It would be hard to say SANRIO didn’t have some influence on MDIAG! It’s a given that any self-proclaimed geek with a love of all things Japanese would have, at some point in their lives, “experimented” in the world of Hello Kitty (we’re not admitting a thing…). So it only tickles us in the least when our kids find their own fascination with the cutesy, bizarre world of the pink feline and her friends.

Therefore, if we must, it is our duty as parents to bring happiness and joy to our…kids’…lives by celebrating SANRIO’s 50th anniversary starting this summer with in-store events, co-branded collections and limited edition products. This will also be the first time, outside of SANRIO’s Harmonyland and Puroland theme parks in Japan, where SANRIO families such as Hello Kitty, Sugarbunnies and retro characters including Little Twin Stars, Tuxedosam, and Patty & Jimmy will appear together on merchandising for the months-long event.

For the unabashed fan, they can keep abreast of the latest in limited-edition product offerings and surprise interactive get-togethers and other special anniversary events and contests online via the SANRIO website, Twitter and Facebook. That’s a little more than we may be willing to go through, but we’ve been through worse for our kids…

For full details, read the full press release here.