Hello Kitty designer steps down four decades after creating beloved character that isn't actually a cat
Yuko Yamaguchi, the designer behind Hello Kitty, has decided to step down from day-to-day running of the much-loved brand after 46 years in charge.
For those of a certain age, Hello Kitty was the pinnacle of childhood after first featuring on a vinyl coin purse sold in Japan way back in 1974. The brand quickly made its way to the west and fans have since seen Hello Kitty in toys, accessories, clothes, games and even TV shows.
There are even Hello Kitty-themed cafes dotted around the world, while a theme park is set to open its doors in China after the successful launch of an attraction in Japan.
Ever since Hello Kitty delighted children across the world in the 1970s, Yamaguchi has been involved and headed up design duties on the character since 1980, playing a huge role in the success of Hello Kitty today.
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After an impressive innings, Yamaguchi has decided to step aside having 'grown Hello Kitty into a character loved by everyone', Sanrio, the firm behind the character said.
The firm went on to say Yamaguchi had 'passed the baton to the next generation', but will continue to work with Sanrio in an advisory role.
"We would like to thank Yuko Yamaguchi for her many years of hard work, and she will continue to provide advice and support as an advisor to Sanrio, drawing on her extensive experience and knowledge," the company said in a statement.
A designer known as 'Aya' will be taking over the Hello Kitty brand by the end of 2026 having worked alongside Yamaguchi in recent months.
It comes after much of the internet was left baffled by the news Hello Kitty isn't actually a cat.
Christine Yano made the surprising revelation in 2014 at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles with a script wrongly stating the much-loved character is a cat.
Instead, Hello Kitty is a little girl from London.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Yano explained: "That’s one correction Sanrio made for my script for the show. Hello Kitty is not a cat. She’s a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend. But she is not a cat. She’s never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature. She does have a pet cat of her own, however, and it’s called Charmmy Kitty.”
"How dare you tell me she’s not a cat. THATS A DAMN CAT!" one person commented on social media, while a second added: "Hello Kitty is not a cat, nor has she ever been a cat. Help. Nothing makes sense anymore."
I think it's going to take a long while for the internet to get over this one.
Callum Jones