DENNIS ODA / DODAI@STARBULLETIN.COM Cathy Yoshioka and her 3-year-old daughter Camryn share the joy of collecting Sanrio characters. Cathy is holding two Hello Kitty toys that can only be bought in Japan, while Camryn is holding stuffed toys that can be bought in Hawaii.

Kitty Corner

Sanrio's pet creation keeps on purring
with products that graduated from kid
stuff to become an adult lifestyle

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By Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.com

Hello Kitty may bring back childhood memories of simple pencils, erasers and coin purses embellished with the image of a sweet white feline wearing a red bow, but those who left Hello Kitty behind in childhood may be surprised to know the innocuous little figure has grown up to become a lifestyle brand.

In addition to cute children's toys and notebooks, new Hello Kitty items with adult appeal include cookware, desk lamps, suitcases and radios. And many celebrities, including models Laetitia Casta and Tyra Banks, and singers Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera, can be spotted sporting Hello Kitty fashions.

AYUMI NAKANISHI/ ANAKANISHI@STARBULLETIN.COM Their newest Apple Green line is priced as follows: pillow $12, stuffed doll $10, glitter trinket box $9, towel $22, vinyl handbag $14.

Sanrio Inc. President Shintaro Tsuji founded the company in 1960 in Japan, where traditional greetings normally call for an exchange of small gifts. The first products were stationery, small purses and other inexpensive items. "Small gift -- big smile" is the company's motto.

Hello Kitty, originally named Kitty White, born in 1974, made her way from Japan to the United States in 1976. Hello Kitty celebrates her second anniversary at Ala Moana Center tomorrow and Sunday. There will be photo and craft opportunities, games and plenty of happiness to go around.

Observant fans will notice she doesn't have a mouth because she was created to mirror her owner's moods. So remember, if you are happy, she is happy and it's her aim to please.

"Regardless of what language you speak, you're likely to express your feelings in a letter or with a gift," said Bill Hensley, marketing director for Sanrio. "We try to listen to what's going on in our customer's lifestyle and make things that they need with the Hello Kitty design."

From the diversity of objects available for body and home, customers' desires for Hello Kitty objects know no bounds.

Sanrio Second Anniversary Celebration Where: Sanrio, Ala Moana Center When: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow, and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday Where: Sanrio Ala Moana Admission: Free; fees are charged for some activities Call: 949-2990 Anniversary highlights both days: Kids of all ages can have photos taken with Hello Kitty for $2; a special keepsake frame is included. Sanrio design director Donna Suzuki Gilbert will help kids color and embellish T-shirts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost of the T-shirt is $5. There will also be keiki games for $2, singer Tani Lynn Fujimoto will entertain from 1 to 3 p.m., and there will be a prize drawing for a Hello Kitty TV set.

"Customers love to come in the store and see what's new," said Ala Moana store manager Nancy Castro, who sees regulars, mostly adults, come in one to three times a week to check the stock. Nearly 100 new items are introduced each month. The new theme at the Ala Moana store is Green Apple Kitty, and the newest electronic item on the shelf is a 13-inch TV set that sells for $160.

"The clock radio and TV are our best sellers right now," said Castro, who said many collectors claim to purchase items for their kids but keep them for themselves.

Some of the girls who loved Hello Kitty are now mothers who share their passion for the cute cartoon figure with their daughters.

Cathy Yoshioka said she used to feel like a freak due to her Hello Kitty obsession, but was happy to discover she is not alone. "I used to buy everything that I thought was cute. After I saw all the clutter in my house, I realized I needed to slow down."

Camryn Yoshioka, Cathy's 3-year-old daughter, has her own share of playthings. A dollhouse showcases her prized possessions, including a Hello Kitty beach ball, scooter, stuffed dolls and pillows. Although many of Cathy's Hello Kitty items have been passed on to Camryn, she continues to buy things for her own enjoyment.

Yoshioka, who has been seriously collecting Hello Kitty items for four years, now looks for rare and unusual pieces. Several Hina Matsuri doll sets, with ceramic figures dressed in traditional attire and kimonos, adorn her shelves. She also has some traditional stuffed dolls that were shipped from Japan.

AYUMI NAKANISHI / ANAKANISHI@STARBULLETIN.COM The Ala Moana Center Sanrio store displays "Japan special items" being offered for sale in celebration of its second anniversary.

Although some traditional Japanese items were brought in for the anniversary, Hawaii fans would have to go to the mother country for the mother lode, including such high-ticket items as cars and computers.

Kandice Kido collects items not only for herself, but also for her pet Chihuahua, Gohan. "I buy him lots of the blue stuff made for boys," she said.

Gohan has stuffed animals, toys and bowls. "I even bought little mini-towels to wipe his face in the morning," she said.

Kido works at the store, partially to support her habit. "I see the unique items that come in before they hit the shelves," she said. "One of our regular customers has a (gold) Hawaiian bracelet engraved with the characters."

What's up, pussycat? What is Hello Kitty up to these days? Sanrio Headquarters in San Francisco provided an update for those not familiar with the Kitty family. Hello Kitty lives in London with her parents and her twin sister, Mimmy. The twins have lots of friends at school and are always in search of a new adventure. Most often, Hello Kitty leads the group, and they all end up learning an important lesson. Her hobbies include traveling, music, reading, eating the delicious cookies that Mimmy bakes and making new friends.

Most of the sales staff knows one particular customer, Aldene Chistekoff. Hello Kitty stationery, suitcases, a rice cooker, a cordless telephone, a coffee maker, bed and bath accessories and a remote-control TV are a few of the items that enhance her home.

"It looks like a kid's house or a toy store," Chistekoff said, although many of the items are still in containers or stored safely in drawers.

"Some things are just too cute to use. The packages are unopened because I don't want them to get dirty or scratched up," said the collector, who had her first brush with Hello Kitty at the age of 6 when she carried Hello Kitty pencil cases and other supplies to school. Now, 24 years later, she is an avid collector.

AYUMI NAKANISHI/ ANAKANISHI@STARBULLETIN.COM The Hello Kitty desk lamp retails for $28.50.

"If you go on eBay, you will find 80 to 100 pages, with about 25 items on each page. Some items are going for quadruple the amount of the original price," she said.

Most of the collectors have loved Hello Kitty since childhood. "Now we just have enough money to buy the things we want," said Yoshioka.

Andrea Toyofuku's favorite character is not Hello Kitty, but another Sanrio character, Pochacco, a sports-minded pup. She collects bedding accessories and all sorts of trinkets.

"My Pochacco doll is so big, sometimes he kicks me off the bed," she said.

Pochacco, Keroppi, Badtz-Maru and Chococat are a few friends that have their own lines at the Sanrio store. As Hello Kitty always says, "You can never have too many friends."

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