Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty

Why does Hello Kitty not have a mouth?
The main purpose of my First Trip to LA (as an adult) was to go to the Hello Kitty Exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo.
The Exhibit was supposed to end on April 26, 2015, but when it was extended to May 31, 2015, I took it as a sign that I should really go. This was the 40^th Anniversary of the Ambassador of Japan.
Hawaii Unilocaler, Malia H., and her Facebook photos and all of her LA check ins on Unilocal really motivated me. My LA Unilocal friend, Steve M., sent me news from JANM (where he is a member) about the special gatherings at the museum and encouraged me to get my $ 20 ticket online. I did!
Steve was nice enough to drop me off at the front of the museum since my ticket had a 2:30pm time. That’s really smart to space out the visitors so that the people are evenly distributed over the course of the day. Everyone was able to browse the displays and all of the poster boards at their leisure. It was a thorough, organized, and well-​planned Exhibit and I’m so glad that I went!
Hello Kitty was not there on the day of my visit, but I did meet her the next day by accident! Kenzie and I were at the museum for a «pit stop» when we crashed a private function! I spotted Hello Kitty in the distance, surrounded by some children! I was praying that she would turn around — and she did! I caught a picture of her through the window! Then — she was entering the building! Aaaah! I caught her with my camera phone again! I was so happy that I was cheering and jumping up and down!
Later in my LA trip, I finally got to meet the famous Hello Kitty Blogger, Jenn G. She asked me what my favorite part of the exhibit was. I had to think really hard — for a while — because there was so much. All of the various products and appliances, from guitars, microwaves, and bicycles to artwork, cosmetics, and clothing, were amazing! We both agreed that the trivia was the best part…
–Hello Kitty is five apples tall
–she weighs 3 apples
–her last name is White
–her twin sister’s name is Mimi
–her «special friend» is Dear Daniel
–her favorite food is Mama’s Apple Pie
And the answer to the question above is:
Hello Kitty does not have a mouth because she speaks from the heart!

This was a super cute way to spend the weekend with some girlfriends! I loved all of the cute and sometimes questionable hello kitty art. I also enjoyed looking at the transformation of the products through the years and reminisced about all the hello kitty items I owned in my childhood that potentially could have been worth money maybe if I had taken care of them. There were great photo ops with the Apple measurement and of course with the various hello kitty backgrounds. And of course the hello kitty paper hat they give you is a cute touch. They also handed out a cute hello kitty pin and bandaid tin. Although the event was pricey at $ 20 entry it was super fun.

Sadly this exhibit has ended, May 31, but it was an amazing retrospective of all things Hello Kitty from inception and first release in 1974 to present day.
The exhibit was mostly a display of print and product representations of Hello Kitty featuring amazing collectibles and stunning creations by Sanrio as well as other artists paying tribute to HK. There was a film that chronicled the historical timeline of the brand and products as well as many informational displays and descriptions to give us perspective on the product, and mission, of Hello Kitty. There was one display of Hello Kitty Hate materials, which I though was a great contribution as not all people like HK, somehow.
I personally liked the Hello Kitty tribute art pieces done by various artists which expressed their vision of the cartoonish icon. Also represented were bios of both Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji, and HK’s current principal designer, Yuko Yamaguchi. Hello Kitty has had 3 principal designers since first launched.
The exhibit was at the Japanese American National Museum in the Little Tokyo section of DTLA, a great destination in and of itself. The exhibit spans 2 floors of the museum with a gated entry and exit releasing patrons through to the upper floor exhibit of Japanese American culture, specifically into the internment exhibit — quite a sobering juxtaposition from the World of Hello Kitty.
I’ll post pics of some of my personal favorites, though I took literally 100 a pictures, there are some truly amazing product-​izations and representations of the iconic Hello Kitty. I found the exhibit to be a tad pricy, $ 20 for adults and $ 10 for kids, but it was a good hour’s worth of fun. I took my daughter and a friend, none of us were bored and all had fun!
So long Hello Kitty, thanks for visiting us in Los Angeles :)

