Even more interesting facts to complete your Hello Kitty knowledge!

Hello Kitty was a hot topic for a while last year when news suddenly broke that Kitty-chan wasn’t a cat! Of course that subject was cleared up by Sanrio representatives, but it got us wondering, what other sordid secrets does Hello Kitty hide behind that cute veneer? One of the writers for our Japanese-language sister site Pouch is a huge Hello Kitty fan and she’s compiled a list of factoids about the lovable Kitty-chan. You will definitely learn something new after reading this 33-item list!

Hello Kitty’s creation dates back to 1975, which means there is a lot of history from which to pull some interesting facts about the world’s most famous cat/not cat. Check out the part one here! Once you’ve familiarized with all that Hello Kitty knowledge, you can dive right into part two.

▼ And then pack your bag and share your knowledge with the world!

1. Her favorite word is “yujo” (friendship).

2. She has a boyfriend named Daniel.

3. She has a pet cat named Charmmy.

4. Her boyfriend has a pet hamster named Sugar.

5. The first time Hello Kitty appeared on merchandise was on a small vinyl coin purse sold in 1975.

6. Hello Kitty doesn’t specifically choose who to collaborate with.

7. But Hello Kitty will not collaborate with tobacco or items that can kill or maim.

8. There exists a Hello Kitty product with her butt sticking out.

9. Kitty-chan has collaborated with many celebrities and products, some of which are kind of strange, but all of them are awesome! For example, did you know there is a Hello Kitty collaboration with X-Japan’s Yoshiki called Yoshikitty?

10. There is also a collaboration between Hello Kitty and the rock band KISS.

11. There’s even a stuffed-animal version of Hello Kitty wearing a uniform for Sagawa Express, a Japanese shipping company.

12. There is a Sadako Hello Kitty. (Sadako is the scary little girl from The Ring.)

13. There is also a Hello Kitty called Munch, named for artist Edward Munch.

14. You can find Hello Kitty at Universal Studios Japan, because when she visited, she found herself enamored with USJ and decided to stay.

15. You can take an official test that certifies you in all things Hello Kitty.

16. Yuko Yamaguchi is the current artist/designer for Hello Kitty and is the third person to have done so.

17. The reason Kitty-chan wears a ribbon is so that Mary, her mother, can tell the difference between her and her twin sister Mimmy.

18. There are special limited edition versions of Hello Kitty like one wearing a traditional Korean dress and a Hawaiian version with a suntan.

19. There are contacts with Kitty’s face in them.

20. EVA Air has a Hello Kitty themed plane.

21. There is a Hello Kitty Roomba.

22. You can also buy kendo uniforms with Hello Kitty patterns.

23. Many celebrities love Hello Kitty. One of the most famous is Lady Gaga.

24. Stuffed animal versions of Hello Kitty can be found wearing many different dresses, and Lady Gaga has worn a dress composed of Hello Kitty dolls.

25. The first Hello Kitty cafe was in Japan, but now you can find them in Taiwan and in Korea as well.

26. There is a permanent Hello Kitty cafe in Odaiba in Tokyo.

27. The cafes have different themes and you can enjoy different atmospheres, so it’s worth it to make trips to the various Hello Kitty cafes.

28. At the Keio Plaza Hotel, there are special Hello Kitty themed rooms.

29. If you stay in these rooms, you will find a number of Hello Kitty amenities.

30. The bath towel, stuffed animal, bag, shampoo, conditioner and other things in the bathroom set, plus a bento box are presents for the guests!

31. In the hotel, you can drink a Hello Kitty café latte.

31. At the Sanrio company office, Sanrio character goods are displayed throughout the building.

33. The glass doors also have characters on them.

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That was probably more than you ever wanted to know about Hello Kitty, but now you are ready to win your next trivia contest with the multitude of Kitty-chan facts you just learned. Feel free to print out this article and carry it around in your back pocket. Who knows where this information will come in handy!?

SoraNews24 —Japan News—