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AMAZIAN OF THE WEEK! Hello Kitty Turns 35

The very first Hello Kitty merch, Coin Purse, 1974

Name: Hello Kitty (née Kitty White)

Born: November 1, 1974

Occupation: Icon

Known for: Presiding over a $5 billion dollar empire, pioneering kawaii style, having no mouth, that fucking red bow, serving as Japan’s tourism ambassador, being everyone’s favorite pussy–from children to club kids to celebrities to haters–and decorating everything from guns to bongs to maxi pads to vibrators.

What explains Hello Kitty’s enduring popularity?

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Filed under: Birthdays, Brands, Death to Hello Kitty, Goodbye Kitty, Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty Turns 35, Icons, Japanese Pop Culture, Kawaii, Kitty White, Lady Gaga, Sanrio

Japan’s Ambassadors of CuteZZzzzZZZzz

In an effort to raise its cultural profile in the world, Japan has named three young women ambassadors of “cute.”

The three women represent archetypes borrowed from anime, manga, and street culture: a schoolgirl, a Lolita, and a girl described as a “fashion leader” in the Harajuku district. (Oh how I long to rip that crazy weave off the Harajuku chick and throw it to a feral cat.) At a press conference announcing their appointment Thursday, Tsutomu Nakagawa, the head of the cultural affairs division at the Foreign Ministry, explained the purpose of these so-called ambassadors:

“We want people abroad to know these kind of people exist in Japan and to feel close to them.“

Okay, but who at this point doesn’t know that “these kind of people” exist in Japan?

1. People who live under rocks.
2. People who live in caves.
3. People who have never heard of the internet.
4. People who have never heard of television.
5. People without a pervy boner in their body (yeah, right).

And, more to the point, how many in the world actually think that only “these kind of people” exist in Japan?

Source
Thanks, Lory!

Filed under: Anime, Harajuku, Japan Ambassadors of Cute, Kawaii, Lolita Fashion, Manga, Panda-ring, Ridiculous Diplomacy, Weird Japanese Behavior