Hello Kitty becomes Japan's ambassador to China. The little half-Japanese, half-English cat has become so globally recognisable that it is, perhaps, inevitable that the Japanese board of tourism has appointed her their official tourism ambassador to China and Hong Kong. This is not the first time the world has looked to Hello Kitty to perform an ambassadorial role; she has been United States children's ambassador for Unicef since 1983. [more inside]
posted by infini on May 25, 2008 - 18 comments

Warhammer 40K meets Hello Kitty
posted by nthdegx on May 17, 2008 - 28 comments

MeFi is no stranger to Hello Kitty. Whether you are a fan or not (previously), her feline popularity, especially among young women, is undeniable. "But what about the guys?" you ask. Unless you were a Thai police officer, Puroland groom, or bought the existing merchandise, there just wasn't anything made especially for you. Sanrio heard the call, and Hello Kitty merchandise designed especially for men is coming soon.
posted by cmgonzalez on Dec 28, 2007 - 39 comments

Hello Chococat, Oh No! Doom, Sludge, Noise(warning: ewwtube): the music of Monarch (warning:murdochSpace); they're from Bayonne.
posted by geos on Nov 22, 2007 - 11 comments

[SanrioFilter] Congratulations, Horlick and Jamie, on this auspicious occasion. (Single-link YouTube post.)
posted by beaucoupkevin on Sep 4, 2007 - 30 comments

We've discussed the omnipresent nature of Hello Kitty before. She has aliens for allies, her own MMORPG, and even a banking empire. But what about the havoc that can be wreaked when fandoms collide? If Sanrio-meets-Star-Wars doesn't make your brain hurt, how about the thought of packing some Hello Kitty heat? Or maybe...maybe you're a fan. Maybe visiting Puroland--Hello Kitty's theme park--appeals to you. Oh, it does? Then you'll be happy to hear that Puroland does weddings, too[Youtube].
posted by Vervain on Aug 22, 2006 - 31 comments

"There's a Hello Kitty outside my window. Can I have a glass of water?"
posted by miss lynnster on Feb 15, 2005 - 22 comments

It's like EverQuest...only pink. Well, maybe not exactly like EverQuest. But Sanrio is entering the world of online gaming with their new MMORPG, Hello Kitty Online World. Preliminary views indicate that it's going to be a fully-realized 3D world where players can control both their own avatar and an "angel," which seems a little bit like a witch's familiar. The Sanrio characters are, of course, NPCs - you can't make Hello Kitty punch Spottie Dottie, because that's just not what Kitty-chan would do! There will be countries, populated with player homes (you can decorate it with a Titanic poster!), and you can also adventure, train, and form alliances.
posted by etoile on Nov 5, 2004 - 10 comments

Hello Little Consumer The popular Hello Kitty brand -- commonly found on stationery, purses, pajamas and other items for children -- will soon start appearing on a new platform: a MasterCard debit card. Target age group: 10 to 14."Freedom! You can use the Hello Kitty Debit MasterCard to shop 'til you drop,"
posted by brian on Oct 3, 2004 - 43 comments

The billion-dollar juggernaut that is Hello Kitty. Tokyo-based journalists Ken Belson and Brian Bremner have published a history of Japanese character-licensing company Sanrio and their most famous character, Hello Kitty. As Japanese "kawaii" (cute) culture continues to invade the world, this looks to be a great guide to the history and impact of Kitty-chan and her minions.
posted by gen on Oct 15, 2003 - 21 comments

Just when you thought they had marketed everything, the new Hello Kitty SARS facemask is now available. That's right. You heard me.
posted by car_bomb on Apr 3, 2003 - 14 comments

Hello Kitty remakes "The Blair Witch Project." This is either the most clever or most inane Yahoo! Greeting I've ever seen...wait, is "inane Yahoo! Greeting" redundant? Happy pre-Halloween Friday...does anyone remember TBWP fondly these days, as the nights grow spooky? Going to see "The Ring" tonight?
posted by serafinapekkala on Oct 18, 2002 - 33 comments

Tired of your office mate's irritatingly cute Hello Kitty USB hub? Balance the forces of cuteness with Hubzilla. (Via Macintouch)
posted by nathan_teske on Sep 18, 2002 - 26 comments

Do you seem to feel anxious lately? Well answer a few questions, and Hello Kitty will provide a psychological analysis for you!
This is just a bit scary. The questions are a little bizarre, too.
posted by Su on Jul 22, 2002 - 18 comments

Looks innocuous, doesn't it? It's actually the Hello Kitty vibrator^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hmassager. I've been told that Sanrio makes products to help little girls through all stages of growth up to adulthood. Now I believe it.
posted by plinth on Mar 31, 2000 - 0 comments

The Fox Family Channel is going to debut a Hello Kitty cartoon this weekend. Will it be cool in that kitschy girly-pop Sanrio sort of way, or will it just blow major chunks? The only person I know who really really loves Hello Kitty is Leslie, and I'm not even sure she has a tv.
posted by CrazyUncleJoe on Mar 3, 2000 - 2 comments

Hello Tarot is the world's cutest tarot card deck. Lord knows I want one.
posted by peterme on Jul 15, 1999 - 0 comments