I first went to the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) a few weeks ago, and though I had been to Little Tokyo before, I didn’t even know this museum existed. Fortunately, when I went with a friend, I noticed a huge poster for a current Hello Kitty exhibit … the «Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty,» as it turned out to be.
During that particular weekend (and for the rest of the duration of May), the featured exhibit at the museum featured a 40^th anniversary celebration of the beloved cat and her influence on popular culture. I have to admit, I tend to be pretty particular when it comes to Hello Kitty, in that I’ll like certain things (accessories, utensils, etc.) but not others (I wouldn’t be wearing a Hello Kitty T-​shirt). But, since this exhibit looked super cute and I knew it was a limited-​time thing, I wanted to check it out, and my friend obliged … even though he was a guy. He had gone to the JANM itself though, and told me that it was worth checking out, since I had never gone before.
There was a good amount of people there to see the special exhibit, but I never felt claustrophobic or crowded, since we moved at a good pace and tended to leave the little kids and their families behind. Admission was more expensive because this was a featured exhibit ($ 20 and no student discount), but I was really glad that I got to go. Seeing the featured items in the Hello Kitty exhibit – as well as the regular displays in the JANM – were intricate, detailed and artistic. Even though the «Supercute World of Hello Kitty» exhibit is no longer there, I would revisit the JANM if there was something else that was really interesting currently featured. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area and have never gone.
Here are some of my highlights from the Hello Kitty exhibit, though. I enjoyed it immensely (more than I anticipated enjoying it) and I seriously wanted so many of the accessories on display. Not only that, but as a little girl, I would collect Hello Kitty stationery and I had some of those Hello Kitty movies on VHS, so parts of this display took me right back to my childhood!
Highlights:
Hello Kitty backpack grid: There was an organized grid of various Hello Kitty backpacks and satchels. I totally remember having a Hello Kitty backpack (and lunch bag) when I was in elementary school, so this neat display definitely brought back memories. I quickly identified my favorite bags on display … and though I’m sure they cost a lot, I liked the prints with the subtle Hello Kitty icon (with the exception of the backpack with the huge Hello Kitty mustache face … too adorable).
Hello Kitty jewelry/​tech gadgets: If there’s any HK accessory I like, it’s some of the jewelry, because I like the iconic design presented in a classy way. I admired some of the silver bracelets (the ones that weren’t too over-​the-​top), and I actually really liked some of the tech accessories as well. I think one of my favorites had to be the HK cell phone case that was in the shape of HK’s iconic red bow.
Fake Food: The fake bentos with Hello Kitty-​shaped sushi looked so real that it was making me hungry just to look at the display. I actually did know a girl in elementary school – she and her family moved from Japan – whose mom made cute Japanese bentos like these using Hello Kitty dishes. Granted, the rice and sushi weren’t in HK shapes, but that girl’s lunches always looked so fancy and comparable to the display. The HK sushi, though fake, was sooo cute … if it were real, it would be almost too cute to eat. Almost.
Hello Kitty Dishes: If there was anything I would splurge on, in terms of HK accessories, it would probably be home stuff — aka, dishes, towels and utensils. The tea pots, chopsticks and other dishes were just too cute. It’s probably a good thing that I don’t have a huge kitchen at the moment …
Hello Kitty Posters: Since I was an avid collector of Sanrio stationery back in the day, it was really neat to see the different Hello Kitty designs over the years. I distinctly remembered some of the prints, as I had them in stationery/​letterhead form and some of the prints were the ones I had on my backpacks or lunch boxes. It was really cool to see how HK transformed over the years … I tend to like the girlier, simpler prints but the «Nerd» HK always makes me laugh, since I wear glasses as well.
Hello Kitty Art: I definitely wouldn’t buy any of these (surely expensive) art pieces, but it was interesting to see the various works of HK art that were included within the exhibit. My friend who’s an artist really enjoyed this part of the exhibit, and it was pretty fun to study the different paintings and depictions of HK, as interpreted by various artists (some of them made HK look downright scary). I think one of my favorite art pieces had to be the shiny HK iconic face made out of flowers and pastel colors.

