Sep 9th, 2008 · Move over, Hello Kitty. Make room for the new pop culture craze from Japan: ball-jointed dolls. Already huge in Japan and South Korea, these hand-sculpted, hand-painted, anatomically correct and eerily lifelike dolls are gaining popularity with American enthusiasts.
May 20th, 2008 · Hello Kitty, Japan's chubby-cheeked, white cartoon cat is one of the most powerful and lucrative brands in the world. And this week, the fictional character has been selected as an envoy; officials in Tokyo have named her their official tourism ambassador to Hong Kong and China.
Apr 21st, 2008 · The French fashion house of Dior presents a "New Look" this spring: A wide-eyed model with tiny legs and whiskers. When Hello Kitty makes her debut in the May issue of Japanese Vogue, she'll be modeling Galliano's fall look in Paris.
Oct 31st, 2004 · She's worth billions, she has her own theme park and her face graces thousands of products. At 30, Hello Kitty is one of the great marketing phenomenons of all time... and she's just so darn cute. NPR's Susan Stone reports.