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I keep in mind as younger women, my sister and I’d make a beeline for the Hiya Kitty show when our mom took us to Bullock’s—a favourite division retailer in Scottsdale, Arizona—for a day of buying. The little white cartoon cat with a mouthless, expressionless face was simply so cute! We liked shopping for Hiya Kitty stationery, plush toys, and different merchandise. Simply seeing Hiya Kitty made us blissful.
Hiya Kitty could possibly be my third sister in a fictional cartoon world. She was “born” in 1974—only a yr after me—and 2024 is Hiya Kitty’s 50th anniversary.
Let’s rejoice 5 many years of Hiya Kitty bringing pleasure to all, and particularly to these of us with an affinity for cats! (Though, Hiya Kitty shouldn’t be, ahem, technically a cat; learn on for particulars.)
Hiya Kitty Historical past
Sanrio, a Japanese firm that started in 1960, created Hiya Kitty in late 1974. A yr later, the corporate launched the character together with her signature purple bow to the world with a Hiya Kitty youngsters’s coin purse, a small merchandise that bought for lower than a greenback.
In keeping with Sanrio, Hiya Kitty was born within the suburbs of London. She lives together with her mother and father and her twin sister, Mimmy, who’s Hiya Kitty’s finest good friend, alongside together with her teddy bear named Tiny Chum. She loves baking cookies, touring, studying, socializing, and consuming her mom’s apple pie. Hiya Kitty’s motto is: “You’ll be able to by no means have too many buddies!”
Sanrio’s Hiya Kitty web site is chock filled with merchandise—greater than 1,000 Hiya Kitty gadgets! When you can title it, you may most likely discover it within the Hiya Kitty model: plush toys, stationery, paper plates, sneakers, suitcases, jewellery, and the checklist goes on. You’ll be able to even snag a 2024 Restricted Version 50th Anniversary plush Hiya Kitty earlier than the merchandise sells out.
Listed here are seven fascinating info about Hiya Kitty.
1. Hiya Kitty Is Not a Cat—She’s a Little Lady
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Say what? Since when have women had pointy ears and whiskers? And what in regards to the title Hiya Kitty? So what provides? I’ve a tough time shopping for this, however Sanrio claims Hiya Kitty is merely a catlike cartoon little woman.
In 2015, when a Hiya Kitty exhibit opened on the Japanese American Nationwide Museum in Los Angeles, curator Christine R. Yano shared with the Los Angeles Instances that Sanrio clarified the character’s species earlier than the exhibit opened.
“That’s one correction Sanrio made for my script for the present,” Yano stated. “Hiya Kitty shouldn’t be a cat. She’s a cartoon character. She is somewhat woman. She is a good friend. However she shouldn’t be a cat.”
Yano identified that Hiya Kitty, certainly, is rarely proven strolling on all fours like a cat. However nonetheless—she seems like a cat and known as Hiya Kitty! I’m in settlement with the backlash that got here from followers after this revelation, and I vote for persevering with to view Hiya Kitty as a cat, reasonably than getting caught on technicalities. For what it’s price, the cartoon little woman’s full title is Kitty White, and her birthday is November 1, 1974.
2. Hiya Kitty Grew to become Animated within the Eighties
Hiya Kitty’s first tv position got here in 1987 with the animated present, Hiya Kitty’s Furry Story Theater. Different reveals since then embody the long-running Hiya Kitty and Pals, Hiya Kitty’s Paradise, The Adventures of Hiya Kitty & Pals, and others. These reveals are cartoons, however in 2005, Hiya Kitty did one thing completely different with Hiya Kitty Stump Village. This program featured claymation variations of Hiya Kitty and her buddies, they usually didn’t converse; a narrator voiceover does the speaking.
3. Hiya Kitty Is the Mascot of Two Amusement Parks
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In the US, Mickey Mouse has Disneyland and Looney Tunes characters are the animated stars of Six Flags theme parks. In Japan, Hiya Kitty is the important thing character representing Sanrio Puroland, an indoor theme park in Tokyo. Over in Hiji, Japan, Harmonyland is the outside Sanrio theme park. In these household enjoyable locations, folks say “Hiya” to Hiya Kitty all over the place!
4. Hiya Kitty Has a Japanese Authorities Position
In 2008, Tetsuzo Fuyushiba—Japan’s tourism minister—offered a kimono-clad Hiya Kitty a certificates appointing her because the tourism ambassador to welcome guests from China and Hong Kong—the place Hiya Kitty is wildly well-liked amongst women and younger girls. Japan has different goodwill tourism ambassadors, together with actress Yoshino Kimura, however all of the others are actual people.
5. Hiya Kitty Has a Purrsonal Life
Sorry, boys and kittens. Hiya Kitty has a boyfriend: Pricey Daniel, also referred to as Daniel Starr. Sanrio launched him in 1999. Daniel’s hobbies embody enjoying the piano, dancing, and taking footage of animals. And although greater than twenty years have handed since Daniel appeared, fictional youngster cartoon characters by no means age, so likelihood is, he nonetheless needs to be an expert cameraman when he grows up. Hiya Kitty additionally has her personal pet cat: Charmmy Kitty.
6. Hiya Kitty Is a Social Media Star
Properly, after all, she is. We’d have been restricted to cabinets at department shops within the ’80s, however within the trendy world, Hiya Kitty is throughout our on-line world! She has a TikTok channel, a Fb web page with some 12 million followers, and an Instagram web page with some 4.5 million followers. Hiya Kitty followers can observe these pages to get common doses of cuteness and pleasure.
7. Hiya Kitty Is Coming to the Massive Display
In 2019, New Line introduced an upcoming Hiya Kitty film that might be a hybrid of live-action and animation. Jennifer Coyle and Leo Matsuda will direct the film, and Lindsey Beer wrote the script.
“This isn’t solely a uncommon likelihood to convey a beloved character to life, but additionally to unfold the message of affection, friendship, and inclusivity that Hiya Kitty stands for,” Coyle stated in 2021. “The world so wants her model of pleasure and happiness.”
The most recent replace on the mission got here in November 2024, confirming that the film continues to be in manufacturing at Warner Bros. We Hiya Kitty lovers will probably be ready with the popcorn!
