Character Cafes

In most articles that I read online states that all character cafes have a short life span. 

I'm left to wonder if the food is at all worth the money spent. Again, are we just paying the price for a work of art? 

Apparently, so --- because that is what attracting crowds to character based restaurants. 

I keep wondering where lies the fault on character icon cafes? Is it the chef or the restaurant itself? Or even both? I thought character cafes would hire the best of the best? Wouldn't they have hired a chef with experience in creating beautiful food art like I have seen on Instagram? Why haven't they hired those individual baker artistes? How about mixing in a Gourmet chef? 

If they can create something magical in the kitchen that satisfies both your tastebuds and beautiful art food, then wouldn't those repeat customers keep coming back?

You can read the article in full here or continue below.

Character cafes hit the town, but are they here to stay?

June 15, 2016 By Claris Ng

TO HAVE an adorable Pokemon face staring at you on your plate, your picture taken with a Pompompurin statuette, and a merchandise corner for you to grab souvenirs, all in one stop? Well, within the past two months, another three character cafes have sprung up in Singapore, with some making their debut in the region here. While some have said the food served seems more ‘Instagram-worthy’ than delicious, fans of these characters have lauded the overall dining experience. The question though is: Will the novelty last?

Here’s what we found when we visited five of them.

1. Hello Kitty Orchid Garden Cafe

Assuming an elegant and poised setting, white intricately-designed fences draw the perimeters of the 84-seater cafe, the interior is resplendent with lush green potted plants and symbolic purple orchids. The first – and only – Hello Kitty-themed cafe in Singapore opened on May 12 to a snaking queue that persists till today, its location being none other than Changi Airport.

Designed by Yuko Shimizu and subsequently recognised as a Sanrio character, Hello Kitty first made its appearance on a vinyl coin purse sold in Japan in 1974. It has since taken the world by storm – Singapore is the latest addition to the list of Hello Kitty-themed cafes around the world, which includes cities such as Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok.

Setting itself apart from other Hello Kitty-themed cafes in the world, the month-old cafe offers locally-inspired dishes, such as wagyu beef rendang and orange sugee cake for dessert. In response to TMG’s queries, Mr Andrew Khoo, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Business Development & Operations of the Food & Beverage Division at ABR Holdings, said that this concept was introduced to “reflect some of Singapore’s favourite traditional local dishes and flavours”. He added that the company is constantly researching and developing new dishes, which will be added to the existing menu once every few months.

Some other dishes include: Big Breakfast Surprise (scrambled eggs and smoked duck slices) for $18.50, Kitty Goes Fishing (baked salmon with diced macadamia) priced at $23.90, and Rose Rose I Love You (orange sugee cake) for $17.50.

Ms Shelly Yong, 39, a housewife and a Hello Kitty fan, said that infusing local flavours into the menu added “more local appeal” and is something “symbolic for Singaporeans”.

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But even Mr Khoo acknowledges the challenge of running a character-themed cafe: “Novelty will attract customers the first time round, but a consistent and elevated dining experience is the key to longevity”.

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That novelty is helped by the Internet. Fiona Zheng, 14, an Indonesian currently studying in Singapore, said what drew her to the cafe was the outpour of photos on social media. “A lot of people post it on Instagram and my friends say it is Instagram-worthy,” she said.

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Indeed, the hype on the Internet led Ms Emily Kwok and two of her friends, who were on a three-day holiday, to join the constant queue comprising some 12 customers when we visited. The 27-year-old radiographer from Perth said that they were not Hello Kitty fans, but wanted their share in the latest fad on Facebook and Instagram. She lauded the intricate design and ‘garden city’ landscape of the cafe, comparing it to the Hello Kitty outlet in Taiwan which she had visited before. “The setting here in Singapore is nicer, in terms of the layout. I like the garden,” said Ms Kwok. 

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The airport was picked for the world’s first 24-hour Hello Kitty-themed cafe, because “the airport never closes,” said Mr Khoo.

