Yuko Shimizu
{{About|the creator of Hello Kitty|the contemporary New York illustrator|Yuko Shimizu (illustrator)|the Japanese actress|Yuko Shimizu (actress)}}
{{short description|Hello Kitty creator}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Yuko Shimizu
| image = Yuko Shimizu 20100702 Japan Expo 1.jpg
| caption = Shimizu at Japan Expo 2010
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1946|11|1}}
| birth_place = Kyoto, Japan
| birth_name =
| spouse =
}}
{{nihongo|Yuko Shimizu|清水 侑子|Shimizu Yūko|born 1 November 1946}} is a Japanese designer who created Hello Kitty.
Early life
Shimizu was born in Kyoto, Japan, on November 1, 1946. She attended Musashino Art University, and joined Sanrio after graduation.
Career
= Hello Kitty =
In 1974 Shimizu made the original design for Hello Kitty, whose fictional birthdate is November 1, the same as Shimizu's.{{cite news |last1=Kageyama |first1=Yuri |last2=Leff |first2=Lisa |url=https://apnews.com/article/hello-kitty-50-birthday-anniversary-sanrio-fb7569605d5e302ddbe92a877fd1768d |title=At 50, Hello Kitty is as 'kawaii' and lucrative as ever |work=Associated Press |date=1 November 2024 |access-date=15 November 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241104061934/https://apnews.com/article/hello-kitty-50-birthday-anniversary-sanrio-fb7569605d5e302ddbe92a877fd1768d |archive-date=4 November 2024}}{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/YR49cBP9YY9wzmSqxhTLDX/i-created-hello-kitty |title='I created Hello Kitty' |work=BBC |date=28 June 2024 |access-date=15 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816131746/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/YR49cBP9YY9wzmSqxhTLDX/i-created-hello-kitty |archive-date=16 August 2024}} Hello Kitty is Sanrio's most successful and best known character. Shimizu based her name on Alice's black 'Kitty' from Through the Looking-Glass. Hello Kitty was designed to be a kawaii (cute) symbol to be used on merchandise.{{cite news |last=Chuang |first=Tamara |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4Y9QAAAAIBAJ&pg=6545,6247336&dq=yuko+shimizu+lewis+carroll&hl=en |title=Mom, Apple Pie and Kitty |work=St. Petersburg Times |date=15 November 2004 |access-date=15 November 2024}} In 1975, the design made her debut in Japan with her image on a coin purse.
Sanrio has said Hello Kitty has no mouth because she "speaks from the heart" and that she is "Sanrio's ambassador to the world who isn't bound to one certain language."{{cite web |url=http://www.sanrio.com/main/sanrio_info/charinfo.html |title=Sanrio character info: Hello Kitty |work=www.sanrio.com |date=November 2005 |access-date=15 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124021459/http://www.sanrio.com/main/sanrio_info/charinfo.html |archive-date=24 November 2005}}
=At Sanrio=
In 1973, Shimizu designed the first original Sanrio character, Coro Chan, a bear.{{Cite magazine|date=2016 |url=http://www.moe-web.jp/moe/20164.html |title=巻頭大特集 サンリオが大好き!/キキ&ララ・マイメロディ 40周年記念 |magazine=MOE |volume=438 |issue=April 2016 |publisher=Hakusensha |page=23}} Other characters designed by Shimizu for Sanrio include {{nihongo|Bunny & Matty|バニー＆マッティ}}, a rabbit and mice, and {{nihongo|Yachiyo Charmer|八千代チャーマー}}, a girl wearing a kimono, all from 1974.{{Cite book |author=西沢正史 |date=1990-11-20 |year=1990 |title=サンリオ物語 ―こうして一つの企業は生まれた |publisher=サンリオ |pages=48–53 |isbn=4-387-90198-5 }}{{cite web | url=http://www.sanrio.co.jp:80/english/characters/detail/bunnyandmatty/index.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708184418/http://www.sanrio.co.jp:80/english/characters/detail/bunnyandmatty/index.html | archive-date=8 July 2013 | title=Sanrio | Bunny & Matty}}{{cite web | url=https://www.sanrio.co.jp/characters/bunnyandmatty/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121104620/https://www.sanrio.co.jp/characters/bunnyandmatty/ | archive-date=21 January 2025 | title=バニー＆マッティ｜サンリオ }}{{cite web | url=http://www.sanrio.co.jp:80/english/characters/detail/yachiyocharmer/index.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708164425/http://www.sanrio.co.jp:80/english/characters/detail/yachiyocharmer/index.html | archive-date=8 July 2013 | title=Sanrio | Yachiyo Charmer }}
= After Sanrio =
Shimizu left Sanrio in 1976 to get married. She has been working as a freelance designer ever since. She did not make a lot of money from Hello Kitty.{{cite web |url=http://www.zimbio.com/100+Most+Influential+People+in+Fashion/articles/109/Fashion+Influential+95+Yuko+Shimizu |first=Alicia Diaz |last=Dennis |title=Fashion Influential #95: Yuko Shimizu |publisher=Zimbio |date=December 11, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318064219/http://www.zimbio.com/100+Most+Influential+People+in+Fashion/articles/109/Fashion+Influential+95+Yuko+Shimizu |archivedate=2009-03-18}}
The other characters she has created include Angel Cat Sugar and Rebecca Bonbon.{{cite web |url=http://ny.racked.com/archives/2011/07/26/french_bulldog_rebecca_bonbon_has_a_miracle_credit_card.php |title=Hello Kitty Creator's Latest Character Is a French Bulldog in NYC |first=Tiffany |last=Yannetta |date=July 26, 2011 |work=Racked}} She has also published some picture books.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.sanrio.com/ The Official Hello Kitty Website]
- [http://www.rebeccabonbon.com The Official Rebecca Bonbon Website]{{dead link|date=July 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- [http://www.angelcatsugar.com/ The Official Angel Cat Sugar Website]
{{Hello Kitty}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shimizu, Yuko}}
Category:Japanese character designers
Category:Japanese advertising artists and illustrators
Category:Artists from Chiba Prefecture
Category:20th-century Japanese illustrators
Category:21st-century Japanese illustrators
Category:Japanese women illustrators
{{Japan-bio-stub}}