YOSHIKI's Yoshikitty Returns to Sanrio Character Ranking for 11th Consecutive Year—Vote Now

In a delightful crossover between Japanese cute culture and international rock royalty, Yoshikitty—the one-of-a-kind Sanrio character inspired by X Japan founder YOSHIKI—has earned another spot in the 2025 Sanrio Character Ranking. This marks her 11th consecutive appearance in the beloved annual vote, cementing her status as a cultural phenomenon that bridges the gap between visual kei and mainstream global fandom.

For those unfamiliar: YOSHIKI is the visionary composer, classically trained pianist, and legendary drummer behind X Japan, the band that essentially created visual kei as we know it. Formed in 1985, X Japan revolutionized Japanese rock with their theatrical presentation, emotional intensity, and genre-blending sound—influences that still echo through the visual kei scene today. Yoshikitty, launched in 2009, represents something entirely unique: she's the first and only Sanrio character ever based on a real person, a fitting tribute to YOSHIKI's boundary-pushing legacy.

The 2025 voting campaign runs from April 10 through May 25, with voting opening at 11:00 a.m. Japan Standard Time. Yoshikitty is competing against just 89 other characters selected from Sanrio's roster of over 450—an exclusive club that includes Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, and Pompompurin. Western fans might be surprised to learn that in 2018, Yoshikitty actually ranked *more popular worldwide than Hello Kitty itself*, and she consistently dominates regional voting in Brazil, China, France, Germany, and Thailand.

YOSHIKI himself expressed gratitude for the selection: "I feel very honored yoshikitty was selected once again amongst all those amazing world-famous characters. Your continued love and support mean everything to me. Let's make this her biggest year yet."

Results will be announced in stages: initial results on April 15, interim results on May 13, and final rankings revealed June 29 (JST).

**Ready to support rock royalty in cute form?** Head to the official voting portal at https://ranking.sanrio.co.jp/en/characters/yoshikitty/ and cast your daily votes through May 25. Don't forget to share your support on social media using #Voteyoshikitty.

Source: YOSHIKITTY SELECTED FOR 2025 SANRIO CHARACTER RANKING, FOR THE 11TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR