Videos of chaotic scenes from the newly opened exhibition celebrating Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary went viral on social media recently. Footage shows people storming into shops, shouting, and crowding exhibit halls, as long wait times and a lack of crowd control have led to frustration and disorder.
The exhibition Hello Kitty Exhibition – When I Change, Kitty Changes Too, held at the Tokyo National Museum, attracted massive crowds eager to view rare Hello Kitty memorabilia and purchase limited-edition merchandise, but reports of line-cutting, scalpers, and overcrowding have sparked heated discussions online.
Long waits and chaos
Videos shared on X capture chaotic scenes at the Hello Kitty exhibition, where large crowds rush in as staff members shout “Stop!” in English, trying to regain control. Inside the gift shop, the crowding intensifies, with visitors packed tightly and some screaming amid the crowd. Staff members repeatedly urge people not to push as they work to calm the situation.
People on social media shared information from the ground. Although the exhibition opened at 9:30 a.m., reports indicated that over 1,000 people were already lining up nearby. Some people reported waiting between four to six hours to get into the exhibit.
Others reported that the initial rush to get in was mayhem. Comments flooded in, including, โItโs utter chaos,โ โShouts and screams are everywhere,โ โPeople are surging forward without any order,โ โScalpers are crowding in, turning the place into a nightmare,โ and โThe line-cutting is terrible.โ These accounts painted a picture of overwhelming disorder as attendees struggled with the crowd.
Sanrio’s apology
Sanrio posted an apology on their official website regarding the congestion on the opening day of the Hello Kitty Exhibition.
“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who visited the ‘Hello Kitty Exhibition’ that has been running since November 1.
“We sincerely apologize for the long wait times before entry on the opening day, November 1. Additionally, we deeply regret the inconvenience caused to our visitors due to the crowding inside the venue, including the merchandise area, despite having waited for a long time to enter. We sincerely apologize for any trouble this caused.”
They weren’t just normal Hello Kitty fans
Besides the chaos at the museum, another set of videos emerged on social media, this time from Chinese platforms. The videos showed people piling up limited-edition, hard-to-get Hello Kitty plushies in a mountain, carelessly throwing them on the floor.
Furthermore, FNN Prime Online discovered that limited-edition Hello Kitty merchandise began appearing on Chinese flea market websites after the chaos at the event. That points to resellers as the cause of the massive disruption and chaos.
Sellers quickly listed these items at prices more than four times their original value. The websites featured a large number of limited-edition Hello Kitty products, with some listings offering sets of six plushies for over 50,000 yen (USD $326). Items at the exhibit retail for between 550 yen and 4,620 yen.
Amid the chaos, some fans were able to get their hands on the coveted limited-edition merchandise. Others weren’t so lucky. One fan shared in an interview with FNN Prime Online, “I waited in line for six hours, but it was impossibleโฆ It felt like overseas buyers were buying up everything. There were even people displaying (the goods) in front of the museum.”
The special Hello Kitty goods people are after
Hello Kitty is a national and international icon with fans worldwide. Therefore, it’s no surprise people are eager for limited-edition Hello Kitty goods. Additionally, November 1st, the day the exhibition opened, marks the start of Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary year, adding extra significance to the event.
The unique blend of Japanese traditional culture and Hello Kitty’s signature cuteness makes the merchandise even more desirable. The Tokyo National Museum, which is hosting the exhibition, collaborated on creating unique Hello Kitty merchandise.
These exclusive items feature Hello Kitty depicted in traditional Japanese art styles. For example, one design features Hello Kitty in a Kabuki-style illustration, blending her iconic cuteness with Japanโs rich cultural heritage.
Hello Kitty, along with other Sanrio characters, has been gaining more attention recently, although they have never truly lost their popularity. The rise of the Y2K trend, with many young people in their late teens to early thirties nostalgic for the Heisei era, may be fueling surplus interest in cute Sanrio goods.
These items were a staple of many children’s childhoods. As Sanrio expressed in their Hello Kitty 50th anniversary message, “Kitty is like a friend that’s always close to us. Like a friend with whom we can talk about anything.”
New rules for shopping
Sanrio has updated the shopping procedures at the ongoing Hello Kitty Exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum to manage crowding and allow more visitors access to exclusive merchandise.
Starting November 2, the merchandise area will operate under a complete rotation system with designated time slots for purchasing. Additionally, the layout of the registers and waiting lines has been modified to improve customer flow. The museum has also reduced the item purchase limit from 50 to 30 items per transaction. Some products will be considered for made-to-order sales in response to high demand.
Despite these changes, some venue-exclusive items may still sell out by the time visitors visit the shop. Sanrio advises attendees to check their official social media accounts for updates on sold-out products and restocks.
The Tokyo exhibition is planned to run until February 24th, 2025. Additionally, a special exhibition will be held in Okinawa, Fukuoka, Kyoto, and Nagoya as part of a nationwide tour.
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