The Hello Kitty exhibit at JANM is nearly ending, so there weren’t very many people when we went on Sunday morning. Very rarely did I have to stand and wait for people to move out of my shot, which was great because as one friend said, this exhibit is «totally insta-​worthy!»
The exhibit is like a nostalgic trip down memory lane for adult fans of Hello Kitty. If you grew up in the heyday of Sanrio, you will enjoy ooh-​ing and ahh-​ing your way through the past merchandise displays on the first floor, reminiscing about your childhood. «Ooh! remember that stapler? I totally had that Hello Kitty stapler! And the puffy pencil cases! I had a one just like that!»
The second floor of the exhibit is where some of the cooler Hello Kitty-​inspired art pieces are displayed, including the giant Mecha Kitty and several pieces of Hello Kitty couture, as seen on America’s Next Top Model. Take a closer look and see if you can spot all of the Hello Kitty products used to create the dresses. One of the dresses has sleeves made from band-​aids, and another one has a decoration made out of toothbrushes!
If you are an adult and worried that it would be awkward for you to go see this exhibit, don’t worry, this really is all for you. Without the emotional connection of having grown up with this stuff, I can only imagine that looking at Hello Kitty art, office supplies, electronics, and kitchenware would be mind-​numbingly boring for kids. In fact, the only part of the exhibit that kids really seemed to like was the «How many apples tall are you?» poster.
It would have been nice if the exhibit had been expanded to include a section for Hello Kitty & Friends, but it was still a fairly entertaining way to spend an afternoon and see how far people have taken their Hello Kitty obsession (Hello Kitty motor oil?!?). You’re going to want to buy everything all over again, and are going to be deeply disappointed that you can’t. Definitely plan on swinging by a Sanrio store after you go through the exhibit.
My personal rating scale says I should give this exhibit 3 stars, because I wouldn’t go again, but that feels like punching a child. So, 4* stars for the Hello Kitty exhibit: it was entertaining, I wore the hat, I bought the souvenirs, and I got good pictures, but wouldn’t go again.

I honestly love Hello Kitty! I have shirts, accessories, and tons of other stuff that I buy to this day. Hello Kitty reminds me of my childhood when I used to whine to parents about buying me stuff from the Sanrio store. I have seen posters for this exhibit so I decided to finally go and check it out. The exhibit is in the Japanese American National Museum. I bought my tickets online for $ 20. They ask you to reserve a time so you can come between the time that you request on your ticket. I strongly suggest buying a ticket beforehand as I saw multiple lines but with my reserved ticket, I only waited about 10 minutes. Parking is obviously bad in Little Tokyo, but I saw that there were some street parking available (which is free on Sunday). I was already a little late so I parked in the the structure (Joe’s Parking) at Central and 2^nd. It is $ 10 flat rate on the weekends.
The exhibit itself is relatively small. There are two stories of exhibits. I saw a lot of things that I used to own as a kid, which brought back the nostalgia. The bottom floor was exhibits of items that Hello Kitty has (e.g. Refrigerator, pencils, cell phone charms, plates, etc.) and a viewing room that shows a Hello Kitty video. The upstairs has painting and funky clothes that celebrities wore. It was a very cute exhibit and an explosion of Hello Kitty items. I only wish that there were more things that were showcased. The entire exhibit took us about 30 minutes. We turned back and went back around again just in case we missed anything so we were there a little longer. This is definitely something you do only once since there is not that much to see. Overall, a good way to spend some time. Plus, after you can go enjoy the day in Little Tokyo. There is also a museum store that sells Hello Kitty items. (Kind of pricey but if you want a souvenir, it is a good place to find one).

I give it four stars, but I didn’t pay anything during the day so… We went in as members and I truly have no idea how it works since I was simply invited to go with someone who had made me a member. I believe tickets are quite expensive, so like what someone else said BE A FAN! I grew up with hello kitty so I have a fond recollection of collecting all sorts of overpriced items, but I don’t think its worth the 20 per person if you have no interest in anything of HK. Most people seemed very engaged and interested in the artifacts that were being shown off.
I know you need to reserve a time slot as well and parking can be a hassle. We just did an outside lot for 7 bucks and walked around Japan town so it wasn’t that bad. It was probably the closet lot as well!
The exhibit itself is interesting but short. Have an appreciation for the stuff if you decide to come or you’ll probably not get the value of what you paid for. Little ones will definitely enjoy it but be careful. Keep the kids under control, this isn’t a big kid place, but more so an exhibit to appreciate the history of hello kitty. Quite a bit of security and guards walking around ensuring people do not touch certain items, so be aware!
Regardless I did enjoy it. I found it quite interesting to walk through. Plus you get to go through the Japanese history afterwards since you’re in the museum. I believe it’s ending really soon? I’m not too sure when, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to see it while it was here.

