Lauren Porter

Dreams Do Come True #Kitty-chan

            Although many students on the trip were not in a Hello Kitty craze as I was, I still happily indulged in as much Hello Kitty as I could possibly take in during our three-week excursion.  In Japan Hello Kitty is an extremely popular face that originated in 1974 and continually spreads throughout Japan.  The creator of Kitty-chan, Yuko Yamaguchi designed this quaint cat with a red bow and no mouth as a form of playing to the emotions of the viewer.  Having previously researched the Japanese company Sanrio, I had a high interest in exploring the many Sanrio shops found in Japan.  Japan’s Sanrio Company, Ltd. aims to make the world a cuter place with its motto “small gift, big smile.” While walking the streets of Japan, decked out in my Hello Kitty decor I noticed that Sanrio’s motto fully promoted big smiles among Japanese individuals.  I was pleased when many of Japan’s students noticed my Kitty-chan getup, pointing at me and smiling or saying “kawaii.”  It was almost like we had an intimate connection through our obsession and fondness of Kitty-chan.

Throughout our travels I made it my mission to explore the Hello Kitty stores of Tokyo.  Among my three-week stay I was fortunate enough to go to Sanrioworld in Ginza, Kiddy Land in Harajuku, as well as the Toy Park and Gift Gate in Ginza.  All of these locations feature Hello Kitty in their store.  Upon previous research I had learned about an amusement park called Sanrio Puroland, which is an indoor Hello Kitty theme park found in Tama New Town, Tokyo, Japan.  This was one attraction that I had hoped to visit in my lifetime but was one that I never imagined actually attending…One can dream though, right?  However, my wonderful host mother was able to get me a ticket to visit this Kitty-chan infested attraction.  Sanrio Puroland was absolutely incredible.  Having attended the theme park with a 1 ½ year old and a 4 year old, only made my experience significantly more enjoyable, especially because I was able to interact with my host mother’s grandchildren, sharing the same delight and compassion for Hello Kitty as the youngsters.  During this day of glory I put my Japanese speaking skills to the test.  Since the 4 year old only spoke Japanese, I tried my hardest to understand her, replying to the best of my abilities.   Yet simple, I learned that this interaction greatly impacted my experience, showing me that despite having a language barrier a smile as well as small exchanges can go a long way with others and inevitably promote long-lasting memories, which translated to the amount of happiness and enjoyment each of us experienced during our day of splendor.