Yuko Shimizu

Hello Kitty creator

Yuko Shimizu
Shimizu at Japan Expo 2010
Born	(1946-11-01) November 1, 1946 (age 77) Kyoto, Japan

Yuko Shimizu (清水侑子, Shimizu Yūko, born 1 November 1946) is the Japanese designer who created Hello Kitty.

She was born in Japan. After graduating from Musashino Art University, she joined Sanrio. She designed the first original Sanrio character, Coro Chan, a bear which was introduced in 1973.^[1] In 1974 she made the original design for Hello Kitty, Sanrio's most successful and best known character. She left Sanrio in 1976 to get married and has been working as a freelance designer ever since. She did not make a lot of money from Hello Kitty.^[2]

The other characters she has created include Angel Cat Sugar and Rebecca Bonbon.^[3] She has also published some picture books.

References

^ "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". MOE. Vol. 438, no. April 2016. Hakusensha. 2016. p. 23.
^ Dennis, Alicia Diaz (December 11, 2008). "Fashion Influential #95: Yuko Shimizu". Zimbio. Archived from the original on 2009-03-18.
^ Yannetta, Tiffany (July 26, 2011). "Hello Kitty Creator's Latest Character Is a French Bulldog in NYC". Racked.