From island resorts and hotels to theme parks and restaurants, you can get your Hello Kitty fix all around Japan

Japan is known for its kawaii culture, which is often associated with the country's countless cute characters and mascots, most notably Sanrio’s beloved Hello Kitty. Everyone is familiar with this adorable feline, with a signature red bow on her left ear. You can find shops nationwide selling tote bags, stationery, homeware and cosmetics plastered with illustrations of Kitty – and you can even eat Hello Kitty-shaped desserts and dinners, too.

There are also plenty of attractions around Japan where you can revel in all things Hello Kitty, including theme parks, resorts, exhibitions and hotel rooms decorated with colourful Kitty motifs. Here are some places you can visit around Japan to enjoy a day filled with Japan’s favourite cat character.

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Hello Kitty Smile is on Awaji Island in Hyogo prefecture, just across the bay from Osaka. It’s home to an underwater Hello Kitty princess-themed digital art exhibit with multiple interactive activities and a light show. Plus there are two shops where you can purchase exclusive merchandise including rare designer handbags and phone cases decked out with Hello Kitty. There are also four different restaurants serving dishes like dim sum and seafood barbecue on Hello Kitty plates, and some of the food is even Hello-Kitty-shaped. Next door, you’ll find Hello Kitty Show Box, a building shaped like Kitty’s head. It’s the perfect place to meet Kitty in person and watch a live musical performance by the cat and her friends.

On the western outskirts of Tokyo in Tama-shi, Sanrio Puroland is about half an hour by train from Shinjuku Station. This theme park is dedicated to all things Sanrio, the company that created the patron saint of hypercuteness. Attractions include a Hello Kitty musical, peeking into Hello Kitty’s house to see her go about her daily life, and of course the chance to meet the cat herself complete with great photo ops. As expected, the shops are extensive and they offer everything imaginable stamped with Kitty-chan’s likeness. One of the more interesting offerings is the Hello Kitty mailbox, a working post-box that will affix Hello Kitty postage to letters and postcards dropped into it and send them on their way.

While the main attractions at Sanrio Puroland are located within the theme park, you don’t even have to go inside to see plenty of Hello Kitty. You’ll get to enjoy adorable displays as soon as you arrive at Tama Center Station. The signs, vending machines, departure board, elevators and ceilings are decked out in Hello Kitty motifs along with other Sanrio characters including Pom Pom Purin, Little Twin Stars, My Melody and more.

Previously at Tokyo City View in Roppongi, the largest exhibition in Sanrio's history returns to Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse. It explores the 60-year history of more than 450 characters and examines the roots of Sanrio as a symbol of Japan's kawaii culture through more than 800 exhibits. Through original drawings and rough sketches, you’ll learn about the birth of Sanrio’s iconic characters including Hello Kitty, My Melody and Pom Pom Purin.

Over at the on-site shop, you can purchase Sanrio merchandise, some of which is only available at this exhibit, including a box of Ariake Harbour confectionery with an illustration of Hello Kitty.

Most people know Tokyo’s Sanrio Puroland, but there’s also an outdoor Sanrio theme park in Oita prefecture. It has 16 character-themed attractions including roller coasters, a ferris wheel, go-karts, a tea cup ride, and even a gigantic pink Hello Kitty castle, where you’ll get to take a tour through her home. You’ll also have a chance to see the feline herself through meet-and-greets and live entertainment shows. Don’t forget to visit one of the four eateries to dine on hamburg curry that comes with rice shaped like Hello Kitty, snack on a steamed bun shaped like Kitty’s face and drink lattes from an adorable Hello Kitty mug.

If you want to make the most of your trip to Sanrio Puroland, book a stay at the Keio Plaza Hotel Tama to spend a night at its Hello Kitty-themed room. The walls, carpet and furniture are covered in Kitty illustrations. One room can fit up to three people, and each person receives free amenities including a Hello Kitty tote bag, slippers, toothbrush, skincare set and bath salts. On top of that, there’s an exclusive photo spot in the second-floor lobby with a Princess Kitty design on the wall. 

Asakusa Tobu Hotel, just around the corner from Sensoji Temple, offers two types of Hello Kitty rooms. Inspired by traditional Japanese culture, these pastel pink hotel rooms are perfect for a girls’ night in. The Sakura Tennyo hotel room is decked out in cherry-blossom pink shades. This girly room also has a zashiki tatami sitting area, completing the traditional Japanese aesthetic. For a modern twist, the Wa-Modern room combines sleek western style with a traditional Japanese sensibility for a maroon-decorated room with Hello Kitty in a fashionable kimono.

The hotel is also offering special package deals for anniversaries and weekends which include a bottle of sparkling wine and an exclusive Hello Kitty cake, or a Hello Kitty-themed dish at the third-floor café.

Hotel Ole is the first hotel to have a Sanrio-themed room in the entire Tokai region. You can stay in a pink-coloured Ribbon Room decked out with pop art illustrations and motifs of Hello Kitty’s signature ribbon, or the Ole Town Room which has illustrations of the Fujieda cityscape featuring the city’s symbolic purple wisteria flowers. Pay attention to the details in this room – you’ll spot Hello Kitty designs on the lamps, pillows, bedding, mirror and even the soap dispenser. Exclusive Kitty amenities are available for purchase including a toothbrush set ( ¥ 500), ribbon-shaped water bottle ( ¥ 350), tote bag ( ¥ 1,000) and much more.

If you want to make the most of your trip to Sanrio Puroland, book a stay at the Keio Plaza Hotel Tama to spend a night at its Hello Kitty-themed room. The walls, carpet and furniture are covered in Kitty illustrations. One room can fit up to three people, and each person receives free amenities including a Hello Kitty tote bag, slippers, toothbrush, skincare set and bath salts. On top of that, there’s an exclusive photo spot in the second-floor lobby with a Princess Kitty design on the wall. 

Hotel Vischio Amagasa just outside Osaka transformed two of its rooms into shrines to Hello Kitty to celebrate the cat’s 45th anniversary in 2019. The Visquio Forest room is a pastel green colour, with illustrations of Kitty and her mother welcoming you inside. The Walk in Kansai room, on the other hand, is covered in pink with an illustration of Kansai mapped out on the wall. Both rooms have decorative pillows shaped like Hello Kitty’s ribbon and flowers, and even come with exclusive souvenirs like plushies, tote bags and stationery. 

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