Hello Kitty memorabilia stores are all over Japan. The world-famous mouthless cat is printed on all sorts of collectibles. In a huge Sanrio Gallery I visited in downtown Osaka, there was a corner of Hello Kitty collectibles that intrigued me. The collectibles were a quirky fusion of Hello Kitty, Japan's most famous fictional character, with quintessential Japanese food, mythical folklore creatures and famous Japanese landmarks. The possibilities are abundant and the result is sometimes pretty, sometimes strange. It leaves you marvelling at the creativity of the Japanese. While you can find most designs at Sanrio Gallery, some of them are unique to a particular place and are only sold there, such as the Shirakawago one. Now, go ahead and hunt them all!
Yunxuan Koh @yx.koh
Spent a couple of months in Japan as an exchange student and got to explore all the beauty and quirks of this country
