I don't believe the Sanrio characters are from any picture books or animations. They have no stories, however, but they have profiles with information such as their birthday, favorite food, hobbies, and so on. For example, Hello Kitty weighs as much as three apples and stands five apples tall. They stand for the kawaii ("cute") segment of Japanese pop culture, and Hello Kitty is perhaps the most famous among them.

My favorite is Little Twin Stars.

Of course, My Melody is popular as well.

During the 70s, all young girls admired them and had stationery featuring them. However, their popularity declined in the early 80s. I recall reading an article in which Hello Kitty was reported to have gained appeal in Western gay culture, which I believe occurred in the late 80s.

That was, in my opinion, the catalyst for Sanrio's strategic reevaluation and return. The 90s saw the rise of kawaii culture, and Sanrio now appeals to a broad demographic that is not limited by age, gender, or location. Since then, their popularity has grown steadily.

My son and I visited Sanrio Puroland almost twenty years ago. It was really amazing. (To be honest, I wasn't expecting much and only intended it as a fun diversion for him.) It's a not-so-large indoor theme park located on the outskirts of Tokyo, dedicated to the beloved characters of Sanrio. It offers a variety of attractions, shows, and parades. The parade's music, dancing, costumes, and content were all excellent. Amon Miyamoto, one of Japan's leading stage directors produced a fantastic show. It was an unexpectedly wonderful memory.

I heard that Kanye West visited there as well. He's never performed a concert in Japan, but has been to Japan several times. I guess he's unwilling to give a performance in Japan given how weak the yen is, but I think he's indeed a connoisseur of all things Japanese to make a trip to Sanrio Puroland.