(born December 7, 1927) is a Japanese entrepreneur. Formerly a civil servant, he is the founder and former-president of

Sanrio is a Japanese entertainment company. It designs, licenses, and manufactures products focusing on the ''kawaii'' ("cute") segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts, and Fashion accessory, a ...

, a Japanese merchandise company known for its characters, including

Hello Kitty , also known by her real name , is a fictional character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as a British anthropomorphized white cat with a red ...

Biography

Early life

Shintaro Tsuji was born in Kofu,

Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 787,592 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the n ...

, to a manageress of three ''

ryokan A is a type of traditional Japanese inn that typically features ''tatami''-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear nemaki and talk with the owner. Ryokan have existed since the eighth century A.D. du ...

''. He was a student of a kindergarten affiliated with the Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin. As part of a wealthy family belonging to the Saegusa clan, Tsuji, as their first child, lived a life of luxury, yet he was secluded. When his mother died of

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...

, Tsuji was under the care of his abusive aunt. From 1945 to 1947, Tsuji studied

chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of the operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials ...

at Kiryu Technical College (now a part of Gunma University); at that time, he also practiced manufacturing, and he would later take advantage of the post-World War II shortage situation in the country by creating goods for the black market - an act that formed the basis of his entrepreneurial career.

Government tenure

In 1949, Tsuji started working for the government of Yamanashi Prefecture, at the urging of his relatives. He first worked in a job Tsuji described as his "second adversity after his boyhood", before becoming a teacher, and later (under the request of Hisashi Amano, then-governor of Yamanashi Prefecture), a commerce worker. He would later leave the government in 1960, but not before being almost involved in a slander campaign against Amano's opponents.

As founder of Sanrio

On August 10, 1960, with in capital, Tsuji founded Yamanashi Silk Center, a textile company that would eventually become Sanrio. In 2020, Tsuji stepped down as president of Sanrio, and was succeeded by his grandson, Tomokuni.

Personal life

Tsuji married Yasuko in the 1950s. He is the father of Kunihiko Tsuji (who was at one point the heir of Sanrio before his death in 2013) and the grandfather of Tomokuni Tsuji (currently the president of Sanrio, and the youngest CEO of a

TOPIX The , commonly known as the TOPIX, is an important stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) in Japan, along with the Nikkei 225. The TOPIX tracks the entire market of domestic companies and covers most stocks in the Tokyo Stock Exc ...

-listed company), who coincidentally has the same birthday as Hello Kitty. Tsuji had an interest in

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

, owing to his time with his aunt. During his college years, Tsuji contracted

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

, and had to recover in his family home for several months. As president of Sanrio, he also thought of committing

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

at one point, but Tsuji ended up wanting to live upon undergoing polypectomy.

Works

Filmography (selected)

Bibliography

As a book author, he had written more than a dozen books, ranging from fairy tales to business.

References

Footnotes

Citations

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tsuji, Shintaro 1927 births Japanese businesspeople People from Yamanashi Prefecture Anime screenwriters Living people Sanrio