The Secret to Hello Kitty’s Half-Century of Success

She’s one of Japan’s best-loved creations, adorning some 50,000 products sold across 130 countries and earning billions of dollars for parent company, Sanrio. But it’s important to note what she’s not: Hello Kitty isn’t a cat, nor is she, in fact, Japanese. She is an anthropomorphic feline-like British girl born in the leafy suburbs of London, according to the official narrative. She stands as tall as five apples and weighs the equivalent of three. She likes baking cookies, though her favorite food is mama’s apple pie.