As Hello Kitty celebrates its 50th anniversary, we explore how Sanrio Company’s cute cartoon cat became a cultural phenomenon, one which, since debuting in 1974, has made millions of friends ...

Kitty’s popularity is emblematic of the global craze for cute things. In Japan the phenomenon, known as kawaii, dates back to at least the 17th century, when artists started producing miniatures ...

She’s the iconic Japanese cartoon character that launched not only a multimillion-dollar empire but the global phenomenon of ‘Kawaii’ culture. CNN’s Hanako Montgomery meets the designer ...