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However, Ms Yong feels otherwise. “The location is weird though, it is not located in town,” remarked Ms Yong. She said that while it is convenient for residents who stay near the airport like herself, it is less accessible for others.

2. DC Comics Super Heroes Cafe

It is a dream come true for Mr John Teo, an avid superhero fan and the managing director of J.T. Network, who runs DC Comics Super Heroes Cafe at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

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The 10-month-old cafe houses life-sized figurines of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, a life-sized model of the Batmobile, with DC comics series posters plastered on the walls.

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Fueled by his passion for comics and superheroes, Mr Teo fulfilled his goal of creating an “immersive DC Comics universe experience”, a place where family and friends could dine and hang out. For avid superhero fans, the merchandise corner boasts a series of limited edition items, the latest being the display of the original autographed poster for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

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Mr Brandon Chu, marketing specialist of DC Comics Super Heroes Cafe, said that special menus are created to coincide with the release of movies by Warner Bros and DC Comics. The recent premiere of the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice film, for instance, sparked the creation of two new dishes, the BvS Batman Burger and BvS Superman Burger. Mr Chu said that the popularity of the burgers prompted them to extend the menu offering even after the movie was no longer showing in theatres.

Its signature dish, Batman’s Wagyu Beef Jaw Burger for $31.90, comes with wagyu beef and foie gras butter served in charcoal burger bun with the Batman logo.

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The first superhero-themed cafe in Singapore has an interesting mix of clientele, depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. Tourists make up 60 per cent of the customer base on weekdays, but 40 per cent on weekends. The remaining percentage are locals. “MBS is a landmark for tourists”, said Mr Chu, which “keeps us rocking well in Singapore”.

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He is cognisant of the short-lived nature of such character-themed cafes, saying “the hard truth is they have a life span of less than five years”. This means that food and service quality remain the pivotal factors to “sustain as a usual cafe”. “Then, we don’t have to worry about competitors”, said Mr Chu.

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To all Suicide Squad fans, you may wish to keep your eyes peeled, as an unique menu will be put forth in conjunction with the film’s release in August this year. The cafe is also currently in the midst of searching for a suitable location for its second branch, on top of plans to expand this concept overseas.

3. Pompompurin Cafe

The golden retriever character was first introduced in 1996, and subsequently ranked first among other Sanrio characters in 2015. A testament to its popularity, this prompted Mr Kawaguchi Kiyoshi, Managing Director of Create Restaurants Asia, to bring Pompompurin cafe to Singapore.

The brightly-lit ambience – attributed to its location next to the full-length glass windows and yellow painted walls – is one that catches the eye when walking past the 78-seater cafe on the fourth level of Orchard Central. Diners are greeted by the arch-shaped gate that assumes the shape of Pompompurin, followed by a statuette of Pompompurin and friends – a photo souvenir for fans, and four “Tomodachi House” which translates into Friends House, each featuring one of Pompompurin’s friends.

The third outlet worldwide following Hong Kong and Taiwan, Singapore’s Pompompurin cafe sees a persistent queue of one to two hours waiting time during the weekends, and approximately 45 minutes during weekday evenings. The queue usually begins at 6pm, said Ms Jovy Alcantara, 26, assistant manager of the branch. She added that customers are usually in their teens. When we visited on a weekday evening slightly before nine, there was still a queue of five to six customers.

Ms Wyncy Tan, corporate designer of Create Restaurants Asia, which operates Pompompurin cafe, said the cafe, which opened in mid-April, filled a gap in the Singapore scene – “the lack of the Japanese ‘Kawaii’ culture”, which instils a sense of novelty and nostalgia at the same time. ‘Kawaii’ refers to the quality of cuteness in the context of Japanese culture. Customers are usually fans who would take pictures of the Pompompurin-themed food and with the ‘treehouses’ and statuettes.

