A visit to Hello Kitty’s home

***Very long post full of cutesy photos. Navigate away from this page if you’re allergic to such things.***

Guess what I got up to a few weekends ago? A friend from Singapore was visiting and she wanted to go to Puroland because she’s a huge Cinnamoroll fan. I didn’t know what to expect and thought it would be in the vein of Disneyland and I like Disneyland, by the way.

It was and it wasn’t and I left feeling nauseous like I had rainbows, fluffy clouds, and lots of pink and red shooting out of my pores. Maybe I was just dehydrated but I did have fun looking at how surprisingly abundant the commercial machine that is Hello Kitty is in reality…

I like Hello Kitty the best amongst all the Sanrio characters as it’s such a classic and I remember the Hello Kitty boom in Southeast Asia in the 90s. I don’t have much Kitty memorabilia except for a makeup pouch and a vitamin pill box. I’d say Puroland was enjoyable for me in a nostalgic way and I just kept shaking my head in disbelief at how “Kitty-fied” everything was in this amusement park.

Hello Kitty merchandise

Let’s just say there was no stone left unturned in what the folks at Sanrio can make with Kitty chan’s face. I tried to take pictures of everything, but alas, I’m but a mere mortal. Here’s the best of what I saw anyway…

This is their more “adult” version of Hello Kitty that we found in a separate corner from the main gift shop on the ground floor.

Facial wash.

Microwavable rice cooker.

Temple charms.

Suitcase.

Oven mitt.

Utensils.

A tiger kitty for the Year of the Tiger.

Lots of soft toys.

A teapot and coffee mug.

…and car accessories. You could get a sleeve for your steering wheel, or hanging pockets for the front seats, or a small dustbin etc.

Hello Kitty food

Cinnamoroll muffins.

Cinnamoroll breaded scallops.

Hello Kitty inarizushi (fried soybean skin wrapped rice balls).

Chocolate mousse and custard puddings.

Not sure what these are but some type of cake or mochi?

The frozen food section.

Omrice (Japanese version of an omelette stuffed with tomato-flavoured rice).

Hello Kitty bento with cheese gratin.

Hello Kitty bean cakes.

Lollipops.

Ramen.

Sausage.

Kitty-shaped seaweed — readymade for decorating bentos.

A popcorn machine.

Corn snacks.

Even the receipts were kawaii…

Kitty’s house

What’s this scary pink building?! It’s Hello Kitty’s House — one of the main attractions of Puroland. There were also rides, watercolour painting, performances, and movies as part of the entertainment. Let’s see what’s inside…

The dining room and furnace.

The bathroom had piped shower sounds and something was pumping out a soapy fragrance, too.

Kitty-chan has not one but two vanity tables.

That’s me on her couch.

And me taking a picture with her. She gave me a hug after…Awww….

She’s even got wheels!

Check out the inside of her car…

So this wraps up my visit to Puroland. I’ve got tons of other pictures but they were blurry and not very good. I’d recommend this place to die-hard Sanrio fans for sure but be aware that this amusement park is aimed at three to four year olds. I saw several parents with nursing babies, even. There were a handful of teenagers and lots of Chinese tourists who were Hello Kitty-mad. Did I have fun? Yes. Would I go back again? No.

It’s like Tsukiji market — fans rave about it and say it’s a must-see, but really, it’s a one-off, overrated experience you would rather not go through again. Though, Tsukiji fans, please don’t take offence to my associating Puroland with the gilded halls of sashimi.

No related posts.