Sanrio: “Kawaii” Means “Cute”

A Hello Kitty Cherry Blossom Collector's Doll. Image from Sanrio.

Sanrio is a Japanese brand that embodies total cuteness. They make incredibly cute objects that feature incredibly cute characters. My little girl self was obsessed with the stuff. They were just so cute! I collected them like craaaazy! I had stationery, hairclips, jewelry, lunch boxes, and mini-thermos bottles, bags, socks and shirts. You’d glimpse any or all of my favorite Sanrio characters in any given area in my room or closet: Hello Kitty, Little Twin Stars (aka Kiki and Lala), My Melody, Patty and Jimmy.

Little girl moi in my favorite (faded) Patty and Jimmy T-shirt.

It turns out that Sanrio is just as popular now. Hello Kitty is still the VIP character but the rest of the gang are still around, joined by lots of new characters. And gosh, there are a couple of theme parks already in Japan – Puroland and Harmonyland. And a Hello Kitty theme park in China is definitely in the works.

The proposed Hello Kitty theme park. Opening in China in 2014. Image via Entertainment Designer.

I had a great time catching up with these old friends. I realize now that I must have surrounded myself with a whole lot of froufrou pink stuff back in the day, but they were part of my childhood, and they made me happy, and 8-year-old me won’t apologize for her tastes.

Besides, who am I to judge my kiddie self? There are still a whole bunch of Sanrio stuff that I actually still want!

A well-loved Little Twin Stars case from an Etsy user. Via Etsy.

Hello Kitty Bling. Via Sanrio.

Breakfast with Hello Kitty. Via Tumblr.

Now, this is something I could really use. It's adorable! Via Hello Kitty Blog.

There's hardly any pink here. Via Sanrio.

Who wouldn't fall in love with this one? Kawaii!

I think Hello Kitty and the other Sanrio characters have embedded themselves in the psyches of a lot of people, who express their affinity in ways more extreme than I would.

Hello Kitty nail art. Via We Heart It.

Cosplayers dressed up as The Little Twin Stars.

Sanrio-themed cupcakes. Via Cutest Food.