KADOKAWA is set to open a Hello Kitty themed cafe on the Narita Anime Deck—which is located on the Main Building second floor of Narita International Airport Terminal 2—for a limited time from July 3, 2020 to October 2, 2020.

The Narita Anime Deck

The Narita Anime Deck opened inside Narita International Airport Terminal 2 in November 2019. It’s an entertainment facility where travellers from around the world can experience and enjoy Japanese anime culture in various forms such as with character merchandise, food, events, and a variety of photo spots.

Hello Kitty Cafe

The facility has collaborated with numerous anime series to open up limited-time cafes since it opened. This time around it is joining paws with Hello Kitty, a face known to all across the globe. As well as themed food, drinks and merchandise, customers can take a Hello Kitty quiz, learn the history behind Hello Kitty, and more.

An Original Food Menu

Hello Kitty’s Lovely♡ Pink Curry: ¥1,500

Hello Kitty’s Gurakoro Burger: ¥1,500

Hello Kitty’s Strawberry Pancake: ¥1,400

Hello Kitty’s Strawberry Parfait: ¥1,200

An Original Drinks Menu

The incredible drinks menu is diverse, including lattes where you can get 46 different latte art designs of Hello Kitty from 1974-2019. It could be fun to pick your birth year, or a year where you have fond memories.

Hello Kitty’s Colourful Tapioca Drinks (Matcha Milk/Strawberry Milk/Milk Tea): ¥720 Each

 
Hello Kitty’s Marshmallow Coffee: ¥800

Hello Kitty’s Latte (46 Designs): ¥720 Each

Novelties

For every item you order from the collaboration menu, you can also receive one of 46 possible original coasters once again featuring a different design of Hello Kitty between the years 1974-2019.

1st Line-Up: July 3, 2020 – August 2, 2020

2nd Line-Up: August 3, 2020 – September 2, 2020

3rd Line-Up: September 3, 2020 – October 2, 2020

If you’re travelling through Narita Airport anytime this year up to October, then be sure to head on up to the Narita Anime Deck to dine at the Hello Kitty Cafe.

© 1976, 2020 SANRIO CO., LTD.　APPROVAL NO. L611439

A new collection of merchandise is being released for Sanrio’s popular character Hello Kitty this August which sees her becoming Amabie, a legendary Japanese mermaid which emerges from the sea and prophesies an epidemic.

The first alleged appearance of Amabie was in Higo Province (now Kumamoto Prefecture) during the closing years of the Edo period. Legend has it that if a disease spreads, you must draw a picture of Amabie and show it to those who fall ill to cure them.

Antibacterial Face Mask Pouch: ¥1,300 (Before Tax) *Design subject to change

Antibacterial Eco Bag: ¥1,100 (Before Tax) *Design subject to change

The item collection includes an antibacterial mask pouch, eco bag, and more—all items that are best used during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lemon Drops: ¥400 (Before Tax) *Available Late June 2020

Cream Sandwich: ¥600 (Before Tax) *Available Late June 2020

Delicious sweets will also be available from late June.

This line-up is a great way to bring some smiles about during these current turbulent times, whether as a gift to yourself or someone special to you.

©︎1976, 2020 SANRIO CO., LTD.

The Osaka branch of @home cafe—a chain of maid cafes that originated in Akihabara—is collaborating with Sanrio to serve up a Hello Kitty experience from July 1 for a limited time, with special decorations, food, and exclusive merchandise.

@home cafe Akihaabra collaborates with Sanrio characters every year. In 2018, it joined hands with My Melody and Cinnamoroll, and in 2019 with Pompompurin. In January this year, it teamed up with Hello Kitty, who is now heading to the Osaka cafe.

The cafe will be decorated with cute pictures of Hello Kitty and her twin sister Mimmy, as well as pink and yellow gingham designs for each character.

The maids at @home cafe Osaka will also wear special Hello Kitty and Mimmy maid outfits for the duration of the collaboration.

