As a child, we all have had the pleasure of collecting our favorite Sanrio characters. From stationery and hair accessories to school lunch sets and even shoe bags, we all had fun collecting them. Many of us probably rushed to a Sanrio shop as soon as we received our allowance. We also have fond memories of the cute mascots that were tucked into the wrapping paper when we purchased our items. Founded on August 10, 1960, Sanrio celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2020. "Sanrio" comes from the Spanish word "San Rio," meaning "Saint River." The company name embodies our desire to "build a sacred culture on the banks of the river where humanity is said to have first settled." These characters bring smiles to people's faces and enrich their hearts, becoming a universal language that leads to "friendship." Sanrio's characters continue to inspire dreams every day. Let's take a look back at those 60 years!

1973-1979

The first character to be born was "Koro-chan." Our idol, Hello Kitty, was born in 1974. My Melody, who wears her beloved hood handmade by her grandmother, and the Little Twin Stars, affectionately known as "Kiki & Lala," twin siblings born on the Compassionate Star in the Dream Nebula, were also born in the 1970s.



1st row: Koro-chan, Bunny & Matty (1973), Patty & Jimmy, Hello Kitty (1974)2nd row: Strawberry King, Tiny Poem, My Melody, Little Twin Stars (1975)
3rd row: Button Nose (1978), Cheerful Charm, Tuxedo Sam (1979)

1980-1989

1st row: Goropikadon (1982), Mr. Bear's Dream, The Vaudeville Duo (1983), Minna no Taabo (1984)2nd row: Zashikibuta, The Runabouts (1984), Hangyodon, Maron Cream (1985)3rd row: Noraneko Land, Pokopon Diary (1986), Kerokerokeroppi (1988), Pochacco (1989)4th row: Pekkle the Duck, Winky Pinky (1989)

1990-1998

Current idols are still fresh in our memories. The mischievous and contrary penguin boy "Bad Badtz-Maru" and the golden retriever boy "Pom Pom Purin" were born in the '90s.



1st row: Monkichi the Monkey, We're Dinosaurs (1992), Bad Badtz-Maru (1993), Holly's Bear (1994)2nd row: Pompompurin (1996), Korokoro Kuririn (1998), Shinkansen, Dear Daniel (1999)

2000 - Present

Various characters are still active today! Some of the delicious-looking characters that have been created include Cinnamoroll, the cafe's mascot dog who flies through the air with his big ears flapping; Kirimi-chan, who was created with the idea that people would enjoy the moment they were cut into fillets; and Gudetama, who has over 1 million followers on Twitter.



1st row: Usahana, Cinnamoroll (2001), Sugar Bunnies, Charmmy Kitty (2004),2nd row: Kuromi, Hand-held Bear (2005), Jewelpet (2008), Wish Me Mell (2010)3rd row: Bonbon Ribbon (2012), Kirimi-chan (2013), Gudetama (2013), Aggressive Retsuko (2015)4th row: Kogimyun (2015), Marumofubiyori (2017)




The Sanrio Character Awards is a character popularity poll held once a year. In 2018, the 33rd year, Cinnamoroll won with 520,224 votes. By the way, Pompompurin came in second place, and YOSHIKITTY came in third. The poll is scheduled to be held again in April 2019. Why not cast your vote?



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