But even such novelty may wear out, said Ms Tan, referring to declining patronage at the three Pompompurin cafes in Japan. The Singapore cafe “strives to consistently introduce new items”, she added. Its menu includes Spaghetti Napolitana priced at $26.99, Everybody Gather Around Picnic Plate for $24.99 (includes eggs benedict and sandwiches) and Bagel’s Special Pancake Tower priced at $21.99 for dessert.

She is right.

Taiwanese student Ellen Howh, 22, lauded the cafe for its comfortable setting and elaborate design, but suggests a wider menu than just the six meals to choose from.

5. Pokemon Cafe

It has been two weeks since the official opening of the first Pokemon-themed pop-up cafe in town, and the queue hasn’t disappeared. When we visited on a weekday afternoon slightly after 4pm, we were greeted by a queue comprising some 20 customers – families with children, teenagers, and even a few tourists.

Temporarily occupying the premises of Everything With Fries, the temporary pop-up cafe located on the fourth floor of Bugis Junction will cease operations after July 31. This new concept of a ‘pop-up’ cafe is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, following the success of the Pokemon cafe that opened in Shibuya over a three-month period early last year.

Manager Christopher Hobday said they had decided to introduce the concept to “try out how themed cafes will work out in Singapore”. The 28-year-old noted the short life span of character cafes, saying: “I don’t think it can last very long, as usually customers come only once. We seldom have regular customers, hence we decided on the idea of a pop-up cafe.”

Business has been brisk thus far. Mr Hobday said that during peak hours, the waiting time could stretch from 45 minutes to one hour, with about 30 to 40 customers in line. With a large majority of its clientele consisting of primary and secondary school kids, Mr Hobday said that customers he sees range from ages five to fifty-five.

Fans or not, the crowd flocked to the merchandise corner, taking turns to have a closer peek at the merchandise offered – and their prices. Some of the merchandise include Mega Mewtwo Y Plush toy priced at $48, Pokemon Cafe Limited Item Cotton Tote Bag for $20.22, and Limited Item T-shirts (Kids) for $28.78. Just by the entrance is a standing photo booth with illustrations of several Pokemon, where fans can don Pokemon suits to have their pictures taken.

Source: The Middle Ground Singapore

Will You Always Love Sanrio?

Not love Sanrio anymore? Surely not.

This is a question that I sometimes wonder about, whether or not, I'll still be collecting Sanrio in ten years from now. At this point in my life, I don't see myself being disenchanted with Sanrio and moving on from my obsession in the far future. I have been hooked on Sanrio throughout my life, starting from childhood until now. Sure, when I was growing up, I collected here and there, but it was never a full time thing with me. Not until a few years back did I start to collect more frequently than an occasional visit to a Sanrio store. 

As a collector, I found myself going out of my way to find special merchandise that I couldn't find in my local Sanrio store. Before turning into a full time Collector, I would only buy products that was immediately available at my local Sanrio store. I didn't think far and beyond when I was in that particular phase. I liked Sanrio, but at the time, it didn't consume my whole life. I didn't know there could be more to collecting cute themed characters than just stationery, desktop items, and dolls. 

 

 Vintage Collection

In the 90's, there weren't a lot of household decorative items that were easily available to purchase and a themed room (or shrine) would have never occurred to me and plenty others living in the States.

I can never say with absolute confidence that I will always be interested in Sanrio. I know that life can change a person in a heartbeat, but whether it'll happen to me drastically-- I hope it won't. My journey still has a long way to go and my theme house goal hasn't been met... yet.

This brings me to the subject of one of my online Sanrio buddies who recently told me that she has moved on from her obsession. I kind of already figured out that she was losing interest in collecting Sanrio, but it was still a sad confirmation that another diehard fellow collector has gone onto a different path in life.

I've heard about other full time collectors' obsessions fading away and have pondered on as to what could have factored into moving away from Sanrio or the kawaii life. The answer could be many different reasons, such as a change of perspective in life, change of lifetime goals, change of financial status, or-- just a simple reason, it was just a phase in their lifecycle.