Food Menu

Hello Kitty’s KAWAII♡ Pink Curry: ¥1,400 (Before Tax) *Comes with a free certificate-style card

Hello Kitty & Mimmy’s Moe Moe Ribbon Pasta Plate: ¥1,300 (Before Tax)

Hello Kitty’s Lovely Sweet Sandwich: ¥1,300 (Before Tax)

Dessert Menu

Hello Kitty’s Moe Moe Parfait / Mimmy’s Kyun Myun Parfait: ¥1,000 Each (Before Tax)

Okyumuka Cake Topped With a Bright-Red Apple: ¥1,000 (Before Tax)

All customers who dine at the cafe will receive one of two possible lunch mats for free. You get one of three free coasters too when you order a drink.

Hello Kitty x @home cafe Merchandise

Acrylic Key Rings (3 Designs): ¥600 Each (Before Tax)

Mirror: ¥800 (Before Tax)

See Hello Kitty and Mimmy transform into maids at @home cafe Osaka.

©1976,2020 SANRIO CO., LTD. APPROVAL NO.S603899

The Folk Kitchen on the 2nd floor of Hilton Osaka is set to serve up the “Summer Sweets Buffet Festival ~Hello Kitty & My Melody Collaboration Tea Party~” from June 19, 2020 to September 13, 2020. The menu is made up of 25 colourful and summery desserts, as well as 7 vegan desserts made without any eggs, milk or animal products.

The buffet is a step up from last year’s “Fashionable Hello Kitty Dessert Buffet” which we covered.

This year’s summer buffet tea party combo is a sweet amalgamation of finger licking and lip smacking flavours. In the middle of the “Ice Cream Cup Cheesecake” is a moist baked cheesecake topped with cream cheese—and all of this hugged by a crunchy cone.

Then there’s the “Lollipop Mousse Green Apple,” a vivid green iced candy with a fresh apple mousse filled with apple jam for a mix of sweet and sour flavours. The “Vegan Melon Cream Soda Jelly” is a melon flavoured jelly topped with a cream made from fizzy lime foam. If you’re wanting cake, then there’s the fluffy “Pineapple Chiffon Cake” topped with lots of cream.

The “Pudding à la Mode” is topped with a chocolate My Melody picture, of which there are several designs.

The vegans too have their fair share of refreshing summertime bites to enjoy too, like the “Vegan Peach Bellini” which uses agar-agar instead of gelatin. It’s a delightful combination of muscat grape jelly and peach jam. The “Vegan Chocolate Chip Cupcakes” have a fresh kick to them thanks to the fruity pineapple and soy milk combo. Other delights include the “Soy Milk Cream Fruit Bun,” “Vegan Piña Colada Panna Cotta,” and more.

The buffet also includes 5 savoury food dishes too like cold corn soup, curry, salad, and more.

On the 1st floor cafe and bar MYPLACE of Hilton Osaka, customers can order the above-pictured Hello Kitty & My Melody afternoon tea which is served in a jewellery box-like set.

The final results for the 2020 Sanrio Character Ranking were announced on Tuesday, with Cinnamoroll placing number one overall. Yoshiki’s collaboration character yoshiki ranked 1st place in France, Germany, and Brasil, as well as 2nd place in China and 6th place overall. This marks the 5th year that yoshikitty has ranked in the Top 10.

yoshikitty is a character based on the X Japan band member Yoshiki. The character has proven popular around the world, with merchandise so popular it never fails to sell out.

A special “Tanita Award” was also given to yoshikitty, and to celebrate, a limited-edition yoshikitty “Digital Health Meter” will be sold on the Tanita website. Costing ¥4,400 (tax included), it is now available to order until July 31, 2020, with a limited number of 100 models available.

