Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty is a globally recognised character created by the Japanese company Sanrio in 1974 designed by illustrator Yuko Shimizu and first appearing on a small vinyl coin purse. Despite often being mistaken for a cat, Sanrio explained that Hello Kitty is actually a young girl named Kitty White who lives in London with her family – a choice made to reflect the international appeal of British culture, which was popular in Japan at the time. Over the decades, Hello Kitty has become a powerful symbol of kawaii (cute) culture and one of the most successful fictional characters in the world.

My Melody design

The coin’s coloured reverse features Hello Kitty with her arms open wide wearing a fuchsia playsuit with a white polka dot pattern and a red bow on her head. Alongside her is My Melody, a white rabbit wearing a red hood decorated with a yellow bow. The design is set against a solid cloud shape surrounded by a pattern of dots, with the words ‘HELLO KITTY’ and ‘My Melody’ presented in alternating red and blue letters, and the inscription '©2026 SANRIO' also included in the design.