Overview
Sanrio (サンリオ, Sanrio) is a company known for its fancy character goods. The tag is often attached to illustrations depicting the company's characters.
Former president Shintaro Tsuji, an employee from the Yamanashi Prefecture, founded the company in 1960 as Yamanashi Silk Center to sell silk products, a specialty of the prefecture.
Products with cute pictures on them sold well, so the company changed its name to the current one in 1973. The company became a developer and seller of fancy accessories.
The company later expanded into the publishing and movie businesses, and in 1990 opened the theme park Sanrio Puroland in Tama, Tokyo, followed by its sister theme park Harmonyland in Kitsuki, Oita, in 1991.
In 1997, the corporate logo was changed from the capitalized "SANRIO" to "Sanrio" (with the "O" forming a heart symbol).
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External Links
English
The Official Home of Hello Kitty & Friends (Official Website)
Japanese
サンリオ (Official Website)
サンリオとは [単語記事] - ニコニコ大百科 (NicoNico Encyclopedia)