Yoshiki thanked yoshikitty fans around the world on his official Twitter and Instagram pages for voting and making the character place so high again this year. He also said: “I wonder if I should composed a yoshikitty theme song too to express my gratitude to everyone (haha). I want to continue delivering wonderful music to you all to repay you, even just a little. Thank you.” (translated from Japanese by MMN)

Healthy doughnut makers Floresta Nature Doughnuts released two doughnuts in collaboration with Hello Kitty on Tuesday which are available to purchase on their website and in-store at select branches.

The adorable Hello Kitty and her twin sister Mimmy arrive at Floresta for the very first time. Both doughnuts are great gifts to treat yourself to, for Mother’s Day, or to send a friend you can’t meet right now due to the lockdown.

Hello Kitty Doughnut Collaboration – ¥450 Each (Before Tax)

Both ring doughnuts are topped with freeze dried strawberries and seat the cute Hello Kitty and Mimmy.

Floresta is also selling sets of these doughnuts on their websiteーyou can get four in total, that’s two each, in the set.

Select branches are selling these doughnuts, but due to emergency measures many branches are closed or now have reduced opening hours. If you’re in Japan and thinking of visiting one of the stores, make sure to check the company’s social media and take all necessary precautions when going out.

Kodomo Challenge, a brand created by Benesse Corporation which helps support the growth and education of infants, has joined hands with Sanrio to release a series of exercise videos in English, Japanese, and Chinese. Titled “Exercise with Friends,” the series lets you exercise together with popular characters from Japan.

The first video features Kodomo Challenge’s character Shimajiro and Sanrio’s character Hello Kitty. The video is part of a bigger project called “Daisuki na Minna to Issho Project” (Together With Everyone We Love) which aims to bring smiles to people’s faces and relieve their worries during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Japanese Version

English Version

Chinese Version

*A Traditional Chinese version will be released on April 30, 2020

The videos are being enjoyed on Japanese social media where people have commended the videos for being easy for kids to follow as well as pretty good exercise for adults too.

Lots of Friends Version (Japanese)

The newest entry to the series adds several other characters into the mix including Kumamon, Mell-chan, and Cheburashka.

Make sure you’re getting in your daily exercise at home during the lockdown, and if you’re in need of motivation, join Hello Kitty and Shimajiro!

Pasona Group is a website that publishes news of and promotes the food, sights, and culture of Awaji Island to build a connection between islanders and travellers. The website has published its latest “Awaji Island New Report” showcasing what to enjoy on the island at the turn of spring. Let’s take a look.

Nijigen no Mori

Night Walk Hi no Tori – “SAKURA Night”

Nijigen no Mori is an anime on Awaji Island. Spring last year saw the Naruto & Boruto Shinobi-Zato attraction, and this summer will see the arrival of a life-sized Godzilla attraction. The new night attraction “Night Walk Hi no Tori” will also take place for a limited time as part of the “SAKURA Night” Instagram photo event which can be followed with the hashtag #nwsakura2020. The phoenix and cherry blossoms are the theme of this nighttime attraction. Those who post a photo of themselves at the event with the hashtag and receive the most likes will receive two tickets to stay at Hotel GRAND CHARIOT Hokutoshichisei 135° on Awaji Island. See the attraction and get pulled into a magical nightly world of cherry blossoms.

©TEZUKA PRODUCTIONS.

Address: 2425-2 Kusumoto, Awaji, Hyogo

Running: March 20, 2020 – April 30, 2020

Price: General – ¥2,500 / Children (5-11 Years Old) – ¥1,200 / Below 4 Years Old – Free (*Tax included in prices)

Times: 18:30 / 19:10 / 19:50 / 20:30

*Times subject to change depending on the time of sunsets – check the official website for information

Official Website: https://nijigennomori.com/

miele

Cherry Blossom Waffles – ¥1,800 (Before Tax)

Starting on April 1, the cafe Miele is serving up cherry blossom waffles for the spring season. They are topped with heart shaped marshmallows arranged to create cherry blossom petals, matcha ice cream daifuku, and cherry blossom flavoured roll cake. The hearty waffle servings are fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, topped with delicious squirty cream.

