A new dawn calls for Japan’s most famous cat…but who will be picking up the baton?
Back in 1974, a new character called Hello Kitty appeared in Japan, born from the hands of then-27 year-old Sanrio designer Yuko Shimizu, who shares the same 1 November birthday as the character. Soon after, in 1976, Setsuko Yonekubo took over design duties following Shimizu’s departure from the company, and then, in 1980, Yuko Yamaguchi became the lead designer, and has been in charge of the cat’s look ever since.
▼ Yamaguchi can be seen here discussing the design process behind Yoshikitty, the version that blends Hello Kitty with J-rock icon Yoshiki.
Now, after 46 years as Hello Kitty’s lead designer, Yamaguchi will be stepping down from the role, in what Sanrio is describing as “the passing of the baton from the third generation to the fourth“. Sanrio made the announcement in the March issue of its monthly magazine, “Ichigo Shimbun” (“Strawberry Newspaper“), which also goes by the English name “The Strawberry News“, released on 10 February. In its statement, the company acknowledged Yamaguchi’s work in developing Hello Kitty into the beloved character it is today, particularly through local and international collaborations.
With Hello Kitty having a reputation as the hardest working cat in Japan, Yamaguchi has overseen an unprecedented number of collaborations in the cat’s 50-something year history, including tie-ups with the Japan Sumo Association and brands like Clinique.
In addition to her role as Hello Kitty’s designer, Yamaguchi also worked as the designer for other Sanrio characters, such as Charmmy, Hello Kitty’s white Persian cat (yes, Kitty does have a pet cat), and her boyfriend, Dear Daniel.
▼ Dear Daniel, appearing alongside his girlfriend for a limited-time afternoon tea.
Yamaguchi’s career has been just as long and storied as Hello Kitty’s, and now it’s time for the 70-year-old designer to step down, with Sanrio saying the “designer-in-charge baton” is scheduled to be passed on sometime in 2026. So who will be taking up the baton? According to the company, Yamaguchi’s successor will be Aya, which is the pen name for the designer, whose real identity is not being revealed.
Aya has long been working alongside Yamaguchi so the passing of the baton looks set to be a smooth one. There appears to be no acrimony in Yamaguchi’s departure either, as Sanrio simply says designers in charge of major characters naturally pass the baton to the next generation after a certain period of time, which is what led to this succession.
Though Yamaguchi’s time in the role may be coming to an end, the company plans to continue their relationship into the future, saying:
“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.”
Sanrio says more news of the handover will be shared in a future issue of Ichigo Shimbun, when the third and fourth generation designers will sit down for a conversation-style interview. In addition, the five issues from March to July will look back on Yamaguchi’s career with Hello Kitty, and as part of special Ichigo Shimbun project, Yamaguchi will appear for a special autograph session, set to be held in Tokyo on 12 April, and at a special party in the capital on 21 April. Fans will also be able to enter a competition through the Ichigo Shimbun for the chance to win hand-drawn illustrations by Yamaguchi. Further details for event and competition applications are included in the March issue.
