Why is Hello Kitty such a phenomenom in japan?

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lilpeachez3

Hello Kitty is part of the "kawaii" or cute culture in Japan that gained popularity in 1970's during the beginning of Japan's huge economic uprising Japanese women became servants to their husbands who brought home the bacon but rarely saw their kids. Moving from the countrysides to the cities, women wanted comfort, and Hello Kitty and other "cute characters", with their soft features and homespun stories, were just the kind of nurturing creatures to help them escape the hostile, industrialized urban world. Hello Kitty's international appeal is because Hello Kitty appears asexual and seems to have no obvious ethnicity----and yes as stated before it is true that she has no mouth to represent the strife of a Japanese woman's inability to have a voice in their society.

Adam

Because the Japanese love "cute." It is crazy. Cute is very popular in Japan. Hello Kitty is cute, hence the craze.

matsuo's momo

the trend is getting to an end now, I suppose. Isn't Hello Kitty more popular among foreign girls than among Japanese girls?

cryptogram

because Hello Kitty is cute

stains

it's sorta girly and my daughter is nuts for it- she's not japanese (that i know of). who knows why- why do the germans love david hasselhoff?

Norsehawk

In Japan, the women are not required to 'grow up' they can love being childish and enjoying things like hello kitty without being looked down upon. Hello Kitty is one of those timeless advertising things that changes with the culture but doesn't really become 'uncool'. Just like Mickey the Rat over here :)

DeathStar

Well, I grew up with Hello Kitty phenomenon.

Hello Kitty toys are a rage when I was a little girl and i lurvve the colours. Those pinks and greens and of course , its associated with a lovable animal which is the cat. Any collectibles is cuteee whether pencil case, pencils, notepads, notebooks, stationery, etc. I had those collection when I was young.

Now, I'm still crazy over those toys because it brought back my
highschool memories when my world is just simple. Now, they are mere mementoes of my past.

valerie l

because it's Kawaii!!!!!!!hello kitty wa bare kawaii!!!!that's it just for this reason.

xian

Their passion for hello kitty has to do with the Japanese societal ideal known as "kawaii". This ideal places a great emphasis on "innocence" and "purity" as traits in people, and hello kitty is part of the "innocent" aspect of that. The qualities found in children are highly prized by societal Japan.
If you would like to learn more about things like this, there is an incredible book called "The Japanese Have a Word for it" by Boye Lafayette De Mente (my partner brought it back from a bookstore on one of his travels). It is *well* worth reading if you want to understand Japanese culture and thought.

gundam_bravo4

I remember reading something of how the Japanese love "Kawaiii!!" which is things that are cute. Thats why. I don't see any problem with it. If they wanna retain there inner child I say let em.

harrytong6228

good answer from above

Joriental

She is already 32 years old. born in 1974.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_Kitty

Today it becomes as collector's piece.

ami.kawabata

It's not just the Japanese that's crazy about Kitty....places like Singapore almost had people trampled at McDonald's for the Hello Kitty toys.

blue_bee

Hello Kitty has been around for as long as I can remember...maybe its not so much for "hello kitty" but the merchandise of her is really cute...example the pencils, pencil sharpeners, pencil boxes, stickers, keychains, stuffed toys, garbage bins, etc...they're really cute....there are even lots of types of hello kitty dolls....hello kitty as a bride, as an astronaut, as a doctor, etc etc....and the phone keychains and keyrings are also cute....but wow! i didn't know there was a Hello Kitty car!! plus, most of it is pink, and girls adore pink....i don't think that Hello Kitty is cute, but the merchandise is....like you said, there are so many Hello Kitty merchandises....and if something is famous, it has a big impact on the thoughts of people.....

Art The Wise

What do you think the Japanese say about Mickey Mouse? I prefer Hello Kitty. She is cuter and it not a freakin infested rat.

michinoku2001

Hello Kitty has no mouth to symbolize how women have no voice in Japan, or at least that's what a feminist told me. My personal favorite is the Hello Kitty vibrator.

eatmyworld

Yeah I know.
Hello Kitty is not even cute.
She (it?)'s creepy looking.
Ever notice how that cat never smiles?
All we ever see is that vague, blank expression.

That cat gives me the heebie jeebies.

space monkey

Because they don't have "The Simpsons."

misty30

I don't know but it is everywhere I go and it's sickening! They seem to be really big into cartoony type things in general though...I don't see the appeal...

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