An interview with Ms Yoko Yamaguchi, the world famous Hello Kitty designer…

The past, present and future come together in an exclusive one-on-one interview with legendary Hello Kitty designer, Ms. Yamaguchi Yuko.

Find out what’s in store and more with never-seen-before footage, photos and transcripts from this latest interview.

Satisfy your curiosity with fascinating trivia and learn about the wonderful plans lying ahead for Hello Kitty and her friends.

To view the full interview please visit the sario website.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW

TG: When you took on the Chief designer post at Sanrio in 1980, did you ever imagine that Hello Kitty would become an international character as it is today? Knowing now that Kitty is globally recognized and influential, would you have changed anything about how you designed her character, or personality?

YY: Not really. I designed Hello Kitty way back in January 1980 but she was not that popular then in Japan, let alone other countries. In fact, one of my first jobs was to take the original Hello Kitty design and promote her in the canteens and local newspapers. Come 1984, people were already starting to recognize Hello Kitty and building an affection towards her when the pivotal question was raised, “Does Hello Kitty have any friends?” We then considered promoting Hello Kitty as a ‘Teddy Bear’ since that was big at the time. This turned out to be a huge success, making Hello Kitty the top selling character in Sanrio in 1985. Ever since, our focus has always been to listen to the demands of our customers and fans. So to answer your question, I personally would not consider to have changed the way Hello Kitty was.

TG: Do you still participate in the day-to-day creative direction for Sanrio? What do you do in your daily life to get inspiration for your work?

YY: I am constantly involved with all the design works so in that sense, yes, I do participate. As for inspiration, I believe nothing in particularly out of the ordinary, but that’s also what’s important. By embracing the lives and thoughts of what our target customer would be, we have come to understand their demands and desires, which then helps to shape the next generation designs. Recently, we’ve actually found it a bit easier though, because it seems that what we find appealing as a Japanese in this current age, is also appealing to the international countries as well.

TG :Why is Hello Kitty an English girl?

YY: During the time when Hello Kitty was first designed, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ was a fascinating concept and was very popular amongst the Japanese Girls. Therefore, we remained true to the demand and gave the settings for Hello Kitty to be from England where Alice was originated. In fact, the name Hello Kitty is derived from the cat that appears in the sequel of Alice, which is ‘Alice in Mirrorland’.

TG: In different markets, Hello Kitty appeals to different age groups, what are your thoughts to that, why do you think this is so?

YY: We purposely designed Hello Kitty in such a way that her age is vague, which in turn helps the customer relate to her as the character they want her to be. For instance, if a 4-5 years old girl portrays Hello Kitty being around the same age, it becomes so. Likewise, if a 20-year old woman would do the same, she ultimately defines her age. What’s important was for us to allow the fans some leeway to envisage Hello Kitty as they see fit and to whatever they felt was most comfortable.

TG: You had mentioned in a previous interview that the pinky kilt series was your favorite Hello Kitty item. Is that still the case? If not, what is your new favorite item?

YY: Yes, it’s still the case; the Pinky Kilt series is like an eternal theme for me and would not change. However there are some other ones, which I have started to build affection to, and that is the recent “Lolita” fashion and Charmmy’s Alice series. More so with ‘Alice’ as it holds a special place in my heart. Perhaps these could also become my eternal favorite themes eventually.

TG: You had said that Hello Kitty never thought of much complicated matters but that as a woman, she would support women’s right. She was also a special ambassador to UNICEF in the UNICEF Special Friend of Children campaign. Could you tell us more about this and other special campaigns Hello Kitty has done for the social good of society?

YY: Hello Kitty is currently participating in the Pink Ribbon campaign, which is an activity to prevent breast cancer. In Japan, breast cancer is one of the highest causes of death for women but it can actually be healed if it is detected early and treated accordingly. Unfortunately, a lot of the women often find it embarrassing to go to the hospital and some people around me have already died because of negligence. As such, we felt that if Hello Kitty could help by any means to prevent such tragedies, then there is nothing more wonderful than fulfilling her role as a true friend.

TG: What’s next for Hello Kitty? Will there be any more additions to the family or changes for Kitty herself?

YY: While her trend and taste may slightly change over time along with the demands of people, the underlying concept of what essentially makes Hello Kitty will not change. The world is one and we are all friends. This is the eternal theme of Hello Kitty and this is what shapes her personality as being active, kind and greatly caring for her friends.