About

Hello Kitty (Japanese: ハローキティ) is a fictional white cat that was first created by the Japanese company Sanrio. Since it's introduction in Japan on 1974, the franchise has since grown into a marketing and pop culture phenomenon.

History

Hello Kitty was first created by Japanese designer Yuko Shimizu, and was later added to the lineup of early Sanrio characters on 1974 in Japan, first appearing on a vinyl coin purse. The character would later be introduced in the United States on 1976.