Masao Gunji, a 67-year-old ex-policeman, holds the world record for having the biggest collection of Hello Kitty memorabilia.
After spending most of his life protecting and serving the people of Japan by tracking down criminals, Gunji is now occupying most of his time in retirement hunting down more of Japan’s icon for cuteness. So far Gunji has spent about 30 million yen, over a quarter of a million dollars, completing his collection.
Gunji even went as far as building an entire house to display his collection of about 5,000 Hello Kitty memorabilia. The one-story home is located in Yotsukaido, Japan. Once the little, pink Hello Kitty haven was built, it became a meeting place for Gunji’s neighborhood.
“I can see they enjoy relaxing here,” Gunji shared.
Last April of 2017, Guinness World Records made a visit to Gunji’s Hello Kitty haven and officially dubbed Gunji as the holder of the record for largest collection of Hello Kitty memorabilia.
The adorable old man explained that his fascination with the iconic cartoon character is because of her expression. He feels as if Hello Kitty empathizes with him whether in times of sadness or joy.
“For some reason, when I’m sad she looks a little bit sad as well. And when I am happy, she looks happy,” Gunji explained. He also shares that Hello Kitty has always uplifted his spirits in times of distress too.
His wife wholeheartedly supports Gunji in his Sanrio-inspired endeavor. She even bought some of the items in the collection. When asked why she supported her husband, her answer was simple.
“This is his dream.”
This unpredictable pairing of fan and icon only goes to show that Hello Kitty is a genderless, ageless, and everlasting source of joy.
Photos courtesy of pixabay.com and youtube.com
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