Address: 785-9 Nojimahikinoura, Awaji, Hyogo

Running: April 1, 2020 – May 31, 2020

Opening Hours: 10:30-19:00

HELLO KITTY SHOW BOX

World Oldies Selection ~1964 TOKYO~

The official Hello Kitty theatre and restaurant HELLO KITTY SHOW BOX on Awaji Island is currently holding a new event titled World Oldies Selection ~1964 TOKYO~ where Hello Kitty and performers sing and dance to famous nostalgic songs that played during the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, like Poupée de cire, poupée de son, Land of 1,000 Dancers, and YMCA. It’s a beautiful performance that both kids and adults alike can enjoy.

©1976, 2020 SANRIO CO., LTD.　APPROVAL NO. G604668

Running: April 7, 2020

Opening Hours: 11,00-20:00 (Up to 3 performances per day)

Address: HELLO KITTY SHOW BOX, 177-5 Nojimahirabayashi, Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture

Website: https://awajiresort.com/hellokittyshowbox/

Craft Circus

Puppy Island Pizza – ¥480 (Before Tax)

Craft Circus reopened after renovations on February 15. The new “Wan-chan Shima Pizza” (Puppy Island Pizza) can be eaten by both you and your dog. It is made from rice flour produced on Awaji Island. You can pick from a variety of toppings and seafood, all of which are also from Awaji Island. It’s gluten free and can be served with low-salt mascarpone cheese, making it healthy for your dog to eat. A single slice is 15cm and it comes in a cute dog bone shape. It can also be ordered for takeout, so you can enjoy a Hanami picnic with your dog under the cherry blossom trees!

Address: 2-2 NojimahirabayashiAwaji, Hyogo

Opening Hours: 10:30-20:30 (Last Orders 18:30)

*Opening hours change depending on the season

Official site：https://awajicraftcircus.com/

With just a small bit of ingenuity, turn everyday food into something cute using Kaori’s easy recipe! With a few simple ideas, an ordinary recipe magically transforms into a cute dish.

Hinamatsuri is almost here, and I’ve got the perfect treat for this year’s festival: Hello Kitty Sushi Cakes. These Hello Kitty decorations can be made with basic Japanese ingredients, so follow along and try making them yourself.

1: Equipment/Ingredients

15cm cake tin

1 cup vinegared sushi rice

200g tuna

200g salmon

3 Japanese rolled omelettes (dashi-maki tamago)

20 beefsteak plant

Ikura salted salmon roe

Hanpen pounded fish cake

2:

Line a cake tin with baking sheet paper like in the photo. Use a cake tin with a detachable bottom spanning 15cm. In the case that you don’t have a cake tin with a detachable bottom, cover the bottom of your tin with cling film which will make it easy to remove everything afterwards.

3:

Cut Hello Kitty, flowers and other shapes into some hanpen pounded fish cake.

4:

Slice the tuna, salmon, and Japanese egg into cubes about 1.2cm each.

Pile the ingredients in this order: rice→tuna, salmon, and egg→rice. Refer to the photo below.

5:

Leave the ingredients exposed around the outside like so✨

6:

Top with the rest of the ingredients as you like.

7:

Finish by adding your Hello Kitties and flowers which you can decorate with leftovers, like the noses and middle of the flowers. I also used cucumber and crab sticks for the head decorations.

Kaori invites you into her world of character-themed food dishes in her recipe series. Be sure to check out her Instagram where she has uploaded many pictures of her character dishes!

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Chibi Maruko-chan anime adaptation, the franchise is teaming up with Sanrio’s internationally beloved character Hello Kitty.

For the collaboration, cute and original artwork has been created featuring Hello Kitty and Maruko-chan hanging out together in their everyday lives, a scene that’s sure to incite a sense of nostalgia to both kid and adult fans of the longtime anime series.

