Japan wonders why the birth rate has plummeted. There are theories ranging from the fact that women aren't given painkillers during birth to the fact that women are waiting longer to get married. But the real reason women are not having babies is much simpler: This generation has grown up with Hello Kitty.
With Hello Kitty as a role model, it's no wonder girls just want to be cute, single and self-made millionaires. Hello Kitty doesn't need a husband and children to make her happy. Hello Kitty is perhaps Japan's most successful female entrepreneur, albeit most of her money comes from selling her body.
Or her head. Strangely, Hello Kitty's head is often sold separately in the form of pillows and cushions. Her head, with no body in sight, graces the tops of pencils and pens. I expect someday we will read the newspaper headline, "Millions of Hello Kitty bodies found in mass grave."