There are many reasons to visit Kyoto; the ex capital of Japan is a beautiful city most known for its Geisha tradition. However as well as being a historic city with gorgeous temples, Geisha schools and traditional tea houses, Kyoto is home to one of the world’s many Hello Kitty Restaurants. If you don’t live under a stone you will be familiar with Hello Kitty, a worldwide franchise, started in Japan in 1974 and worth billions of dollars. The cartoon character, is a worldwide phenomenon. Merchandise covers just about anything, although it started with a humble coin purse. Now, not only can you buy clothes, toys, stationary etc but you can also ride a Hello Kitty Train. fly on a Hello Kitty plane and eat Hello Kitty food in dedicated restaurants. There are restaurants all over the globe but the one I visited was nestled in Kyoto. I thought it would be full of children, but there were more adults than children. Everyone was excited to eat the cartoon themed food, with cartoon themed chopsticks and even Hello Kitty napkins. I was also given a large stuffed toy to join me as a dining companion. Why not? She didn’t say much but at least she didn’t steal my food. Hello Kitty has clearly captured the imagination of both the East and the West. There are cafes in New York and even a pop up Hello Kitty restaurant in London in Fitzrovia.