Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

Hello Kitty

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Hello Kitty control?

Through Japanese eyes at least, the cuteness of Hello Kitty is utterly unquestionable, with practically every product known to man boasting a ‘special edition’ bearing the feline’s almost featureless face. A money-making phenomenon presumably matched only by a certain mouse and his minions as far as merchandising is concerned.

Yet frivolity it seems can quickly turn to fear, as the initially fun for all the family fan pictured below is, on closer inspection, a bulging, big-headed and overbearing Big Brother-like beast that undoubtedly bullies little children into buying more Kitty goods.

hello kitty Tokyo

Either that or I need to get out more often or at the very least have a little lie down.

(click image for full-sized feline forcefulness)

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Hello Kitty hero?

With Japan’s ‘Disaster Preparedness Week’ drawing to a close today, those in charge can congratulate themselves on a job well done, as regardless of how well such things are planned, promotion is pivotal as far as overall success is concerned.

hello kitty Japan

And with this in mind, what (or indeed, who) could be better at furthering interest in such an educational event than everyone’s favourite feline firefighter, Hello Kitty?

hello kitty Japan

This somewhat unexpected move into the emergency services perhaps finally proving that there is absolutely nothing Japan’s most celebrated cat can’t do.

Well, apart from forming facial expressions that is.

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Hello Kitty housing homage

With food, phones and even banana cases now bearing the Hello Kitty logo, Sanrio must be struggling to find stuff to stick its famous feline figure on, as the Japanese giant has now introduced a phenomenally frivolous Kitty-chan doghouse.

Yet far from a crappy kennel with pussy pictures plastered all over it, the one-off creation is covered in crystals and costs an absolutely colossal 3.9 million yen (31,600 dollars). However those with more money than sense need not worry about beating the rush, as Sanrio has said that the buyer will be selected by lottery should there be more than one customer interested.

hello kitty doghouse

Which is a relief.

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Hello Hello Kitty

For fans somehow not content with the recent release of the Hello Kitty banana case, Japanese mobile phone operator SoftBank has teamed up with Sanrio to produce a series of limited edition feline phones, each one decorated with dozens of crystals to faithfully depict the deadpan deity’s rather featureless face.

Japanese Hello Kitty phone

A set of cell phones that are touted as gorgeous, although tacky could well be more truthful.

Japanese Hello Kitty phone

But either way, for those hoping to get their hands on such a prime piece of pussy, only 100 models of each design will be available, making them telephones to be treasured for the lucky few.

Japanese Hello Kitty phone

Or alternatively quickly traded online for a massive amount of money.

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Japanese giant

The dogged drive for world domination hardly endears the Hello Kitty cult to the dwindling number of non-believers.

Yet Japanese giant Sanrio certainly demands at least begrudging respect, as just when it seems that the marketing marvel can’t possibly produce a product that doesn’t already have the placid pussy plastered all over it — it does, this time with a banana case of all things.

Japanese hello kitty banana case

Fruit and fairly featureless feline fans rejoice…