I have not seen this much cuteness gathered in one place EVER! I’m glad we were able to catch this exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum before it closes sometime in May. I grew up liking Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters like My Melody and Little Twin Stars when I was in the Philippines and when we moved here in the United States. I loved going to the Sanrio Store, buying stationery, gum and other items, seeing them all wrapped up and getting a little trinket taped to the bag. So cool when you were a child!
This exhibit was somewhat of a stroll down memory lane, but it is so much more than that. Yes, it has samples of HK items from its nascent years like the very first HK item ever sold (a small coin purse) and your usual HK branded everyday things like Duct Tape and lunch boxes, but it also has truly unique items on display like Lady Gaga’s HK dress, modern paintings like Inner Kitty and Space Kitty, and a stunning Kittypatra sculpture that will blow your mind away. I dare you not to take a picture of Kittypatra. Like her predecessor, Cleopatra, Kittypatra exudes sensuality, authority and immortality.
I hope I have succeeded in whetting your appetite for more cuteness in your life. You do have to pay an admission fee – $ 20 for adults and $ 10 for youth – but that money also goes to support JANM which also have other exhibits on Japanese American history in the United States. I dragged my husband to the exhibit and he enjoyed it even though he has never been and will never be an HK devotee. He said they have neat stuff like the art work, not just cute stuff. Oh, and he even wore the HK paper crown that they gave us to wear and to keep as a souvenir!

I bought my girlfriend tickets for this and really I was surprised on how much fun it was pretty much had a cutesy attack, quick bring the crash cart full of merchandise! and if you’re into hello Kitty well this Kitty heaven… that’s all I can say without further embarrassing myself.

There is so much more to Hello Kitty than stuffed animals and pencil boxes. Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty definitely shows that.
From start to finish, this exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum brought a smile to my face. I could not help but take snapshot after snapshot of all the amazing things to see here. It is Hello Kitty history through the years. Yes, it is super cute. It is for Hello Kitty lovers but I think even non-​Hello Kitty fans will take appreciation of Hello Kitty after a visit to this exhibit.
This truly showcases the phenomenon of Hello Kitty. From childhood cuteness to even adult (dare I say) naughtiness, Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty showcases it all.
There truly is something for everyone here. Kids will love seeing the different Hello Kitty plushes and toys. Foodies will appreciate the Hello Kitty cookware and Hello Kitty wine showcased. Fashionistas will enjoy the various Hello Kitty bags and dresses on display! Art lovers will be amazed at the different Hello Kitty paintings and artwork!
Perhaps the popularity of this exhibit can best be proved that it is now extended till May 2015! For those who are Hello Kitty fans, you must go! For those who aren’t Hello Kitty fans, go as well. Every one that goes will see there is more to Hello Kitty than just cutesy stuff.

If you are a Hello Kitty fan… come here. If you’re not, don’t waste your $ 20 for this exhibit (but I do recommend the Japanese American exhibit because that is amazing).
Hello Kitty lovers This place has some history about Hello Kitty — including the first coin purchase ever created. They have tons of cute props and stuff that have been made for Hello Kitty — including household items. More to add to my list of things I want.
The whole thing ends in April and I think every HK fan needs to visit Japan (HK Mecca) and this place. Just because we rarely get anything HK here other than this and Hello Kitty Con.
PARKING:
Paid lots
TICKETS:
Be sure to buy your tickets in advanced JUST IN CASE. It can get full at a time spot
OVERALL:
It was kinda short and you do get to take lots of photos, but it’s actually pretty short when you think about it. But… I love HELLO KITTY.
Afterward, you are brought into the Japanese American Interment camp museum… and it gets sad.

