anniversary of the queen of cute Hello Kitty at Somerset House, London</a>

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Fans had a hard time coming to terms with the identity of Hello Kitty, with one stating:&nbsp;“If she has ears like a cat, has whiskers like a cat, she is probably just a little girl."

Another said:&nbsp;“So she has whiskers, ears, and is named ‘Kitty,’ but is actually human? What?”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hello Kitty and Friends are preparing for a month long summer camp ☀️ Watch the Season 9 Finale now on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HelloKittyandFriends?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HelloKittyandFriends</a> YouTube channel! 
 
Watch now: <a href="https://t.co/PsU5TdFxNi">https://t.co/PsU5TdFxNi</a> <a href="https://t.co/Z2GsXQB6GE">pic.twitter.com/Z2GsXQB6GE</a>
— Hello Kitty (@hellokitty) <a href="https://twitter.com/hellokitty/status/1808591667655500213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Hello Kitty's history</h2>

Hello Kitty was created by Yuko Shimizu in 1974 and made her first appearance on a children's coin purse in 1975. Over the last five decades, the character has gained worldwide fans while delighting millions.&nbsp;

However, this is not the first time&nbsp;Sanrio has clarified Hello Kitty's true identity. In 2014,&nbsp;Christine R&nbsp;Yano,&nbsp;the author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek Across the Pacific, told the Los Angeles Times that she was corrected by the company about the character.&nbsp;

“She is a friend. But she is not a cat,” Yano said. “She’s never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature. She does have a pet cat of her own, however, and it’s called Charmmy Kitty.”

Yano confirmed that Hello Kitty's full name was Kitty White and that she's a Scorpio, who loves eating apple pie.&nbsp;

“A lot of people don’t know the story and a lot don’t care.&nbsp;But it’s interesting because Hello Kitty emerged in the 1970s, when the Japanese and Japanese women were into Britain," Yano added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Fans are shocked after learning that the iconic fictional character of 'Hello Kitty' resembling a cat, may not be feline at all. Japanese company Sanrio, the creator of Hello Kitty, on its 50th anniversary, has set the record straight about the beloved character by stating that it is not a cat, albeit a little girl.

Fans are shocked after learning that the iconic fictional character of 'Hello Kitty' resembling a cat, may not be feline at all. Japanese company Sanrio, the creator of Hello Kitty, on its 50th anniversary, has set the record straight about the beloved character by stating that it is not a cat, albeit a little girl. Sanrio’s senior vice president of marketing and brand management, Jill Koch, made the revelation which may surprise even the hardcore pop culture fans. “Hello Kitty is not a cat. She’s actually a little girl," Koch told Today, ahead of the icon’s 50th anniversary. Koch also informed that Hello Kitty is not of Japanese descent, despite being created by a Japanese company. She is based in London where she has a family. “She’s actually a little girl born and raised in the suburbs in London. She has a mom and dad and a twin sister Minnie, who is also her best friend. She enjoys baking cookies and making new friends," she added. Watch | 50th anniversary of the queen of cute Hello Kitty at Somerset House, London × Fans had a hard time coming to terms with the identity of Hello Kitty, with one stating: “If she has ears like a cat, has whiskers like a cat, she is probably just a little girl." Another said: “So she has whiskers, ears, and is named ‘Kitty,’ but is actually human? What?” Hello Kitty and Friends are preparing for a month long summer camp ☀️ Watch the Season 9 Finale now on the #HelloKittyandFriends YouTube channel! Watch now: https://t.co/PsU5TdFxNi pic.twitter.com/Z2GsXQB6GE — Hello Kitty (@hellokitty) July 3, 2024 × Hello Kitty's history Hello Kitty was created by Yuko Shimizu in 1974 and made her first appearance on a children's coin purse in 1975. Over the last five decades, the character has gained worldwide fans while delighting millions. However, this is not the first time Sanrio has clarified Hello Kitty's true identity. In 2014, Christine R Yano, the author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek Across the Pacific, told the Los Angeles Times that she was corrected by the company about the character. “She is a friend. But she is not a cat,” Yano said. “She’s never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature. She does have a pet cat of her own, however, and it’s called Charmmy Kitty.” Yano confirmed that Hello Kitty's full name was Kitty White and that she's a Scorpio, who loves eating apple pie. “A lot of people don’t know the story and a lot don’t care. But it’s interesting because Hello Kitty emerged in the 1970s, when the Japanese and Japanese women were into Britain," Yano added. (With inputs from agencies)

Hello Kitty is not a cat, its creators reveal, leaving fans shocked

London’s cutest exhibition, quite literally, has arrived in Somerset House. Celebrating all things adorable, kawaii, and sweet, CUTE explores the force of the cultural phenomena of cuteness using contemporary artworks and new artist commissions in partnership with Sanrio.

50th anniversary of the queen of cute Hello Kitty at Somerset House, London

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