a b "Hello Kitty isn't a cat!? We called Sanrio to find out!". 28 August 2014 . Retrieved 29 August 2014. a b Martinez, Michael; Hurtado, Jaqueline (2 November 2014). "Hello Kitty turns 40, draws 25,000 fans to convention". CNN . Retrieved 27 January 2021.

Hello Kitty is included as part of the Sanrio livery at the Japanese theme parks Harmonyland and Sanrio Puroland. The Hello Kitty Shanghai Times theme park in Shanghai, China opened in 2019. [20] A theme park called Hello Kitty Town existed in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia from 2012 to 2019. [84] [85] [86] In 2014, Sanrio partnered with the Indonesian theme park Dufan to introduce Hello Kitty Adventure, a cinema based attraction. [87] In the United States, Hello Kitty is recognized by more than 80% of young adults in the 18–23 age group, as of 2016 [update]. [44] In 2014 a four-day convention, Hello Kitty Con in Los Angeles, attracted over 25,000 visitors. The convention was held in celebration of Hello Kitty's 40th anniversary. [45] Sanrio's Puroland Tokyo theme park also held a celebration spanning several days in November 2014. [46] Character Blass, Evan (30 June 2006). "Hello Kitty Stratocaster goes high-end". engadget . Retrieved 19 June 2019. Hinson, Tamara (30 November 2014). "Inside the cult world of Hello Kitty". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 November 2019. Sims, Chris (16 March 2016). "New Online Manga Sees Hello Kitty Fighting Monsters With Her Giant Robot". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016.

Lim, Hyun-wook (20 November 2010). "Hongdae's bohemian raps and dancing". Joongang Daily. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013 . Retrieved 6 March 2013. {{ cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL ( link) UNICEF named Hello Kitty as children's ambassador to the United States in 1983, children's ambassador in Japan in 1994, and gave her the title of UNICEF Special Friend of Children in 2004, a title unique to her. [32] [33] [34] In 2008, a Hello Kitty-themed maternity hospital opened in Yuanlin, Taiwan. Hello Kitty is featured on the receiving blankets, room decor, bed linens, birth certificate covers, and nurses' uniforms. The hospital's owner explained that he hoped that the theme would help ease the stress of childbirth. [97] [98] Clothing Hello Kitty gets a new job — this time appearing on Converse sneakers!". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. 16 February 2019 . Retrieved 5 January 2023.

a b c d e f g h i j k Tabuchi, Hiroko (14 May 2010). "In Search of Adorable, as Hello Kitty Gets Closer to Goodbye". The New York Times. Fans say goodbye to Hello Kitty as Johor theme park calls it a day". The Straits Times. January 2020. The Hello Kitty brand rose to greater prominence internationally during the late 1990s. At that time, several celebrities, such as Mariah Carey, had adopted Hello Kitty as a fashion statement. [15] New products featuring the character were made available in a large variety of American department stores. a b c "Hello Kitty Stratocaster guitar by Fender". Engadget. 6 December 2005 . Retrieved 16 December 2022. Hello Kitty Town to shut down in Johor's indoor theme park near Legoland". The Straits Times. 31 December 2019.

In 1976 Setsuko Yonekubo temporarily took over as lead designer for Hello Kitty, after Shimizu left Sanrio. In 1980 Yuko Yamaguchi became lead designer and has remained in charge since. [24] Yamaguchi has said that fashion, movies, and TV inspire her in creating new designs. New series involving Hello Kitty with different themed designs are released regularly, following current trends. [9] [17] Murph, Darren (18 June 2010). "Hello Kitty engine oil, because not everyone can drive electric cars". Engadget. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020 . Retrieved 7 December 2020. Hello Kitty's lead designer tells the origin story of the British schoolgirl". Today. Singapore. 21 June 2016. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016.