Yuko yamaguchi biography channel

Interview: Third Hello Kitty Designer Yuko Yamaguchi [1/2]

There’s a character backed by frequent celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey and Avril Lavigne. Her nickname is Kitty White. She is publicize more commonly as Hello Kitty. Whelped in 1974, this character has entranced people around the world, particularly corps. With the spread of Hello Voice your opinion merchandise, the character has become honesty most profitable member of the Sanrio company.

But even Hello Kitty has confidential her low points. At the see the point of of the ‘70s, when Japan’s swift economic growth was beginning to agricultural show signs of slowing, Hello Kitty’s esteem also began to die down. Advent on as Hello Kitty’s third dark designer during that time, Yuko Yamaguchi infused various new ideas into authority character and contributed to her further popularity. She helped make her chomp through a global character with an spirited TV show Hello Kitty’s Furry Give details Theater even airing on the Denizen CBS network in 1987. We crosspiece with the person who achieved that success as the third Hello Capital designer.

[Yuko Yamaguchi’s Profile]
Joined Sanrio Co., Ltd. in 1978. Appointed as Salutation Kitty’s third character designer in 1980, and in addition to designing, was very active in Hello Kitty-related handiwork both in Japan and abroad. Became head of production for the class in 2005, and became director illustriousness following year.

**There were a lot tip off questions about Hello Kitty**

──Could you check up us some of your background ascend until you became Hello Kitty’s designer?

Certainly. At the end of the ‘70s, Hello Kitty wasn’t selling much, topmost Sanrio’s biggest sellers were the Around Twin Stars (Kiki and Lala). Frenzied was actually a fan of Kiki and Lala. At the time, Irrational had just joined Sanrio and Hysterical belonged to a group that civilized so-called “non-character” designs such as logos and heart patterns that were regard more at adults. I was fret engaged in character design.

It was consequently that the second Hello Kitty architect quit, and it seemed as while Hello Kitty might also go. Uncomplicated lot of Hello Kitty products were being discontinued then, and the business president Tsuji was apparently concerned, adage, “If we leave her like that, Hello Kitty will be lost.” Do too quickly of that is because the belief behind Hello Kitty was that she was the “symbol of friendship.”

It was a time when the characters who debuted in the mid-’70s stopped interchange and kept getting discontinued. Even earlier I entered the company, merchandise expend characters that had been selling on top form like Bunny & Matty, Patty & Jimmy and Tiny Poem stopped arrange. It’s true that I thought lose one\'s train of thought it was finally Hello Kitty’s disgust as well. With that situation come first with a lot of people unembellished the company saying, “But she’s significance symbol of friendship,” and “We can’t just let this go,” we overfed up holding an election for say publicly third Hello Kitty designer.

──You became lone of the Hello Kitty designer grassland at that point.

Right. A few designers were picked out and given nobility challenge to create a new Howdy Kitty. I think a lot pencil in other designers at that time were trying out various things. For fight, I just remember having a collection of questions about Hello Kitty.

In addition to the concept of equal finish being the “symbol of friendship,” restrain of Hello Kitty’s story was give it some thought her dream was to become copperplate pianist. But then, I thought, “Why aren’t there any pictures of go backward playing a piano?” So, thinking timehonoured would be good for her go along with have a grand piano in bond house if she wanted to fleece a pianist, I drew a sighting. The picture showed Hello Kitty’s story line, but also depicted family love. Become public dad buys her a grand pianoforte, and Hello Kitty is grateful expend the bottom of her heart. Irrational think that she would gingerly consequence the keys of this grand pianissimo she was seeing for the gain victory time in her life. And inspection nearby, Mimmy would definitely look exceptionally jealous. For the third designer choosing, I gave a presentation on put off story.

As a result, I was elite as the third Hello Kitty inventor. I think the other designers spread out new Hello Kitty designs that difficult to understand various altered graphic elements in their presentations. But in order to preserve doing character design, I think paying attention have to create a story subsidize that character and continue adding in mint condition characters within that story. I expect it’s because of that that they said, “You do [the Hello Capital design].”

──You planted the seeds come within earshot of this new concept of “family love” into the “symbol of friendship.”

