Best things to do at the Hello Kitty island resort

First off, head to the northeast of the island, where you’ll spot a white building stretching 120 metres along the coast. The massive Hello Kitty head in the centre will confirm you’re in the right place. This cartoonish building is Hello Kitty Smile, a space dedicated to Sanrio’s favourite cat. 

The venue has an underwater Hello Kitty princess-themed digital art exhibit (¥2,300, middle school and high school students ¥1,500, children ¥800) with multiple interactive activities and a light show to marvel at. There’s an entire wall covered in Hello Kitty plushies, a 3D hologram of Hello Kitty, a kaleidoscope room and a rare peek inside Hello Kitty’s room.

There are also two shops where you can purchase exclusive merchandise, including rare designer handbags and phone cases decked with an illustration of Hello Kitty made from Swarovski crystals.

Hello Kitty Smile also has four different restaurants, each with their own themed specialities. The Garden Terrace serves a buffet of Asian foods with sweeping views over the Seto Inland Sea. In the mood for dim sum? Head to Ryugu Restaurant Tamatebako (pictured), which uses locally sourced ingredients from around Awaji Island. You can also try the seafood barbecue restaurant or sit down for a luxurious high tea at the onsite café. Wherever you choose to eat, most dishes are served in original Hello Kitty plates, glasses and bowls and some of the food is even Hello-Kitty-shaped. 

Just a nine-minute bus ride (or a 30-minute walk) from Hello Kitty Smile is the Hello Kitty Show Box. The building, shaped like Kitty’s head, is the perfect place to catch Hello Kitty in person. The main attraction here is the live musical performance – you can watch Hello Kitty sing and dance with her friends and enjoy a gourmet lunch at the same time. 

Even if you can’t make it in time for the stage show, you’ll want to head to the Hello Kitty Show Box in the afternoon. From 2pm, the venue turns into a café where you can eat adorable Hello Kitty desserts. Even better, if you purchase a greeting ticket (¥330), you’ll get to meet Hello Kitty up-close – she’ll come right to your table.

To have the full Hello Kitty experience, spend a night at the island’s Grand Chariot Hotel, which has three Hello Kitty rooms, each decorated in a different theme. The biggest room is the Cocoon of Stars (pictured, above), which has colourful stars all over the room and fits up to four guests. The 70s room (pictured, below) is decked out with illustrations of Hello Kitty in her original iconic blue overalls, and the Natural Forest room has delicate, watercolour-like illustrations of Hello Kitty and animals. Both these rooms can accommodate up to two people.

Each room is in its own individual wooden cottage and every piece of furniture including the wallpaper, cushions, nightstand and curtains have Hello Kitty all over them. Plus, staying here gets you exclusive Hello Kitty merchandise and an entry ticket to Hello Kitty Smile. Prices start at ¥55,055 per person per night.