The hello kitty exhibit at JANM is fun with friends (of a certain age and demographic). My friends and I purchased timed tickets for the museum and were pulled out of the line to check in. They probably should have two lines since they advertise the advanced purchase. We went on a random Saturday where there weren’t any other special events going on, so it wasn’t packed. Be sure to check the calendar before planning your visit.
All of the staff was incredibly friendly from the bag check guy who offered to take our photo, to the security guards who happily took our photos and only lightly scolded us when the Polaroid cameras flash went off.
This exhibit had well curated original hello kitty memorabilia and creative current HK inspired art and a few fashion pieces. It definitely caters to the OG Sanrio fan (yes, you’ll finally catch glimpses of Pochacco and Keroppi again!) Children and others will be bored. OG fans will press their faces to the glass examining the details of the tiny dioramas and take in the sweet scent of hello kitty everywhere (seriously y’all, what was that vanilla candy scent?) As others have said, it’s not interactive at all. In fact, the first floor is almost like a catalog/​advertisement, but for fans like my group of 80’s babies with families in Japan and Taiwan who brought back Sanrio goodies as much loved souvenirs, we were nostalgic.
The gift shop was sad and empty, otherwise it would have been 5 stars.

I adored this exhibit and recommend every little girl and woman with a heart for whimsy make it a point to visit! The exhibit includes relics from Hello Kitty’s initial inception and takes you through her rise to Iconic pop-​culture status. You will see sculptures, paintings, clothes, videos, toys– you name it– all Hello Kitty and friends. So fun to see!
I stopped in on a rainy week night about an hour or so before the museum closed and practically had the whole place to myself. If you can, I suggest doing that. You can park on the street if you are lucky or there is plenty of parking across the street at the Japanese village for $ 10. Admission was $ 20. I love love loved it!
As a child from the 80’s, I totally grew up with Hello Kitty and am now one of the millions of grown ass women who still frequents Sanrio for Hello Kitty gear. In fact, on my desk as I write this review are an array of Hello Kitty pens, a Hello Kitty eraser that smells like bubble gum and an oversized Hello Kitty calculator. What can I say? There is a little Japanese school girl that lives inside me!
Take your inner child on a field trip to this super fun exhibit. No doubt you will leave with a smile on your face. :-)

This is a perfect family adventure. Explore the super cute, cleanse your palate with some bento & sushi or noodles! Then (if you are brave) end at the Hello Kitty store or pick up a treat at Yamazaki.
The scope and reach of this uncompromisingly adorable cultural phenomenon really does deserve a curated museum experience. This one was fun, and (despited the monolithic subject matter) avoided being repetitive.
I would have liked a bit more history and depth to the experience — and a bit of a break on the tickets — but it did not detract from the pure saturation of über cuteness that is at the heart of this show.
This truly was the cornerstone of a fantastic day.

Really like the first exhibit– a small clear plastic coin purse.
Throughout the tour, I have seen many childhood items which made me thinking about my mom. Boy, I made her spent lots of money buying me all these stuff.
Really amazed they have HK motor oil lol

