TOKYO -- Sanrio, the Japanese maker of Hello Kitty character goods, is planning to increase licensing for the creation of theme parks in Asia, starting with the opening of an indoor park in Shanghai in 2018 that will be its second in China.
Sanrio will license the use of its Hello Kitty characters to Shimao Group, a major Chinese real estate developer, which plans to open an indoor amusement park in Shanghai in October next year. The construction project is estimated to cost some 200 million yuan ($29.4 million).
