As the late writer Nora Ephron once said, “There’s no point in making pie crust from scratch.” While we can’t entirely agree with her on this point (and offer our Master Pie Dough as a ...

Part of the confusion stems from a misunderstanding of "kawaii," which is Japanese for "cute" but also connotes a lovable or adorable essence. Sanrio recruited Shimizu and other illustrators to ...

PHOTOS: At 50, Hello Kitty is as 'kawaii' and lucrative as ever But first, more on the origin story. Unlike Mickey Mouse and Snoopy, Hello Kitty didn’t start as a cartoon. A young Sanrio ...

Hello Kitty is the epitome of Japan's "kawaii" – cute – soft power, and she is the mascot of a campaign promoting good tourist etiquette in Tokyo. Posters celebrating the 50th anniversary are on ...