Shintaro Tsuji, Sanrio’s founder and honorary chairman.
Yoshio Tsunoda/AFLO/Newscom
This story is part of Forbes’ coverage of Japan’s Richest 2025. See the full list here.
Sanrio, the 64-year-old company behind the iconic Hello Kitty brand, is thriving once again with a modern makeover. Shares have more than doubled in the past year, returning Shintaro Tsuji, its 97-year-old founder and honorary chairman, to the ranks of Japan’s richest after a ten-year gap.
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Scripting Sanrio’s revival in recent years is president and CEO Tomokuni Tsuji, the founder’s grandson, who took charge in 2020 when Shintaro stepped down after six decades at the helm. The 36-year-old has been training his sights beyond Hello Kitty to the company’s portfolio of more than 450 characters, such as Cinnamoroll, a white puppy whose tail resembles a cinnamon roll.
Sanrio has also lately expanded from selling merchandise to offering content such as games, animated shows and educational entertainment.
The moves have paid off. Net profit for the year ended March surged 137% year-on-year to ¥41.7 billion ($293 million) on sales that were up 45% to ¥144.9 billion, powered mainly by Sanrio’s fast-growing global licensing business.
