Dick Bruna in Japan

I knew of Miffy, but until recently I didn't really know about her Dutch illustrator, Dick Bruna. Some people think Miffy is a Japanese character but she is from the Netherlands. Bruna even said that he thinks Hello Kitty is copying the Miffy design which was created more than 20 years earlier.

In the last week, I noticed the above design for a pamphlet in our local city hall. The illustration was previously used for Bruna's Japanese postage stamps. He illustrated so many children's books and book covers for other authors too. I never read the books, but I see Miffy on products in Japan often. Japanese design is often simple, which is why I was drawn to it in the first place. I understand why Bruna's illustrations are popular here.

I also picked up this Miffy toy at Seria last week. Now I realize that the Japanese characters I love (Hello Kitty and Rilakuma) are really similar to Miffy's simple design. I still like cats and bears more than rabbits, but I have a new appreciation for this little rabbit.