**Hello Kitty Exhibit** Located at JANM Little Tokyo!
No idea where to start OMG when Maila invited me to go to a Hello Kitty Museum I thought she was trippin’ because I never heard of such thing but whatever OK I just have to finish my HW and then I can go! I did nothing but study and finish my project the next day which I had planned would taken the whole weekend but I finished!!! Got dressed and off I went to meet up the gang! Thanks to Natasha N. and Chris C. for planning this wonderful event?! But I had no idea who was meeting and where?! I was told to meet at 10am at the Block first! Than 10:30. I don’t think we got to Little Tokyo until 1pm!!! Laggers?!~! I would drove down there by myself but I had no idea what was going on. All I know is that I wanted to walk into the shops and shop around at the Outlets of Orange. It’s not called the BLOCK anymore! Well that is sad! I used to love that place. Anyhoo!
We finally get to Little Tokyo and WOWsers!!! All this time I have been going to Little Tokyo but I had ZERO clue of the JANM~! Japanese American National Museum. It is right across the street from the Japanese village but of course I have no reason to walk across the street. Shame on me for not exploring the area. I only go here for the breads and desserts! So we all finally are here! Craig Y, I finally got to meet him and such a sweetheart he is. Vince V., Jennifer N., Soo H., Brenda D., not sure who else I am missing? Oh wait, our driver, Christopher H., like how could I forget him?! So we got to the entrance, paid our fees, got my HK sticker, but lost it, boohoo.
Cost for HK exhibit at JANM:
~ JANM Members is FREE ($ 50 for membership including free HK tote)
~ General $ 20
~ Ages 6 – 17 $ 10
~ Ages 5 and under FREE
So what the Hello Kitty exhibit is all about is they have many of toys on display that they came out with in the past 40 years? I am not sure if every toy is out there but the massage vibrator is there. I did have one. I think I bought it on ebay. No idea where all my HK stuff went. I moved too many times to keep track of my things. My mom would call me a gypsy, why? I don’t know what that is and it does not sound too good. Well we went in and really, it’s not that big of an exhibit. You can do it in less than an hour. It does have history and information you can read in a few places but I mean, it’s Hello Kitty. Not Pearl Harbor War. I did find the JANM to be interesting after the HK exhibit ended, I got to learn a bit of my own culture and I wanted to come back to explore more so I ended up getting the annual pass. They credited me my entrance fee towards the membership annual fee. So if anyone wants to go, just hit me up. But I am NOT car pooling this time!
So the HK exhibit, It’s not that big in there but we all kept losing each other. I was by myself for most of the beginning taking a bunch of photos and selfies. If you want to save yourself $ 20, just go through all the photos, everyone took so many photos of the art work and toys, there really is not much left for mystery. What made it worth it though is the humungous Hello Kitty Titan Space Kitty~!! Like WOWsers!!! If I was a billionaire, I’d want to buy it and take it home with me. That’s like the coolest Hello Kitty thing I ever seen in my entire life! I wanted to take more photos but this man could not control his kids. Everyone else wanted to take photos but he was not handling his kids very well and have ZERO consideration for those who wanted to take photos. I think he just wanted to be in the photos. Like who could blame him.
The Space Kitty will probably be the most memorable thing of Hello Kitty in all of history. No Joke. Luckily I had already taken a photo with Space Kitty. Christopher H. took my photo and he takes great photos. I thought he was trying to make me do something kinky because he kept telling me to pose right under her breasts but in the middle and I was bending down, it felt pretty awkward. I have to admit though, the photo did turn out perfect. Thanks Christopher! :)
I just don’t know who took the group photos!!! If you have group photos of me in it, could you please send them to me?! :(
So after the museum, we walked to Café Dulce. Apparently there is this Hello Kitty hunt going on and certain places will have Hello Kitty pins or whatever. You stand in a long LONG line for HOURS which I did not want to do. Well there was no line after the museum since they ran out of pins. That did not stop me from buying anything. Just a note that I did NOT pay attention the discounts that JANM offers their members. Certain places offers 10% discount! Darn it! Café Dulce is one of them!
In all honestly, I would not have gone and paid $ 20 to go in, but because it was a field trip with my Unilocal family, I went, and it was all worth it. I’d do it all over again. But driving by myself this time. I would have gone early for the HK pin! At least I got donuts. Kenzie happy! :)
Thanks for reading!
~*kenzie*~

Don’t hate the player, hate the game. As in don’t scorn Hello Kitty, just cause she is who she is. The kitty cat just didn’t become a global marketing phenomenon overnight. We pushed this kitten to stardom.
But, let’s first get this straight. The feline is a fictional character. No matter how much you want to be like her, dress up things like her, or represent her image in any way possible — the cat is NOT real. So don’t go overboard, cause it’s annoying the shit out of me.
If anyone is to blame, it’s the company Sanrio and it’s designers. Created in 1974 in Japan and then transported to the US in 1976, the puss is a worldwide wonder. Here are five reasons why.
1. Ever heard of a cat turn 40 years old in human years? Exactly. In 2014, we’re celebrating her 40^th Anniversary. Aside, from all the stuff that’s happening elsewhere, Hello Kitty gets her own 6 month exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum.
2. The pussy cat is worth an estimated $ 7 billion a year, all without any advertising. She can be found on a variety of consumer products, as well as having her own TV series. Hello Kitty has her own theme park, restaurant, and café, present all over the world. The pussy cat also has her own branded music album, including video games. I would seriously consider marrying the chick if I could.
3. From a financial background, Bank of America even produced her own line of checking account, complete with checks and VISA/​MC debit and credit cards. They even produce high end products such as guitars, commercial passenger jets, wines, and jewelry.
4. The kitty cat is of British origin, born in the suburbs of London, England. She’s not that tall, but neither are her friends. However, the kitten weighs as much as three apples. If that’s not watching your food intake, then I don’t know what is. Hello Kitty knows how to handle her weight, unlike me. Unilocal is making me fat.
5. She’s known to be bright, kind hearted, and very close to her feline family. Hello Kitty was always an excellent student, where she excelled in music and art. This kitten loves to bake cookies and favors homemade apple pie. Now, what’s more American than apple pie?
Aside, from everything else, me and my crew of Unilocalers had a Sunday Funday a few weeks back to view this JANM exhibit. The presentation has everything and I mean EVERYTHING. The craziest thing I found? A massage wand by Sanrio, which has been dubbed as the — Hello Kitty Vibrator. It’s supposed to «buzz» away one’s troubles around the neck and shoulders with the quick flick of the switch. Neck and shoulders? Yeah right.
KEEP CALM AND KITTY ON?
The only thing that’s crazier was a brutal murder in 1999 known as the Hello Kitty murder, which took place in Hong Kong. The name of the case derives from the fact that the murderer inserted the victim’s head into a Hello Kitty doll after decapitating the body. If you don’t believe me, just ask Hello Kitty.

