https://www.scmp.com/rss/523795/feed The latest news and top stories on Sanrio. A Japan-based entity in the consumer goods and entertainment sector, Sanrio specialises in designing, licensing and producing character merchandise, including Hello Kitty. It primarily serves a global market from children to adults and is known for its brand recognition, product lines and strategic collaborations. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Chinese toymaker Pop Mart said its overseas business grew rapidly in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, but warned that “inadequate customer accumulation” led to a noticeable decline in quarter-on-quarter sales outside China, raising concerns about sustainable growth in future. The Hong Kong-listed company, developer of the hit Labubu character, said first-quarter revenue surged 75 to 80 per cent year on year, but its core challenge was to expand its fan base offshore. “We hope to... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353323/pop-mart-expands-ip-empire-debut-dessert-store-hebei-province?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3353323/pop-mart-expands-ip-empire-debut-dessert-store-hebei-province?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 23:00:05 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Nearly half of Japanese full-time workers in their 20s engage in oshikatsu – a practice that involves devoting time to pop or sports idols, anime characters or hobbies such as collecting model trains – according to a recent recruitment survey. The findings, released on Friday by Mynavi Corp, indicate that the trend – spanning everything from social media posts to buying merchandise and attending fan events or concerts – has shifted from a niche subculture into the mainstream and could even... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3333681/what-oshikatsu-nearly-50-japans-young-workers-seek-trend-fulfilment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3333681/what-oshikatsu-nearly-50-japans-young-workers-seek-trend-fulfilment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:21:12 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li Two giant, furry Labubu balloons will debut next week at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. A brown Labubu and a pink Mokoko, both part of the Labubu family, will be the lead features on Chinese toymaker Pop Mart International’s “Friendsgiving in Pop City” float on Thursday at the 99th parade. They will appear alongside characters such as Skullpanda, Dimoo and Molly. “Our goal at Pop Mart is to light up passion and bring joy, and Macy’s Parade has been doing that for nearly a... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3333654/pop-marts-labubu-balloons-debut-99th-macys-thanksgiving-parade-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3333654/pop-marts-labubu-balloons-debut-99th-macys-thanksgiving-parade-new-york?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 06:50:41 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu October has arrived, which means this year’s Mid-Autumn festivities will soon be in full swing. Before your schedule gets filled up with family dinners and celebrations, take a moment this weekend to indulge in a creative party with Sanrio products, or kick back with a Hong Kong noir film. Perhaps you would rather make new friends at a sip-and-paint night or help clean up the coastline to ring in the new season. Here are five things to do this weekend to start October right. 1. Sanrio characters... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3327651/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-3-5?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3327651/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-3-5?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 02:15:06 +0000 Cat Nelson Cat Nelson One of the first things I ever loved was a Hello Kitty diary. Yes, there were stuffed animals (Snuffy the bear, RIP), sticker books and an American Girl doll or two, but it’s the red Sanrio diary from 1993 that’s somehow become a core memory. The lock, shaped like Hello Kitty’s head, was cute but flimsy at best. Inside? Kindergarten confessionals, scrawled in shaky handwriting and even shakier grammar. Things escalated in Grade 2 when Miki moved from Japan to our sleepy California town. With... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3319783/week-postmag-hello-kitty-creator-sanrio-and-south-african-safari?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3319783/week-postmag-hello-kitty-creator-sanrio-and-south-african-safari?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 02:29:58 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Cosplayers dressed as characters such as Dr Mario, Pikachu and Hokusai were among the thousands undeterred by the summer heat who joined an outdoor queue before streaming into Hong Kong’s annual comics and games fair on Saturday. A snaking queue formed beyond the Convention and Exhibition Centre across the street on a footbridge into Central Plaza on Saturday and was constantly moving without any signs of ending as of 2.30pm. Jonathan Nguyen, who came as Dr Mario – the main character of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3319689/thousands-comic-book-fans-brave-summer-heat-attend-hong-kong-ani-com-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3319689/thousands-comic-book-fans-brave-summer-heat-attend-hong-kong-ani-com-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Jul 2025 08:28:07 +0000