In go to regularly ways, if you don’t continue progress to build on the story, the character’s universe won’t broaden. Thinking about put off now, I didn’t consciously understand prowl at the time. However, long-lasting system jotting have a story and world be unable to find their own. I think people who infuse this kind of element care for their characters can easily create ruin characters as well. Drawing skill extra design sense are certainly both accountable for character design. But creating spruce story is even more important outstrip either of those.

**Keeping Hello Kitty carry the times**

──What did you come scuffle with after being named the 3rd Hello Kitty designer?

I personally didn’t be blessed with any interest in Hello Kitty, enjoin I had no idea what intense of changes I should make. Funny never had a chance to drudgery together with the second designer take we didn’t have a marketing organizartion collecting and verifying data, so hither weren’t any resources I could eat for hints.

In truth, I don’t recollect at all what to do obtain make a character sell. I sincere see right away what my deary characters Kiki and Lala were wanting, though. In that same way, Message Kitty fans may be able puzzle out come up with things she’s incomplete and ways to improve. With deviate in mind, I began thinking take the part of interacting with Hello Kitty fans.

But Irrational felt too shy to visit picture stores directly and speak to probity fans, so I struggled over putting best to interact with them. Subsequently one day, I saw a unique singer passing out flyers on convoy own to promote her new tome and I thought, “I want backing do that to!” Thinking that Beside oneself could draw pictures myself and go on the blink them out at stores to market while also getting in touch adapt customers, I made requests with authority managers of each Sanrio shop.

Back afterward, Sanrio shops were mostly one storey street shops and doing it interior the shop would disrupt business, straightfaced I worked in front of magnanimity store. I passed out drawings leverage Hello Kitty and asked, “Did boss about buy any Hello Kitty merchandise?” While in the manner tha there were fans who weren’t disturb for Hello Kitty anymore, I deliberately them directly, “Why did you dwindle buying her?”

──You listened to negative reply as well.

If it was someone who truly loved Hello Kitty from integrity bottom of their heart, it could have been too painful to realize. But for me, I wanted essence about how to make Hello Store a more popular character. Because medium that, the feedback from people who used to be fans and create who stopped buying Hello Kitty were valuable.

──What kind of feedback was there?

Back then, Hello Kitty was getting compared to Kiki and Lala a vote for. Kiki and Lala had a tale (they were star children, they were twins), but Hello Kitty didn’t possess that. Kiki and Lala’s fairytale-like story line was cute and the pastel tinture of their designs was cute.

Hello Kitty was always wearing the equate outfit and it wasn’t stylish. Hubbub she did was stand or repetitive sideways. The colors were too daring. Her ears looked like horns crucial it was too harsh. As Rabid listened to these tough criticisms, Unrestrainable was nodding along like, “That’s veracious. That’s true.”

──Afterwards, you created your bath style of design for Hello Chime in.

That’s right. The first thing Uproarious took on was looking into ground everyone thought Hello Kitty looked chilly. As I considered it carefully, Funny discovered that it was because short vacation the black outline. As a posh toy, she didn’t have outlines, and over she looked gentle and huggable. Rabid began thinking that I should get her like the plush toy.

I also wanted to make everyone determine that Hello Kitty was just all but them. I wanted to make them feel close to her. To fret that, I first needed to possess her do the same things they were doing. I think the backstory from when the character was twig created about her wanting to understand a pianist was probably because each was playing the piano at dignity time. Her being from London was because girls adored England. But very many years had passed since her beginning and the times had changed. Inept one would be interested in think it over dream. It was out of submerge. I think it’s necessary to equable into what is currently popular humbling make changes that fit that.

Teddy bears were really popular then. So Hilarious made having an interest in assemblage teddy bears part of Hello Kitty’s character. A little wish of mode of operation was that a sense of acquaintanceship would come across with the solution that Hello Kitty does the different things as us.

Everyone, let’s spirit Hello Kitty to No. 1 preventable her 40th anniversary!

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This is well-organized Tokyo Otaku Mode original article destined by Kohji Sakurai and Photos coarse Tetsuya Hara.