Hello Kitty becomes a suntanned beach babe for new magazine freebies in Japan
Hello Kitty is always hard at work throughout the year, jumping from one collaboration to the next and earning herself the unofficial title of hardest-working cat in Japan. Now, the beloved Sanrio character is combining work with play for a new appearance with sweet magazine, where she can be seen showing off her suntan in a colourful bikini.
The suntanned, or 'sun-kissed', Hello Kitty is said to have the aesthetic of a 'Heisei gal' or 'Heisei gyaru' as it's known in Japanese. This term refers to the fashion subculture that flourished in Japan during the Heisei era (1989–2019), where young women — and sometimes men — rebelled against traditional beauty norms with flashy nail art, micro miniskirts, bleached or lightened hair, and suntanned skin.
Hello Kitty keeps the Heisei gal aesthetic to a minimum for maximum appeal here, giving hot girl beach vibes to a collection of bonus items that come free with the regular and special editions of the sweet issue released on 11 July. Those who purchase the regular edition for 1,670 yen (US$11.31) will receive the 'Sun-Kissed Hello Kitty Plush Pouch Charm & Three-Piece Sticker Set', which contains the two items below.
For fans of suntanned Kitty-chan, this is an irresistible, deluxe combo you won't find anywhere else, with the star item being the adorable plush pouch shaped like her face, complete with suntan.
A hibiscus accessory adds extra colour to her summer look while amping up the kawaii factor, and it even comes with a pink carabiner and phone attachment so you can attach the pouch directly to your bag or smartphone.
The plush pouch is wonderfully fluffy, super soft to the touch and large enough to sit in your palm, making it quite the statement item.
▼ Kitty chan might be enjoying a beach vacation but she's still hard at work, holding on to your small items for you.
Moving on to the stickers, there are three in the set, each featuring a suntanned Hello Kitty. In one sticker she's sporting what looks to be a frangipani, in another she's walking with a surfboard under her arm, and in the other she's wearing heart-shaped sunglasses and a frilly white bikini, with three bows on her head and a drink by her side with a bow-adorned straw.
The stickers have a sparkly, holographic sheen that's perfect for blinging out your smartphone, just like the gyaru did with their flip phones back in the day.
Lovers of the gyaru look will fall in love with these items, but there's one more product to collect — the 'Sun-Kissed Hello Kitty Jumbo Bikini Tote', which comes with the special edition of the magazine for 1,720 yen.
This is a total eye-catcher, with a bold print of Hello Kitty in a bikini with a surfboard in hand — an image that's impossible to ignore. Measuring in at approximately 41 centimetres (16 inches) in length and 44 centimetres in width, the bag is made from a high-quality material that's delightfully soft to touch.
It also has a wide gusset and surprisingly large capacity that can easily fit a few A4-sized notebooks or even a laptop.
▼ You can fit three two-litre (67.6-ounce) bottles in there as well.
There are no fastening clasps to get in the way so you have easy access to the contents, making it especially useful for holding beach towels, swimsuits, and other beach necessities.
Simply carrying it around will make you start dreaming of summer holidays, filling you with a wanderlust for seaside getaways. The only problem is deciding which items to choose, but with the cost of both magazines totaling 3,390 yen, Hello Kitty fans can easily purchase both, for the ultimate in suntanned Sanrio cuteness.
Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metropolis Japan
8 hours ago
- Metropolis Japan
Bulgari Ginza Bar
Resting on the tenth floor of Bulgari's Ginza Tower, Bulgari Ginza Bar is a lavish sanctuary of affluence and excess. At its core, the bar is quite conventional: small bites, cocktails, and wines by the glass. This may seem surprising from Bulgari, a label renowned for its baroque design, but refining the classic bar experience in a chic space is a refreshing subversion of expectations for the brand. The cocktails here are smart twists. They marry Japanese spirits and Italian amaros, but the highlight of the menu is certainly the Champagnes by the glass. This features both Ruinart and Dom Pérignon. Champagnes can also be enjoyed at La Terrazza Dom Pérignon Lounge, the bar's open-air rooftop space, which hosts several old and rare vintages of its namesake Champagne house. In addition to its signature drinks, the Bulgari Ginza Bar offers a curated selection of Italian-inspired bar bites that pair elegantly with the beverage menu. Enjoy seasonal antipasti, artisanal cheeses and refined finger foods crafted with premium ingredients. The menu complements the drinks without overshadowing them, creating a balanced and indulgent tasting experience. The bar's interior design reflects Bulgari's signature elegance with contemporary restraint. Deep leather seating, golden accents, and panoramic windows overlooking the Ginza skyline create a moody yet luxurious ambiance. The setting transitions seamlessly from an upscale aperitivo spot in the early evening to a glamorous nightlife destination after dark, attracting both local connoisseurs and international guests seeking an elevated escape.