It could have been a hyped up fad that lead to being influenced by online friends through the power of social media. Another way for an obsession to form could have been influenced by a celebrity who loves Hello Kitty. Or a person can be influenced by the attention that a collector is getting for his or her collection. It may be superficial and may be one of the causes as to why another fellow collector can lose interest in Sanrio. 

For me, I have always asked myself: what happens when I meet my Sanrio theme house goal?

Will I see things differently once I have attained all the things that I would need for a Sanrio theme home? Will I get tired of the double standards that comes with a kawaii life? In Asia, Sanrio obsessions are normal there, but here-- you can be judged for it. 

For the most part, Sanrio merchandise comes in plastic and has a less than mature (or gimmicky) feel to the appearance of always coming in the form of stationery and school supplies, rather than more quality home decor that isn't JUST made with cheap plastic and bright flashy neon color pink. 

There lies the problem. Can cute be turned into cool?

There comes a time in your life that you go through phases and Sanrio might be one of 'em. How confident are you that collecting Sanrio isn't just a phase in your life? Will your path lead to a collector's road to continue your journey or will you take the other road and leave it all behind for another obsession?

There lies the Most Asked Question: Why so obsessed with Hello Kitty?

Here's an Answer to a Frequent Asked Question:

Why is Hello Kitty So Popular?

My Interpretation:

For me, the answer is pretty simple. I believe we became fascinated with Hello Kitty in our childhood and that fascination never really faded away as we grew older into adults. Although as we have gotten older, there were valid criticisms on Sanrio's merchandise designs marketed for the mainstream audiences that did not meet the high standards of what we had seen and experienced when we were kids. To overcome this, I believe Sanrio has successfully turned around it's image to satisfy both audiences: (the new fans) children and the Sanrio adult fans. In order to draw back the older Sanrio fans and gain new fans, I believe Sanrio has re-worked their marketing strategy to include using the social media to their advantages and collaborating with other brand name companies that would assure the consumers would take notice of their products. With so many collaborations out there, Hello Kitty has become part of the American culture. And if you think about it carefully, Sanrio has experiences with obsessions. They've seen it in the eyes of their consumers whenever they enter a Sanrio store. They've heard about the countless, many crazy fan collector stories out there. They also know that if one friend is spazzing about an obsession, it will spark an intrigue as to what is so fascinating about said obsession, which will closely follow to an interest in taking up the same obsession. This pattern will continue, especially since we now have social media at our fingertips. I hate to say it, but many people jump on fads. Whose to say these new fans will wake up one day and forget about Sanrio and it's obsession? All I know is that if you genuinely love Sanrio's characters, it'll shine through your collection and related projects. It's a good thing that Hello Kitty is so popular and everywhere now. Sanrio has officially made it acceptable to wear Hello Kitty clothes on the street these days. Their collaboration with Forever 21 just sealed the deal. Did you not see the latest Sanrio fashion they have came out with? It's classy... it's so kawaii... it's up to the high standard in adult fashion... and most of all, we all love it. Also, it doesn't hurt that Sanrio has endorsed celebrities to promote their products.

Here's another View on this Frequent Asked Question

You can read it through this link or you can scroll below to read it fully.

Before reading the whole article, here are the highlights:

Source: http://www.quora.com/Why-is-Hello-Kitty-so-popular

 From Marc

The little half-Japanese, half-English cat has become so globally recognisable that it is, perhaps, inevitable that the Japanese board of tourism has appointed her their official tourism ambassador to China and Hong Kong. This is not the first time the world has looked to Hello Kitty to perform an ambassadorial role; she has been United States children's ambassador for Unicef since 1983.

