Hello Kitty's Origin: A Symbol of Peace Born from Wartime Tragedy
Hello Kitty is one of the most beloved characters in the world. Created in 1974 by the Japanese company Sanrio, her simple face and red bow have become symbols of cuteness, kindness, and calm. From backpacks to bullet trains, she has appeared on over 50,000 products. But behind her smile is a much deeper story. To Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji, Hello Kitty is more than just a cute cat. Now 97 years old, he recently revealed in a new interview with NHK that his vision for the character was born from his experience surviving a devastating air raid in World War II. That night changed his life. It convinced him that kindness must be shared, even through the smallest gestures.
Surviving a City Consumed by Fire
How Tragedy Inspired Hello Kitty
“I was carrying my little sister on my back,” Tsuji recalled, describing the bombing of his hometown, Kofu, on July 6, 1945. “The incendiary bombs kept falling. There was nowhere to run.” More than 70 percent of the city was destroyed in the attack by 131 American B-29 bombers. Tsuji witnessed people dying as they tried to escape the flames. He still remembers the sight of a woman who had collapsed on top of a water tank. “Someone tried to lift her, but she didn’t move,” he said. “It looked like she had tried to shield someone.” That night, over 1,100 people lost their lives. Tsuji survived, but his home was reduced to ashes.
The Decision to Pursue a New Path
Starting With Gifts That Spark Joy
“War is not something that only kills soldiers,” he explained. “It kills everyday people. That is why it must never happen again.” After the war, Tsuji worked for the local government before founding a gift company that would later become Sanrio. He wanted to create a society where people could connect, support one another, and avoid violence. Tsuji’s philosophy was simple. “Even a pencil or eraser can become the start of a friendship,” he said. He believed small gifts had the power to open hearts. That belief became Sanrio’s guiding principle: Small Gift, Big Smile. In 1973, the company changed its name to Sanrio and embraced the slogan Minna nakayoku, which means “everyone get along.”
Creating a Character That Needs No Voice
All Characters Must Be Nonviolent
Hello Kitty was created the following year in 1974. She does not have a mouth, a design choice that lets people project their own feelings onto her. “Kitty does not need words,” Tsuji said. “She is a symbol of friendship.” To him, Hello Kitty was a way to quietly share hope, warmth, and the desire for peace without using slogans or speeches.
Over the years, Over the years, Sanrio created more than 450 original characters. None of them fight. None use violence. “They do not hurt people,” Tsuji said. “That was important to me. We live in a world where cruelty still exists. These characters show that we can be gentle instead.” This philosophy helped make the brand unique and enduring.
No Restrictions on Who Can Use Kitty
Speaking to Children Through a Silent Cat
Sanrio has never restricted Hello Kitty’s use to its own products. The character appears on trains, in hospitals, at amusement parks, in space missions, and through corporate partnerships. “Let anyone use her,” Tsuji said. “If it makes people happy, then that is what matters.” Rather than controlling the brand tightly, he invited others to join in its message.
For Sanrio's founder, Hello Kitty was a way to quietly share hope, warmth, and the desire for peace without using slogans or speeches.
Since 1975, Sanrio has published a monthly newspaper called Ichigo Shimbun, or Strawberry Newspaper. It is aimed at young readers and includes articles, comics, and positive messages. Tsuji writes a regular column in it as The Strawberry King, a whimsical royal character who shares thoughts on kindness, society, and the importance of looking ahead.
Why the Future Is Always the Priority
Helping Children Understand Nonviolence
In one column, he wrote, “What matters most is not today, but tomorrow. Ten years from now, when today’s children are adults, what kind of world will they live in?” Ichigo Shimbun is a place where Tsuji can speak directly to children, urging them to value peace and work together instead of fighting. Tsuji believes children need to hear clearly that war is wrong. “Fighting and war must never be accepted,” he said. “We wanted Hello Kitty to show children that there is another way. One where people do not try to kill each other, but live together peacefully.” It is a message that he has repeated for decades.
Commemorating Eighty Years of Peace
Why Cooperation Beats Competition Today
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Tsuji plans to write another message in Ichigo Shimbun to mark the occasion. “There is still war,” he said. “Ukraine, Gaza, so many places. But I have not given up. I still believe in Minna nakayoku (‘everyone get along’). I still believe the world can live in harmony.”
Tsuji also believes companies should work together rather than compete aggressively. “Businesses fight too much,” he said. “Why not help each other and make something better together?” This thinking is one reason why Hello Kitty has been so widely shared. “If Kitty brings people together, that is a success,” he said. “Let her be a bridge.”
Why Hello Kitty Still Speaks to Us
A Hopeful Legacy for the Next Era
What started as the pain of a teenager in wartime Japan became the foundation of a peaceful global brand. Hello Kitty is not just a product. She is a quiet survivor, a symbol of the life Tsuji rebuilt after destruction. “I never meant to build something big,” he said. “I just wanted people to be kind. That is all."
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In a loud and often divided world, Hello Kitty still speaks through silence. She does not take sides. She simply reminds us to be better to one another. “People want peace,” Tsuji said. “They just do not always know how to find it. That is why Kitty still matters. She shows the way.”
Looking back, Tsuji hopes the next generation will carry on the message. “Do not go to war,” he said firmly. “Talk to each other. Be kind. Work together.” For him, Hello Kitty is not a cartoon. She is a symbol of a choice that anyone can make. A choice to smile, to share, and to live together in peace.