We see Maruko-chan wearing Hello Kitty’s iconic red ribbon, as well as Maruko’s grandpa Tomozo Sakura donning a hat inspired by Hello Kitty.

There’s also an illustration of the two friends drinking milk bottles together which they bought from Mitsuya in the background, a candy shop that appears in the Chibi Maruko-chan seires.  If you look closely you can see Noguchi peeking her head from behind the shop.

A special lottery draw is set to roll out in Japan at Sanrio stores, department stores stocking Sanrio products, Lawson, MiniStop, Daily Yamazaki, bookstores, and elsewhere from early June 2020. Fans are guaranteed to win a prize, which includes a line-up of nine items as well as a special top prize. Merchandise includes a takoyaki machine, hot plate, bath towel, and more.

Following the lottery draw, more exciting things are set to take place as part of the collaboration.

ⓒ Sakura Production / Nippon Animation

ⓒ 1976, 2020 SANRIO CO.,LTD. TOKYO,JAPAN 　著作：株式会社サンリオ

Two new figurines have been revealed by BANDAI SPIRITS, which sees the worlds of Hello Kitty and Gundam come together as part of the longtime selling brand Chogokin (“Super Alloy”) which has been selling since 1974. The figures will go on sale in Japan and 22 countries around the world in July 2020.

In April 2019, a projected began entitled Gundam vs Hello Kitty, which we covered throughout its run in detail. In the end, Gundam came out victorious, but both competitors made peace and began a new project named “Gundam x Hello Kitty Love & Peace.” The two figurines are the first realisation of that new project.

In 2014, Chogokin celebrated its 40th anniversary, the year in which Hello Kitty celebrated her own 40th anniversary too, from which the incredibly popular “Chogokin Hello Kitty” was released. Last year, Mobile Suit Gundam commemorated its own 40 years since its release. The two figures are based on Amuro Ray’s RX-78-2 Gundam and Char Aznable’s MS-06S Zaku II which appear in the original series.

Over on the product website, you can watch a short animation showcasing the two figures, so be sure to check it out.

©Sotsu Co., Ltd. ・Sunrise ©1976, 2020 SANRIO CO., LTD.

Sanrio is teaming up with Japan’s longtime loved snack maker Ginbis to release a new line of 11 products featuring Hello Kitty. They will go on sale from February 6, 2020 at Sanrio shops across Japan, the online store, and select stores stocking Sanrio products. The collaboration combines the deliciousness of their biscuits, which are a nostalgic snack for Japanese people, with the cuteness of Hello Kitty.

The snack in question is the butter flavour of the popular longtime selling biscuit Tabekko Doubutsu, which are light to eat and come in cute animal shapes with the name of the animal written on them. Hello Kitty is a character known the world over, who celebrated her 45th anniversary last year. But the collaborative product line doesn’t just include the biscuits – it includes merchandise too which will be sold as gift sets.

Plastic Mug (2 Designs) & Tabekko Doubutsu Biscuits – ¥700 Each

Two exclusive designs were created for the plastic mugs, including one with Hello Kitty flying an aeroplane over the animals, and the other with her face mixed in with the biscuit shapes.

*Please note that the biscuit packs do not come with biscuits of Hello Kitty’s face

Mascot Holder & Tabekko Doubutsu Biscuits – ¥1,650

Mini Handbags (2 Designs) & Tabekko Doubutsu Biscuits – ¥1,100 Each

The mascot holder features Hello Kitty covered in biscuits, and the mini handbags come in the same designs as the plastic mugs. There are also pouches, mini purses, and more, for a total of 11 different items.

Treat yourself or your Valentine’s Day sweetheart to an item in this kawaii new collaboration from Sanrio and Ginbis.

©️’76,‘20SANRIO ©️Ginbis

*All listed prices include tax