Hello Kitty's creator started out as the Japanese equivalent of Hallmark cards. Sanrio was founded by Shintaro Tsuji in 1960; Tsuji, a qualified chemist, lost his mother when he was 13 and spent an unhappy childhood with reluctant relatives. He attended a kindergarten run by a Canadian missionary and saw for the first time the custom of birthdays, which were not traditionally celebrated in Japan. He decided he would use his company to foster the culture of gift-giving.

As an experiment in 1971, in the wake of student riots, the company began printing rounded, cutesy images on previously blank writing stationery and in 1974, Hello Kitty was drawn. She was drawn without a mouth, which later made her the perfect cross-cultural representative. She wasn't given a mouth, explains Sanrio, because she "speaks from the heart. She's Sanrio's ambassador to the world and isn't bound to any particular language".

She was made partly English because when she was first drawn, the Japanese rarely travelled abroad; foreign, especially English, associations, were particularly popular. The stationery and diaries were a hit with schoolgirls during the 1980s and the company soon branched out in to other fanshi guzzu (fancy goods).

In the 1990s, Hello Kitty had a second stab at fame as it was was re-marketed as a "retro" brand. Shops, run by the outlet label Vivitix, marketed Hello Kitty to teens and adults, appealing to their sense of nostalgia. As eight year-olds they would have used Hello Kitty pencils and pencil cases in the classroom; in their late teens and early twenties, they reached for Hello Kitty satchels and make-up mirrors.

"Hello Kitty stands for the innocence and sincerity of childhood and the simplicity of the world," says Helen McCarthy, an author and expert on Japanese animation and comics. "Women and girls all over the world are happy to buy in to the image of the trusting, loving childhood in a safe neighbourhood that Hello Kitty represents. They don't want to let go of that image, so as they grow up, they hang onto Hello Kitty out of nostalgic longing – as if by keeping a symbolic object, they can somehow keep hold of a fragment of their childhood self."

Spotlight on a commenter:

In addition to Marc's answer, I would say that Hello Kitty is popular because of the dissemination of Japan's "kawaii" (cute) culture to the rest of the world. It's very clever how, in Japan, Hello Kitty represents that non-aggressive, non-offensive, non-threatening, exotic (or at least she used to be, for the reasons of Japanese isolation that Marc mentions), acceptably desirable figure, when she travels to, say, America, she maintains that exact reputation because she's an export from quirky, fantastical Japan.

Further, I think the psychology of the design of Hello Kitty plays a huge role in why she's loved by so many people. On one hand, the environment and companions they've created for her remind us of love, friendship, sweetness, etc. which appeals to our soft side. But she lacks enough definition that a lot of personality can be imprinted on her based on the buyer's own impressions, essentially personalizing the connection that Hello Kitty makes on each unique owner, regardless of age. In his book, "Buying In", Rob Walker talks about how corporate logos are symbols and it's the consumers of corporate logos that imbue these symbols with meaning, and Hello Kitty is a great example of this. It can't be said that she speaks for any specific cultural or social ideas (because she has no mouth--haha), Sanrio has given her virtually no back story so that provides little influencing factors, and she doesn't even have emotions (as her lack of facial features make it possible for someone to assign any emotion that they find appealing). She takes on different meanings based on how she's appropriated (think Hello Kitty on a coin purse versus Hello Kitty on an adult toy).

Basically, as an icon with no meaning at all, she can take on any meaning that we desire and therein lies her value.

- Ly Nguyen, May 12, 2010

Top cat: how 'Hello Kitty' conquered the world

Independent (dated May 21, 2008)

 by Esther Walker

When, in 1974, employees at the Japanese design company Sanrio created Hello Kitty, the small, rounded cartoon cat with a red bow between her ears and no mouth, they could never have dreamt that she would become the global megastar she is today. Sales of Hello Kitty merchandise now account for half of Saniro's $1bn (£500m) annual turnover and her face adorns 50,000 products, sold in more than 60 countries.

