Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

Hello Kitty

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Fancy feline

Selling for even more than ebay listed PlayStation 3s, the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo has a platinum Hello Kitty figure for sale from Tuesday; the 5.6 centimetre cat priced at a staggering 18.9 million yen (82,000 pound). A figure that perhaps not surprisingly makes it the most expensive Hello Kitty figure in existence.

platinum hello kitty

Feline fanatics however are advised to get there early, as the platinum pussy is a one-off. Plus with the added option of attaching ribbons and using the object as a pendant, interest is expected to be intense.

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Hello Kitty compound

Behind the electrified fence and countless guards, those at Tokyo’s branch of the evil Hello Kitty empire produce more and more mind-boggling merchandise; thousands of them working away whilst the phenomenally famous feline silently looks on.

sanrio japan

Yet despite the secrecy and security, a chance conversation with a departing dispatch driver appeared to suggest that helping contribute to the cat’s quest for world domination does have its perks, with the young fella happily boasting, “It’s wall-to-wall pussy in there.”

hello kitty

Or something along those lines — possibly minus the predictable and preposterously poor pussy pun.

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Pussy Galore

With the help of celebrity Aki Hoshino, Sanrio Corp. launched the bi-weekly ‘Hello Kitty Accessory Collection’ on Tuesday, a new magazine that each edition will feature a different country as its theme, providing information on history and culture. Plus, of course, details on the masses of Kitty related merchandise available — both present and past.

hello kitty magazine

Hello Kitty herself will actually provide the undoubtedly fascinating facts in each publication, with the famous feline appearing ready to branch out into more challenging and rewarding territory; the new approach presumably tempting young Hoshino-san to help promote the new venture, with the 29-year-old actress and model saying, “I got a phone call from Kitty yesterday and we decided to wear matching outfits. I really love Hello Kitty”.

hoshino aki and hello kitty

The first edition will focus on Britain, and, like all future issues, will include trinkets of some description or other; a charm bracelet and pouch modeled on Victorian fashion being the first giveaways. Items which Hoshino will presumably be keen to snap up, after divulging that her home is filled with Kitty-related goods.

One such item it seems is a Hello Kitty ring, which she wore for the occasion, forcing one gossip-loving reporter to ask if it was from a boyfriend. Hoshino coyly responding by saying, “Not yet, but my home is packed with Hello Kitty stuff, so I want a guy who is going to like Kitty, too.”

A position that many of those partial to a bit of pussy now and again will surely be more than happy to fill.

aki

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Hell O’Kitty Angels

Leather-clad bikers who simply can’t get enough pussy need worry no more. Whilst Sanrio may not (yet) produce a Hello Kitty motorbike, these new helmets should ease any frustrations for now.

hello kitty helmet

A product that rather fortuitously allows for a whole host of double entendres. The possibilities of pussy, helmet, and tight fitting are seemingly endless, and could keep a schoolboy — or indeed a Tokyo based blogger — happy for months.

However fear not. Due to a lack of time I’ll have to save them for another day. I’m off out on my scooter shortly, and as my helmet hasn’t been used for a day or two, I need to give it a good polish first.

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Feline fanatic

This year sees Hello Kitty celebrate its 30th anniversary. And perhaps because of the cat’s incredible longevity, it’s arguably not all that surprising to find that many of the feline’s most ardent admirers are in their 30’s and 40’s.

One such fan (or more accurately obsessive) is 31-year-old receptionist Asako Kanda. As a young child she bought a few kitty-chan items, such as pens, books, etc. And by the time she reached 10 or 11 her interest had become more pronounced, with a Hello Kitty mug made in pottery class, and a similarly patterned apron in home-economics. Yet for many girls this would not be a particularly unusual story, but in the case of Kanda-san the obsession didn’t gradually fade with age. Rather it got stronger. Much stronger in fact.

In her Kitty-goods packed (and sickeningly pink) apartment, the feline fan said that, “Kitty has always been with me, almost subconsciously.” And with the recent earthquakes in Niigata, she worries about what will happen to her kids should there be a major tremor. These kids being the huge number of Kitty soft toys she has amassed over the years.

However with Sanrio (the company behind Hello Kitty) making the most of such fans, Kanda-san doesn’t have to worry about Kitty-chan only being with her subconsciously. With Kitty toasters, TV’s, pens, and pans, she can be with her favourite character almost all her waking hours. In fact on the rare occasions she isn’t surrounded by Kitty paraphernalia, Kanda confesses to feeling stressed.

kitty_tv.jpg

But the cat crazy receptionist says the relationship is not completely one-sided. When her father became ill and underwent an operation a few years ago, she claims that, “looking at my Hello Kitty handkerchief, I felt as if she were calling out to me, ‘don’t worry, everything will be fine’.” Similarly, a Kitty pillow (shaped like the face of the character) gave Kanda-san hope and support when one of her bosses was sexually harassing her.

As extreme (and disturbing) as some of this is, I guess you can say it’s relatively harmless. And if it has helped the woman out in a few bad situations, then fair enough. But Kanda-san’s dream of a Kitty-shaped house with two ears sticking out of the roof is a little disconcerting. Although perhaps more so is her wish for a Kitty-style funeral complete with a Hello Kitty tombstone.

Hmm…