Finding Hello Kitty In Japan

While reflecting on my recent trip to Japan, it occurred to me that even my search for the Hello Kitty store in Tokyo revealed cultural lessons.

Some lessons were reminders of those I learned while living in Japan, and others were new lessons. It was a happy discovery that my Hello Kitty journey not only brought back memories of Japan while growing up, it also revealed why Hello Kitty reminds me of what I love about Japan…things such as the color pink. A popular color in Japan for both men and women; pink is not associated with gender as it is in the U.S.

The experience of asking for directions in a foreign country reminded me that avoiding assumptions is vital to the success of getting to where I want to go.

Being in Japan, I assumed because Hello Kitty merchandise is covered with the English words, “Hello Kitty” any Japanese person would understand what I was asking. After all, we were in Japan, Hello Kitty is Japanese and famous around the world, so wouldn’t any Japanese person know who Hello Kitty is and know the location of the store in Tokyo? To my surprise, we found out otherwise.

I realized it was culturally insensitive of me to expect everyone in Japan to like Hello Kitty. After coming home, some friends, who had also lived in Japan, reminded me that Hello pronounced in Japanese does not sound like Hello pronounced in English, but rather sounds more like “Herro.” How could I have forgotten…I wasn’t even pronouncing Hello Kitty correctly, thus I shouldn’t have been surprised that no one could understand me. Finally, as we continued our search for Hello Kitty, we came upon some kind Japanese women who led the way to the store, which turned out to be close to Shibuya station.

After returning to the States, I came across a YouTube video of a retired Japanese policeman who collects Hello Kitty items for relaxation.

He reminded me of how the Japanese often appreciate “cute” beyond their childhood, which is something many Americans would be embarrassed about, but I love.