The little half-Japanese, half-English cat has become so globally recognisable that it is, perhaps, inevitable that the Japanese board of tourism has appointed her their official tourism ambassador to China and Hong Kong. This is not the first time the world has looked to Hello Kitty to perform an ambassadorial role; she has been United States children's ambassador for Unicef since 1983.
Dr Sharon Kinsella, a lecturer at Oxford University on Japanese sociology, thinks that Japan's choice of Hello Kitty as their representative is unsurprising.
"It seems predictable enough to have her adopted as a diplomatic envoy," she says. "That has been the way of the 'Cool Japan' bandwagon for a few years now, and relations with China are no healthier. It seems a bit farcical to select Hello Kitty, however: as if a dumbed-down cultural icon that was cool in her retro boom in the 1990s, and which Chinese teenagers dig, can somehow do something significant to alter the gnarly and difficult state of China-Japan relations."
Hello Kitty's creator started out as the Japanese equivalent of Hallmark cards. Sanrio was founded by Shintaro Tsuji in 1960; Tsuji, a qualified chemist, lost his mother when he was 13 and spent an unhappy childhood with reluctant relatives. He attended a kindergarten run by a Canadian missionary and saw for the first time the custom of birthdays, which were not traditionally celebrated in Japan. He decided he would use his company to foster the culture of gift-giving.
As an experiment in 1971, in the wake of student riots, the company began printing rounded, cutesy images on previously blank writing stationery and in 1974, Hello Kitty was drawn. She was drawn without a mouth, which later made her the perfect cross-cultural representative. She wasn't given a mouth, explains Sanrio, because she "speaks from the heart. She's Sanrio's ambassador to the world and isn't bound to any particular language".
She was made partly English because when she was first drawn, the Japanese rarely travelled abroad; foreign, especially English, associations, were particularly popular. The stationery and diaries were a hit with schoolgirls during the 1980s and the company soon branched out in to other fanshi guzzu (fancy goods).
In the 1990s, Hello Kitty had a second stab at fame as it was was re-marketed as a "retro" brand. Shops, run by the outlet label Vivitix, marketed Hello Kitty to teens and adults, appealing to their sense of nostalgia. As eight year-olds they would have used Hello Kitty pencils and pencil cases in the classroom; in their late teens and early twenties, they reached for Hello Kitty satchels and make-up mirrors.
"Hello Kitty stands for the innocence and sincerity of childhood and the simplicity of the world," says Helen McCarthy, an author and expert on Japanese animation and comics. "Women and girls all over the world are happy to buy in to the image of the trusting, loving childhood in a safe neighbourhood that Hello Kitty represents. They don't want to let go of that image, so as they grow up, they hang onto Hello Kitty out of nostalgic longing – as if by keeping a symbolic object, they can somehow keep hold of a fragment of their childhood self."
And so now, although originally conceived as a character that would appeal to pre-teen girls, Hello Kitty is no longer regarded as being for children only. Along with the likes of Coca-Cola and Nike, she has become a brand phenomenon.
Her wide, white, slightly questioning face first adorned a clear plastic coin purse, which retailed for 240 yen (£1.17). Now you can buy almost anything stamped with the Hello Kitty brand, including towels, pencils, clothing, stationery and mobile phone covers, selling in more than 60 countries. Hello Kitty's popularity with adults is reflected in the changing products available: you can buy Hello Kitty-branded laptops and adult-sized underwear – you can buy more merchandise and charge it to your Hello Kitty credit card, cannily supplied by the Bank of America; really dedicated fans can register for their own @hellokitty.com email address at the website, Sanriotown.com.
Hello Kitty is technically just one character who inhabits an entire, fictional world dreamt up by Sanrio. She lives in cyberspace on the fondant-coloured Sanriotown website. Hello Kitty has her own birthday, 1 November, (which makes her a Scorpio) and, as her English heritage befits, she lives in London with her parents and twin sister, Mimmy. Her many hobbies include travelling, music, reading and "eating yummy cookies her sister Mimmy bakes".
