Hello Kitty is a popular Japanese character that celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. We spoke to former Sanrio staff members Naoko Madokoro, who lives in Japan, and Nobuko Barnfield, who lives in Sydney.
Ms Madokoro worked for Sanrio for 40 years in product planning. Ms Barnfield was involved in the production of Hello Kitty films and commercials as an animator when she was working for the company.
Hello Kitty is widely loved in Japan and around the world. What makes it different from other Japanese characters? We asked them about their thoughts.