Japan Today
11 hours ago
- Japan Today
'Butter': The foodie feminist bestseller skewering sexism in Japan
Japanese author Asako Yuzuki's novel '"Butter" was inspired by the real-life story of "Black Widow" Kanae Kijima, who poisoned three men she met on dating sites. By Caroline GARDIN Japanese writer Asako Yuzuki did not expect her novel "Butter" to capture a cult following abroad, hailed as a biting feminist critique of sexism and body-shaming. Translated into English last year, the tale of murder and misogyny has whetted an insatiable appetite, selling 610,000 copies overseas, including 400,000 in Britain -- more than Japan -- where it won multiple awards. Yuzuki was inspired by the real-life story of "Black Widow" Kanae Kijima, a woman sentenced to death in 2012 for poisoning three men she met on dating sites. The sensationalized media coverage at the time largely focused on Kijima's appearance, speculating how someone described as homely and unattractive could be considered a femme fatale. Many credited her romantic success to her homemaking prowess -- notably in the kitchen. "When the case broke, the Japanese media mainly remembered that the suspect liked to cook and took classes ... to 'please men'," Yuzuki told AFP in an interview. "That deeply disturbed me." In "Butter", a journalist likewise disquieted by the portrayal of a Kijima-like character (renamed Kajii) writes to the jailed suspect, hoping to secure an exclusive interview by appealing to her gourmet tastes. Via a letter soliciting the beef stew recipe that Kajii reportedly fed her final victim, the pair begin an intimate and life-changing relationship. This proves a vehicle for Yuzuki to chew over the roots of misogyny in Japan, where traditional male and female roles still dominate and women are held to impossible beauty standards. In politics and boardrooms for example, women remain rare. Japan ranks 118 out of 146 in the World Economic Forum's 2025 Gender Gap Report. "Japan is a deeply patriarchal country. Very often, it is the father who occupies the central position within the family unit. This is the basis for laws even," Yuzuki said. Food -- particularly butter, that artery-blocking symbol of pleasure and excess -- forms the molten core of the story. Through sumptuous descriptions of butter-rich ramen and lavishly buttered rice, Yuzuki explores the tension between indulging appetites and the self-denial required to fulfill the societal pressure on women to stay thin. "There is an incredible amount of adverts for weight loss, cosmetic surgery and diets. This country is obsessed with fatphobia," Yuzuki said. It is also tough for women in Japan, where the #MeToo movement never really took off, to speak out about discrimination and sexual assault. Shiori Ito, a journalist who took the rare step of publicly accusing a prominent Japanese TV reporter of rape -- a charge he denies -- is a case in point. Ito's documentary "Black Box Diaries", which was nominated for an Oscar, was not released in Japan because it used material recorded clandestinely or intended for judicial use only. "In other countries, especially the United States, from the beginning of #MeToo, many well-known journalists have seriously investigated these cases, and it is because this information was made public officially that the victims were able to be protected," Yuzuki said. But in Japan, "women who have had the courage to speak out are reduced to the role of activists and consumed by the media within that framework," she said. Another example is Masahiro Nakai, a boyband member and a star TV presenter accused of sexual assault. He initially disputed the facts and then apologized. The scandal shone a spotlight on the toxic culture of young women being pressed into attending dinners and drinking parties with powerful figures. "What strikes me is this uninterrupted chain of sexual violence, and especially that these are crimes committed within one organization, covered up by another organization... that of the media," Yuzuki said. Yuzuki is convinced that change can only come from outside. "When foreigners take up a topic, especially the English-language media, it completely changes the way it is perceived in Japan," she said. "If the European media" continue to be interested in these issues, then "the situation could perhaps change a little." © 2025 AFP
SoraNews24
15 hours ago
- SoraNews24
Landmark Akihabara arcade, opened by Sega over 30 years ago, announces sudden closure
Tokyo is about to lose another site of game otaku history. It's been a tumultuous couple of years for the arcade industry in Japan. Not even the otaku mecca of the Akihabara neighborhood is completely buffered, as it's been announced that one of the Tokyo neighborhood's oldest 'game centers,' as arcades are called in Japanese, will be closing and very soon. Back in the early '90s, Sega was riding high, as a developer of not just video game software, but hardware too, producing home consoles, handheld systems, and arcade machines. In 1992, it opened High-tech Land Sega Shintoku on a corner of Chuo-dori, the main street of Akihabara. The entire multi-story building was one huge arcade, eventually changing its name to Club Sega Akihabara and then Sega Akihabara Building 1. Sega's fortunes later faded and the company made the decision to pare back its operations and focus on software production and publishing, stepping out of the home hardware arena in 2001 and finally selling off its arcade management business at the end of 2021. That didn't result in the shuttering of all of its arcades, however, as new owner Genda has continued operating many of them under its GiGO brand, including the former Sega Akihabara Building 1, now called GiGO Akihabara Building 1, which had the distinction of being Sega's longest-operating whole-building sized arcade at the time of its sale. ▼ GiGO Akihabara Building 1 But now the end is coming for GiGO Akihabara Building 1, and it's coming very quickly. On Tuesday, Genda announced that the landmark arcade will be closing down permanently at the end of the summer. In its press release, Genda says the reason for the arcade's closure is that its lease is expiring. No details have been given over whether negotiating for a new lease was an option or not, but the company says that after GiGO vacates the building the company Matahari Entertainment will be coming in to set up an 'amusement facility.' Matahari is also involved in arcade management, but its chain, called Silk Hat, closed one of its most well-known arcades not too long ago. Taking that into consideration, Matahari might be moving in with its Baa@se brand of karaoke/darts bar/Internet cafe facilities instead, or perhaps is developing a new concept specifically for the Akihabara location. Regardless of what comes next, though, GiGO Akihabara Building 1's last day will be August 31. Source: PR Times, Matahari Entertainment Top image: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