Other characters who share Hello Kitty's world include Dear Daniel (Hello Kitty'son-off boyfriend), Kathy, Tippy and Thomas. Conveniently located to the right of Hello Kitty's biography on the Sanriotown website is a link to the online shop, where you can buy a silver and pearl Hello Kitty necklace for £60, a steering-wheel cover for £14 or a Hello Kitty digital camera for £80.
Sanrio's theme park, Puroland, opened in 1990; it features Sanrio's most popular characters, with Hello Kitty as its star draw, and with yearly figures of 1.5 million visitors, from around the world, it is one of Japan's most popular visitor attractions.
Hello Kitty even became an animated character. She first appeared on the American-animated Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theatre, which was shown on US television throughout 1987. Another series ran in 1991. This year, Hello Kitty was seen for the first time in 3D in an animation made by Sanrio Digital, called The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends. The Hello Kitty craze reached fever pitch in the early to mid-1990s, when celebrity endorsement from fellow megastars such as Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears were photographed wearing assorted pieces of Hello Kitty branding. The American singer Lisa Loeb is a particular fan, dedicated an entire album to Hello Kitty, entitled Hello Lisa.
When Hello Kitty was first marketed to the US, the cultural differences meant that changes to the Japanese version had to be made. Sanrio's market research showed American consumers responded best to pink and purple kitties and worst to anything blue, yellow or red. The American audience also took against one of Hello Kitty's friends, a little snail, which had to be eliminated from the merchandise.
But Sanrio got it right in the end and now there are no differences in the American and Japanese lines of merchandise. Indeed, when Sanrio tried to customise Hello Kitty for itsTaiwanese and Hong Kong markets, putting her in local dress and in local surroundings, the products did not sell. Her mixed English-Japanese heritage was part of her charm.
Cultural commentators often see the invention of Hello Kitty as part of a wider cultural wave of kawaii (translatable as "cuteness") in Japan. Other popular characters in Japan, such as Pokemon, which adorns the side of Japan Airlines aircraft, are as cosily (or sinisterly, depending on how you see it) cute. The popularity of kawaii can be seen as either an example of Japan's harmonious and peace-loving culture or an example of Japan's culture of non-assertion.
Dr Kinsella describes the ingredients of a kawaii character in her essay Cuties in Japan: "The essential anatomy of a cute cartoon character is small, soft, infantile, mammalian, round, without bodily appendages (arms), without bodily orifices (mouths), non-sexual, mute, insecure, helpless or bewildered."
Hello Kitty's cuteness, says Dr Kinsella, was originally good at selling merchandise to schoolgirls because it lent something of a personality to an otherwise soulless piece of writing paper or a plain desk diary.
"Now, cute has become a new national style," she adds. "It is being used diplomatically and in fine-art circles to promote Japan. It has come a long way from its schoolgirl roots."


Other Sanrio creations
 
BADTZ-MARU
 
Badtz-Maru is the only Sanrio character aimed at both boys and girls; teenage boys often have tattoos of this bad-attitude penguin in his classic pose: one eye closed and tongue sticking out. He was the official mascot for the 2006 FIBA World Championship of basketball, which was held in Japan.

LITTLE TWIN STARS
 
Little Twin Stars are a brother and sister called Kiki and Lala; they live on a cloud. Kiki has blue hair and sometimes appears with a star-shaped halo, while Lala has pink hair and carries a wand. Launched by Sanrio in 1975, they became particularly popular in the 1980s.

MY MELODY
 
My Melody is the first rabbit character released by Sanrio. She was originally marketed as a Little Red Riding Hood character when she first appeared in 1976, hence the red hood. She was popular in the Seventies, but then fell out of fashion.

KEROPPI
 
Keroppi the frog was released in 1987 and rivalled Hello Kitty in terms of merchandising in the early 1990s, particularly in the UK. The Keroppi line of trinkets was discontinued when sales started to decline.