Great time to meet up with friends and see a great museum. Props to Natasha & Chris C, Chris is always helpful to Unilocalers putting events together.
I apologize for my delay, I had a great time exploring something I had not seen much of before. Yet, many of the people I know like Hello Kitty but I had never been to a museum or shop myself.
Natasha is the sweetest young lady, I hope my daughter turns out like her. Chris C, one of the coolest cats on Unilocal,hope to meet up with him again, Jennifer N is always cool since way back, Craig my brotha, Maila always nice and honest, I respect her, Kenzie the Dessert Queen and Selfie-​Certified-​Specialist, Brenda always cool too, Christopher glad to meet you the day before, nice to meet Soo as well
In addition to seeing the exhibits we were able to get items at the gift shop and I picked up some items for my nephew.
Though I have known to be late for Unilocal events, I promised my niece it will never happen. Speaking of my niece, I decided to write a little rhyme about her, taking a tune from way back before she was born, when her uncle was a kid.
2 Songs dedicated to my Niece Natasha N
Song 1 «Yelpa Unilocala»
A song parody of NWA’s 1988 song «Gangsta Gangsta»
Here’s a little something bout my dope Unilocal Niece
Coming to L. A., straight out the bangin Unilocal O.C.
Vince V, would like to say
That she a hungry Super-​Girl, from around the way
When it is lunch, she go eat out
Straight to her review, that’s what I read about
Boba, a drink or two
Take BF to the zoo
You like where she going, then come too
She runs a gang, and I’m in it
My Homegirl will drop reviews in a minute
With a bite bite, nom, nom, pure food-​ness
Then you say, ah dang she cool-​ness
Everwhere she go, we say [damn!]
She got the Uncle’s cheering on her program
Any boundaries she don’t care
Frostbites and more, she too busy saying yeah!
About eating, straight out the Bento bottle
But at school she a mo-​fo role model
To my kids looking up to she
Day ain’t nutting but classes and study
Cause she the type of Unilocaler you want to ask
Go to Creamistry or Juice up with green grass
See, she don’t give a what, cause she keep Unilocaling
Yo, what the heck are they yelling
Unilocala Unilocala, Natasha is Unilocaling
Its not about the calorie its all about the galorie
Unilocala Unilocala, Natasha is Unilocaling
Song 2 «You Bring Us Sunshine»
A song parody of Stevie Wonder’s 1972 song «You Are The Sunshine Of My Life»
You bring a sunshine to our life
Unilocal is so nice when you’re around
And every Uncle, keeps an eye
You are the Niece inside our heart
Never an end only beginging
Niece, Sister or Opa, for many years
And if we thought you would stop Unilocaling
You would see a big sad uncle in his tears
You bring a sunshine to our life
Unilocal is so nice when you’re around
You’re sweet like apple pecan pie
But filled with such warmth like a tart
You cheer us up when we are hungry
You get a spirit in the group
A Super-​Girl got me attending
A Hello Kitty event I never thought to view
You bring a sunshine to our life
Unilocal is so nice when you’re around
And every Uncle, keeps an eye
You are the Niece inside our heart

