Sanrio To Replace Hello Kitty’s Designer After 46 Years
In a landmark announcement, Sanrio has revealed that the legendary designer behind Hello Kitty, Yuko Yamaguchi, will be passing the baton to a new successor by the end of 2026.
The news was made official in the March issue of Monthly Ichigo Shimbun and via the company’s “Sanrio Times” website.
Yamaguchi-san has served as the third-generation designer for the flagship character since 1980, a tenure of nearly half a century that saw Hello Kitty evolve from a Japanese stationery icon into a multi-billion dollar global phenomenon.
The fourth-generation designer has been identified by the pen name “Aya-san.”
According to Sanrio, Aya-san is a long-time member of the creative team who has supported Yamaguchi-san in developing Hello Kitty’s world for many years.
This transition follows Sanrio’s traditional internal policy of rotating designers for major characters to ensure the legacy continues to resonate with new generations.
While stepping down as the lead designer, Yamaguchi-san will remain with Sanrio in an advisory role, providing guidance based on her decades of expertise.
Since taking over the role in 1980, Yuko Yamaguchi redefined what it meant to be a character designer at Sanrio.
She is credited with pioneering the “autograph session” format, where she met fans face-to-face to hear their feedback.
She was also responsible for breaking traditional boundaries by partnering with high-fashion designers and international artists.
To honor Yamaguchi-san’s immense contribution, Ichigo Shimbun will run a five-month commemorative project from its March through July issues.
This will include retrospective features providing a deep dive into the memories and milestones of her 46-year career.
A special conversation between Yamaguchi-san and Aya-san will also be published in a future issue.
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