Hello Kitty gets around. Usually you find these location-specific Hello Kitty omiyage only in their featured city, but a Sanrio shop in LaQua carries all of them in one place. No need to travel to get your Hello Kitty geegaw. Left to right: cans of chocolate creams (representing Kobe in a red dress), strawberry creams a the purple can, and two yellow cans of corn cream candies (Hokkiado).
If you’re not fond of sweets, why not get some other treats? Up at the top, Kitty-chan’s pictured on handkerchiefs in Kyoto and Kobe. On the second shelf, it’s a variety of items from Kumamoto and other cities.
This shop has about 200 keychains and keitai straps with Kitty posing in traditional costume or with signature items from famous places: Mt Fuji balanced on her head; dressed like a Okayama bonodori dancer; sitting on a Okuwadani boiled egg.
Posted by kuri at August 13, 2003 12:02 AMKawaii! I’m a shameless Hello Kitty nut. ^_^
Posted by: Razor on August 13, 2003 01:40 AMIs there a Katochan store along the same lines? I collect Katochan’s from all over Japan. Nothing better than old Drifter’s episodes on Japanese TV.
Posted by: UltraBob on August 13, 2003 12:11 PMThey even have “adult toys” in the kitty-chan theme.. I am not sure if it is official merchandise though..
Posted by: Tracey on August 13, 2003 07:27 PMHello Kitty has gotten way more popular here in the course of the past three years or so. It used to be you had to go to NYC to get your Kitty fix. Now you can find barrettes in the local drugstore or pillows and notebooks at K-Mart.
It’s interesting to see the differences in marketing from area to area though. NYC still gets the cooler styles of HK. City Kitty waving from a taxi! Lots of HK in Hawaii, too.
Posted by: Jenn on August 13, 2003 08:46 PMI remember as a kid that every Hallmark store had Sanrio stuff…but now I have to go to the anime store if I want the very latest in cute. ^_^
My mom says I am now very easy to shop for…
Posted by: Razor on August 14, 2003 08:32 AM