Sanrio launches Hello Kitty on a vinyl coin purse in Japan in 1974

In 1974 the Japanese gift and stationery company Sanrio introduced a new character called Hello Kitty. Designed by Yuko Shimizu, she first appeared on a small vinyl coin purse, a simple product aimed at children and sold in Japan. The date is commonly given as 1974, with the following year often cited for the purse's wider sale.

Sanrio, founded by Shintaro Tsuji, built its business on selling cute, affordable goods that people gave as small presents. Hello Kitty was drawn as a white cat-like girl with a red bow and no visible mouth, a design that let fans project their own feelings onto her.

The character mattered because it grew from a single purse into one of the best-known brands in the world. Over the following decades Hello Kitty spread to stationery, clothing, toys and collaborations with fashion and art, and became a symbol of Japan's "kawaii" (cuteness) culture. That long history is the background to the Paris exhibition exploring her place beyond children's merchandise.