The Many Faces of Hello Kitty: An NCTA Mini-course for K-12 Educators
Saturday, November 14, 2026
9:00am-1:00pm (Eastern time)
Online, Synchronous via Zoom
Did you know that Hello Kitty turned fifty last year?
While it may seem that Kitty and her Sanrio pals are ever-present characters in Japan’s kawaii (“cute”) cultural landscape, their creation is tightly linked to Japan’s post-war boom that is most often associated with economic powerhouses like Toyota and Sony.
This free four-hour virtual mini course will begin by introducing participants to Tsuji Shintaro, the mind and heart behind Sanrio, chronicling Hello Kitty’s 1970s and 1980s rise to popularity in both Japan and abroad. We will also focus on Sanrio’s clever business strategies (such as its licensing agreements, “guerilla” marketing tactics, and the frequent roll-out of new products) that have directly led to the company’s longstanding success. In the second part of the course, we will focus on the myriad ways in which Hello Kitty has served as a lightning rod for topics concerning East Asian relations, feminism and gender, and racism. In this mini-course we will use Christine Yano’s research from Pink Globalization (2013) as a way to understand the implications of Japanese ‘cute’ as it has gone global. While some of the issues referenced above may be more suitable for a high school audience, this mini course offers some great takeaways for educators (and students) of all levels.
Participants who attend the entire session will receive a complimentary copy of Time magazine’s 50th anniversary special edition, “Hello Kitty: The Power of Cuteness”
After you register, we will send you a confirmation email. Educators who complete the program will receive a Certificate Completion. Pennsylvania Educators can also receive Act 48.
You will also receive information on accessing the Zoom meeting for the mini-course after registering.
The Many Faces of Hello Kitty: An NCTA Mini-course for K-12 Educators
Saturday, November 14, 2026 - 09:00 to 13:00
Online Workshop
Event Location:
Online via Zoom
Event Topic: