Happy Kuji has announced an upcoming merchandise lottery that Sanrio fans won't want to miss, featuring several popular characters decked out in punk rock outfits perfect for the Halloween season. Hello Kitty isn't the only one donning black, as Cinnamoroll, Pochacco, Kuromi, and others are gearing up to head into autumn in style.
Hello Kitty largely remains the face of Sanrio, but the cuddly character actually isn't the most popular with fans worldwide. Each year, the Sanrio Character Ranking poll asks people to cast their vote for their favorite personality, and for 2026, Pompompurin took home the top prize, with Cinnamoroll coming in second and Pochacco coming in third. Characters like Kuromi, My Melody, and the aforementioned Hello Kitty did manage to appear in the top 10, with lesser-known faces like SWEETCORON, Pannapitta, and Sportingbears rounding out the bottom three spots. Now, fans of some of these adorable characters can get their hands on some more punk rock merch, but only for a short time.
Happy Kuji Reveals Punk Rock Look for Sanrio Characters This Autumn
The popular Japanese character-goods lottery game Happy Kuji has revealed the 'Sanrio Characters PUNKS Party ~Halloween 2026~' collection, featuring a plethora of goods for those who like their cute characters with a dash of edge. 10 characters appear in total, including Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Kuromi, Pochacco, Pompompurin, Hangyodon, Ahirunopekkle, Tuxedo Sam, and Little Twin Stars. Fans can win everything from plushies and figures to pouches and charms by visiting any Lawson, Family Mart, or other participating shops and purchasing a single draw for ￥880 (around $5.50) starting on September 18, 2026.
This isn't the only merch release that has had Sanrio fans celebrating in 2026. Currently, those who visit the Tokyo Solamachi area before August 30 can enjoy summer to the fullest with Hapidanbui, a popular unit consisting of six male Sanrio characters: Pochacco, Tuxedo Sam, Keroppi, Badtz-Maru, Hangyodon, and Ahironopekkle. The ongoing event includes a pop-up shop, digital stamp rally, and a themed show on August 22 and 23.
Initially founded in Tokyo as a silk company in 1960, Sanrio later transformed into an international leader of all things adorable, with founder Shintaro Tsuji realizing he could sell more merchandise by adding cute character designs. While many believe that Hello Kitty was the first character to hit the scene, this wasn't the case, as Coro Chan was technically the first Sanrio character, introduced in 1973. As of 2026, the company has created over 450 characters, though the vast majority of these adorable faces aren't well known outside of Japan.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
Sanrio has also taken over the world of video games, with Hello Kitty Island Adventure launching in 2023 and the upcoming title Hello Kitty Party Land slated to release for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on October 29, 2026. The latter will include a large collection of mini-games and over 145 Sanrio characters for players to discover, featuring multiplayer and customizable avatars.
- Released
- October 29, 2026
- ESRB
- Everyone / Comic Mischief
- Developer(s)
- G-Style Co. Ltd.
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Party Game