Leaves fly in warm wind
red bean donuts call my name
Hello Kitty dreams.
How many people will fit in a Toyota Rav 4? That question has gnawed at me for years. Finally I found my answer. 6.
My life has been a timid one full of fear. Fear of the dreaded drive to and from L.A. up the 5. Fortunately Natasha convinced kind Christopher H. to drive us all to the Hello Kitty exhibit in Little Tokyo. In the back there were girl secrets revealed which I dare not reveal.
I was exited to try the donuts at Café Dulce but the line looked like an hour or more wait so we kept walking. The group decided to stop for pizza but I kept on walking. Found amazing shrimp tempura at Las Galas plus white peach and guava sorbet at Mikawaya. :-)
We arrived at the Japanese American National Museum and more of Natasha’s friends met us there. The history of Hello Kitty awaited. So many cool Hello Kitty items I never knew existed. Afterwards we viewed exhibits on Manzanar at other places of imprisonment during World War II. Interesting how Japanese Americans in Hawaii were exempt as they represented 40% of the work force and the economy would have collapsed if they weren’t working.
Excellent exhibits both. Now it was time for more food. There was no line at Café Dulce as they had run out of Hello Kitty collectible pins. I tried a red bean donut which was awesome as I love regular donuts and red bean paste. The combination of the 2 was amazing! I also tried a fruity pebble donut hole. It was good.
On the drive back the group graciously stopped by Queen’s Bakery so I could pickup some delicious rice puff. :-)
It was great hanging out with Natasha’s cool friends, learn some history, and eat some awesome food! :-) Can’t wait for the next event!

My Unilocal Family and Friends drove out to Los Angeles to have some Sunday Funday on November 16^th, 2014! Our adventure first started out by making a trip to Café Dulce to eat and to see if we could get the Hello Kitty Hungry Hunt Pin. However, we decided to go elsewhere since the line was massively long and our tummy were super grumbling.
Auntie Jennifer N., Uncle Craig Y., Oppa Christopher H., Uncle Soo H., Brenda D., and I stumbled upon Mr. Pizza for some yummy lunch. Although, Uncle Soo H. ended up going elsewhere to chow on some shrimp tempura and his two layered ice cream waffle cone, but came back to watch our silly family reality television show as entertainment. The fam bam ended up ordering mozzarella sticks (didn’t get to try any), fried calamari (A-​OK), and a large mr. pizza combination with sweet potato crust (pretty delicious!).
Once our tummy was satisfied, we headed on over to the Japanese American National Museum to meet up with the rest of the crew (Oppa Chris C., Maila H., Kenzie K., and later Uncle Vince V.). We took a couple of pictures in front of the museum (just missing Uncle Vince V! THE SADNESS!) before getting into our next fun adventure. Admissions for the Hello Kitty Exhibition was $ 20 adults, $ 10 ages 6 – 17, and free for ages 5 and under and JANM members. But the best part is we got a 2 for 1 deal of seeing two exhibitions (Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty and Common Ground: The Heart of Community).
1^st Exhibition:
The Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty Exhibition was so adorable! The exhibition was part of the global icon’s 40^th Anniversary celebration to show the impressive influence and evolution of how Hello Kitty has evolved over the years. OH MY GOODNESS! I was literally squealing inside and out loud when checking out all of the rare and unique items. It honestly reminded me of my childhood memories of me shopping and collecting Hello Kitty products. The best part was posing for pictures with my Unilocal fam and friends in front of some of the amazing artwork and items! We got to make sure to capture them awesome memories.
2^nd Exhibition:
Common Ground: The Heart of Community is an ongoing exhibition of 130 years of Japanese American History. There are tons of pictures, documents, artifacts on display for museum attendees to learn and to explore. You will be surprised to learn about how many concentration camps that were in the United States.
Overall, we ended our Sunday Funday at Café Dulce for some dessert. We tried seeing if we could still do the Hello Kitty Hungry Hunt, but they ran out of the pins and donuts for the rest of the day (oh well maybe another time haha). I must say that it was great spending time with my Unilocal family and friends! I also cannot wait for more bonding time in the future! I truly appreciate you guys for coming out and making this day so epic-​ally AWESOME! Also, big thanks to Oppa Chris C. for helping me organize this event! You da best!