Yuko Shimizu

This article is about the creator of Hello Kitty. For the contemporary New York illustrator, see Yuko Shimizu (illustrator). For the Japanese actress, see Yuko Shimizu (actress).
Yuko Shimizu
Shimizu at Japan Expo 2010
Born (1946-11-01) November 1, 1946 (age 78)
Kyoto, Japan

Yuko Shimizu (清水 侑子, Shimizu Yūko, born 1 November 1946) is the Japanese designer who created Hello Kitty.

She was born in Japan. After graduating from Musashino Art University, she joined Sanrio. She designed the first original Sanrio character, Coro Chan, a bear which was introduced in 1973.[1] In 1974 she made the original design for Hello Kitty, whose fictional birthdate is November 1, same as Shimizu's.[2][3] Hello Kitty is Sanrio's most successful and best known character. Shimizu based her name on Alice's black 'Kitty' from Through the Looking-Glass. Hello Kitty was designed to be a kawaii (cute) symbol to be used on merchandise.[2][3][4] In 1975, the design made her debut in Japan with her image on a coin purse.[2][3] Sanrio has said Hello Kitty has no mouth because she "speaks from the heart" and that she is "Sanrio's ambassador to the world who isn't bound to one certain language."[5] Shimizu left Sanrio in 1976 to get married and has been working as a freelance designer ever since. She did not make a lot of money from Hello Kitty.[6]

The other characters she has created include Angel Cat Sugar and Rebecca Bonbon.[7] She has also published some picture books.

  1. ^ "巻頭大特集 サンリオが大好き!/キキ&ララ・マイメロディ 40周年記念". MOE. Vol. 438, no. April 2016. Hakusensha. 2016. p. 23.
  2. ^ a b c Kageyama, Yuri; Leff, Lisa (1 November 2024). "At 50, Hello Kitty is as 'kawaii' and lucrative as ever". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 4 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "'I created Hello Kitty'". BBC. 28 June 2024. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  4. ^ Chuang, Tamara (15 November 2004). "Mom, Apple Pie and Kitty". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  5. ^ "Sanrio character info: Hello Kitty". www.sanrio.com. November 2005. Archived from the original on 24 November 2005. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  6. ^ Dennis, Alicia Diaz (December 11, 2008). "Fashion Influential #95: Yuko Shimizu". Zimbio. Archived from the original on 2009-03-18.
  7. ^ Yannetta, Tiffany (July 26, 2011). "Hello Kitty Creator's Latest Character Is a French Bulldog in NYC". Racked.