Retired Japanese police officer Masao Gunji was recognized for the largest Hello Kitty collection (5,169 items) by the Guinness World Records in November 2016.
With 5,169 Hello Kitty items and a pink-painted Hello Kitty house in Yotsukaido, Chiba, retired Japanese police officer Masao Gunji stands as the new Guinness Book of World Records holder for the largest Hello Kitty collection, surpassing the previous owner of the title Asako Kanda, also from Japan, at 4,519.
The collection includes plushies, bento boxes, towels, and stationary items, to name a few, and took Gunji and his wife over 35 years to build.
At 67 years old, Gunji spends his time searching out new Hello Kitty toys to fill the pink palace he built to house all his collectibles. The vibrantly pink house sticks out amongst his neighbors, attracting many tourists.
According to AFP, though he doesn’t live in the property, Gunji was recognized last November by Guinness World Records for his vast collection, having spent around 30 million yen ($267,000) on the thousands of items, including the pink Hello Kitty house.
