Featured Character Register

Hello Kitty for the Japanese Market

I love Hello Kitty items like the rest of the world in part because I'm a cat lover. While this register is not the most creative design on the planet, I snatched it up like the mad collector that I am because it's an actual Japanese toy designed for Japanese children as opposed to the usual stuff made for the US market. You can see this in the Japanese markings all over it and over the box. Nice details on the box and elsewhere are shown below. The only disappointment is that even though it takes four AA batteries, all you get for that battery power is a light up light. Compared to the Hello Kitty electronic cash register also below which actually scans bar codes, this is pretty minimal design.

Hello Kitty items are from Japan and hugely popular. This is an early version as you can tell from the fact that it's not electronic. I like the little Hello Kitty figurine in front. Interestingly it has directions in Chinese on the back which clearly identifies it as a Chinese toy for Chinese children, as opposed to a "Made in China" toy for American children. There's a battery compartment but I haven't gotten it to work. This is quite rare. Toho, China. 

This just out in 2004, a way cute mini battery-operated Hello Kitty which says "Welcome!" and "Thank You!" Particularly interesting is the faintly Asian "kitty" voice which may be the actual voice of the cartoon Hello Kitty if there is such a thing.

This is the current version, still with the cute Hello Kitty figurine. Electronic of course. This register is the very first electronic one I've seen that has a REAL hand scanner (not pretend). It comes with items that have bar codes on them, and this scanner actually read the bar codes. Amazing! Toho, 2002, China.