Now, Hello Kitty, or, as known to the Japanese, こんにちはキティ— Japan's ubiquitous ambassador of cute and global marketing phenom. Fashion diva. Pop culture icon. Ridiculous cartoon character.
The tourism ministry of Japan named Hello Kitty as its choice to represent the country in China and Hong Kong, where the Kitty enjoys great popularity among children and young women in an effort to boost tourism into Japan and help Japan meet its goal of attracting 10 million overseas visitors every year under the "Visit Japan" campaign.
Sanrio Co. President Shintaro Tsuji called Hello Kitty's new appointment "an honor" and pledged to "work hard to attract many visitors."
Apparently, Japan does not feel they have received the "bump" they need from their current goodwill ambassadors: Korean singer Younha, Japanese actress Yoshino Kimura and Japanese pop/rock duo Puffy AmiYumi.
Hello Kitty is the first fictional character to achieve ambassador status, following blue robo-cat Doraemon as Japan's "anime ambassador."
Hello Kitty isn't even Japanese. She lives in the suburbs outside London with her father, George White; mother, Mary White; and twin sister, Mimmy White. Her birth certificate reads Kitty White.
Other occupants of the White house include Bear, a living teddy, and Moley, who pops up in the garden. Much has been made of Hello Kitty's mouth, or lack thereof. A handful of feminist scholars say her non communicative nature perpetuates the submissive female archetype, while others attribute Hello Kitty's appeal to her blank stare -- onto which fans can project their own emotions.
According to Hello Kitty's official bio, "Kitty is a cheerful, warm-hearted little girl. Baking cookies is her forte, but what she enjoys most is eating a slice of Mama's apple pie!" Her favorite things include candy, stars, and goldfish, as well as the inevitable "small, cute things." Hello Kitty is in third grade. She weighs the same as three apples and stands five apples tall. Her blood type is A.Hello Kitty turned 34 in 2008, although, strangely, she remains a kitten. In 1993, Hello Kitty found a boyfriend, a similar-looking kitty named Dear Daniel. The two playmates rarely rendezvous, however, because Daniel is perpetually on African safari with his family (dad is a photographer).
No worries, correspondence is a Hello Kitty mainstay, hence her fondness for stationery. Other members of her social circle include the teen bunny Kathy, brother and sister monkeys Timmy and Tammy, and boy puppy Jody.
The Paparazzi have been scouring England and Japan for a photo of Kitty and Daniel.
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