Sanrio Hello Kitty Lunar New Year Pineapple Cake Empty Storage Box

Sanrio Hello Kitty Lunar New Year Pineapple Cake Empty Paperboard Storage Box

Hello Kitty (ハローキティ, Harō Kitī), also known by her full name, Kitty White (キティ・ホワイト, Kitī Howaito), is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, created by Yuko Shimizu, and designed by Yuko Yamaguchi. She is the main protagonist of the franchise that was named after her. She is portrayed as a female anthropromorphic white Japanese Bobtail Cat with a red bow worn on her left ear and often wears blue overalls with a yellow shirt. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974. In Hello Kitty's Paradise, Hello Kitty & Friends, and Growing Up with Hello Kitty, she has gray paw pads. Hello Kitty's favorite food is her mama's apple pie.

This character is a staple of the kawaii segment of Japanese pop culture. The Hello Kitty trademark has spread globally; Sanrio earned over $1 billion annually in sales outside of Japan, as of 2003.