Hello, Kitty!

Since I last posted, the Caseys have been to Tokyo and back, and I suffered a complete wipeout of my laptop. Hence the lack of news lately. But I'm back on my feet, digitally, and have some fun to report.

While in Tokyo earlier in September, we debated the merits of Disneyland Tokyo vs. Sanrio Puroland (aka Hello Kitty Land). The clincher was the Disney Princesses. To paraphrase a blog friend of mine, they are trampy and trashy and a completely inappropriate focus of attention for a going on 3-year old girl (hint to gift givers: please no Disney Princesses!). I used to despise Hello Kitty, too, as anti-feminist (she doesn't have a mouth, after all, so how can she speak up?) but I've gotten over that in favor of her cotton-candy sweetness. Its taken 3 years in the Land Of Kitty (NE Asia) but I'm finally a fan.

The highlight of our trip was a visit to Hello Kitty Land, or Hello Kitty's House, as Vivian calls it. We had the good fortune to be in Tokyo on a Japanese national holiday on which Hello Kitty Land stayed open late. We got there about 5 pm and the crowd was just manageable. Oy, the crowds in Tokyo...that's a whole other post.

We arrived in the midst of an all-that-is-Kitty gala stage show, complete with floats, dancers, and acrobats.

Here's Kitty in her diamond chariot.

Later, the crowd thinned out and we were able to visit Kitty's House. First Vivian got to driver her car...


The she got to meet Hello Kitty in person!

And then we had a family portrait!

I'm not sure I will need to visit Hello Kitty land again anytime soon (though Vivi wants to, of course), but it was a one of a kind, totally Tokyo, experience.