TOKYO, Sep. 9 – The Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (JA-Zenchu) has launched a campaign to promote domestic consumption of domestic produce, featuring Hello Kitty, a popular fictional character owned by Sanrio. The JA Zenchu has created promotional materials starring Kitty and Emi-chan, a character designed exclusively for JA Group’s Minna-no-Yoi-Shoku Project (meaning everyone’s good food project in Japanese). They aim to communicate the importance of eating domestic produce to consumers in various generations, including children who have less first-hand experience in agriculture.
In fiscal 2025, the JA Zenchu plans to focus on communication to young people and those raising children as part of the JA Group’s unified campaign to promote domestic consumption of domestic produce. Hello Kitty was chosen as a new character to attract various generations.
Using Hello Kitty and Emi-chan as key figures, the JA Zenchu created educational materials about domestic consumption of domestic produce as well as food and agriculture education. There is a special website to provide information on domestic consumption of domestic produce in seven categories: rice, vegetables, fruits, meat, milk, tea, and flowers. As novelty goods, it produced Hello Kitty and Emi-chan plastic folders and wet tissues. They will be distributed at promotional events or given away as prizes for lotteries in promotional campaigns at local agricultural cooperatives’ farmers’ markets nationwide in October and November.
“Born in Japan and loved by people in various generations, Hello Kitty will make a perfect character to promote the value of domestic produce,” a spokesperson from the JA Zenchu said, hoping to strengthen public relations on domestic consumption of domestic produce.
A poster featuring Emi-chan and Hello Kitty’s collaboration (Image provided by the JA Zenchu)