With Kitty set to celebrate her 40th birthday on Saturday, Kaminaga has become a life-long collector of a brand phenomenon that appears on more than 50,000 products -- including a dress made for pop diva Lady Gaga -- and spawned an estimated multi-billion dollar industry.
The character is licensed to appear on everything from sundries and clothing to electronics and aircraft -- sex toys are a myth -- in 130 countries and territories.
First released in 1974 and appearing on a coin purse the following year, Kitty is far from just kids stuff these days. Its creator Sanrio says Kittymania is actually driven by adults like Kaminaga, who spoke to AFP as she shopped for a birthday card for her boss -- a man.
